Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Sarpsborg Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Sarpsborg

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,594 in Bergen versus $2,496 in Sarpsborg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,948 in Bergen versus $3,763 in Sarpsborg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,302 in Bergen versus $5,030 in Sarpsborg.

Living in Bergen is roughly 4% more expensive than Sarpsborg, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 94% above, Sarpsborg 86% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.44 NOK 237

$38.11 NOK 354

-33.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 NOK 940

$95.2 NOK 885

6.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.61 NOK 182

$18.27 NOK 170

7.33%

Cappuccino

$5.50 NOK 51.2

$5.25 NOK 48.85

4.76%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 NOK 29.10

$2.74 NOK 25.44

14.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 NOK 28.17

$2.56 NOK 23.79

18.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.80 NOK 110

$6.24 NOK 58.1

89.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.60 NOK 89.3

$7.89 NOK 73.4

21.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.65 NOK 24.65

$2.22 NOK 20.61

19.37%

White Bread (500g)

$3.31 NOK 30.83

$3.28 NOK 30.50

0.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.91 NOK 27.11

$3.32 NOK 30.86

-12.35%

Eggs

$4.83 NOK 44.96

$4.43 NOK 41.21

9.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 NOK 130

$12.12 NOK 113

15.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.71 NOK 146

$14.90 NOK 139

5.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.27 NOK 263

$28.08 NOK 261

0.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.78 NOK 35.17

$3.48 NOK 32.38

8.62%

Banana (1kg)

$3.09 NOK 28.72

$2.48 NOK 23.07

24.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.61 NOK 33.55

$3.41 NOK 31.71

5.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.57 NOK 51.8

$4.38 NOK 40.76

27.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.71 NOK 25.24

$2.45 NOK 22.76

10.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.75 NOK 25.59

$2.54 NOK 23.62

8.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 NOK 26.07

$2.75 NOK 25.59

1.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 NOK 19.60

$1.92 NOK 17.86

9.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.40 NOK 153

$14.92 NOK 139

9.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.27 NOK 170

$19.21 NOK 179

-4.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.31 NOK 30.80

$3.34 NOK 31.03

-0.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 NOK 40.14

$4.08 NOK 37.91

5.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.51 NOK 41.91

$2.49 NOK 23.17

81.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.4 NOK 757

$74.4 NOK 691

9.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.23 NOK 142

$10.19 NOK 94.8

49.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.23 NOK 20.75

$1.39 NOK 12.92

60.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$73.6 NOK 684

$47.55 NOK 442

54.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 NOK 19.90

$2.03 NOK 18.89

5.42%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$34.9K NOK 324.7K

$35.1K NOK 326.0K

-0.41%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$43.1K NOK 400.6K

$38.2K NOK 354.9K

12.86%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$240 NOK 2,227

$240 NOK 2,232

-0.23%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$38.14 NOK 355

$37.83 NOK 352

0.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.2 NOK 606

$56.0 NOK 521

16.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.7 NOK 509

$49.58 NOK 461

10.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.54 NOK 368

$36.07 NOK 335

9.62%

Cinema Ticket

$20.28 NOK 189

$16.71 NOK 155

21.36%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$280 NOK 2,606

$279 NOK 2,593

0.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K NOK 118.2K

$10.1K NOK 93.6K

26.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.3 NOK 849

$96.6 NOK 898

-5.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.5 NOK 516

$51.3 NOK 477

8.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 NOK 1,037

$108 NOK 1,003

3.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$146 NOK 1,358

$154 NOK 1,437

-5.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,308 NOK 12.2K

$1,222 NOK 11.4K

6.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$971 NOK 9,034

$904 NOK 8,404

7.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 NOK 19.0K

$1,514 NOK 14.1K

35.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 NOK 14.3K

$1,342 NOK 12.5K

14.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,924 NOK 73.7K

$6,929 NOK 64.4K

14.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,854 NOK 45.1K

$4,477 NOK 41.6K

8.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,333 NOK 40.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.85

4.38

10.73%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Bergen: April 21, 2026

Last update for Sarpsborg: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,308 in Bergen and $1,222 in Sarpsborg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $101 in Bergen vs $95 in Sarpsborg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $487 vs $459 per month, with Sarpsborg cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Bergen vs Sarpsborg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sarpsborg is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 4% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,892 in Bergen and $3,744 in Sarpsborg to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,308 in Bergen versus $1,222 in Sarpsborg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $280 in Bergen versus $279 in Sarpsborg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Bergen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Sarpsborg is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Sarpsborg is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Bergen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Bergen and Sarpsborg are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Sarpsborg gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.