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: $2,622 in Bergen versus $2,561 in Sarpsborg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,948 in Bergen versus $3,771 in Sarpsborg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,274 in Bergen versus $4,982 in Sarpsborg.

Living in Bergen is roughly 2% more expensive than Sarpsborg, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 95% above, Sarpsborg 91% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.22 NOK 239

$37.65 NOK 357

-33.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 NOK 965

$92.3 NOK 876

10.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.97 NOK 180

$18.53 NOK 176

2.37%

Cappuccino

$5.55 NOK 52.6

$5.28 NOK 50.1

5.11%

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

$3.17 NOK 30.10

$2.68 NOK 25.40

18.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 NOK 28.56

$2.60 NOK 24.70

15.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.86 NOK 113

$5.89 NOK 55.9

101.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.58 NOK 90.9

$7.79 NOK 73.9

22.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.69 NOK 25.50

$2.26 NOK 21.41

19.03%

White Bread (500g)

$3.44 NOK 32.66

$3.29 NOK 31.18

4.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.88 NOK 27.34

$3.14 NOK 29.85

-8.28%

Eggs

$5.03 NOK 47.75

$4.37 NOK 41.52

15.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 NOK 132

$11.93 NOK 113

17.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.99 NOK 152

$14.93 NOK 142

7.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.79 NOK 264

$28.14 NOK 267

-1.24%

Apples (1kg)

$3.79 NOK 35.95

$3.60 NOK 34.19

5.28%

Banana (1kg)

$2.95 NOK 27.98

$2.47 NOK 23.46

19.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.59 NOK 34.03

$3.32 NOK 31.54

8.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.70 NOK 54.1

$4.35 NOK 41.26

31.03%

Potato (1kg)

$2.62 NOK 24.85

$2.48 NOK 23.58

5.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.87 NOK 27.29

$2.49 NOK 23.67

15.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.91 NOK 27.63

$2.78 NOK 26.37

4.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 NOK 20.34

$1.82 NOK 17.24

17.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.78 NOK 159

$15.31 NOK 145

9.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.96 NOK 170

$19.10 NOK 181

-5.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.44 NOK 32.68

$3.40 NOK 32.24

1.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 NOK 40.97

$3.99 NOK 37.88

8.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.44 NOK 42.14

$2.47 NOK 23.40

79.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.0 NOK 759

$74.1 NOK 703

7.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.23 NOK 145

$10.15 NOK 96.3

50.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.27 NOK 21.55

$1.40 NOK 13.30

62.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$72.5 NOK 688

$45.99 NOK 437

57.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 NOK 20.93

$2.14 NOK 20.32

3.27%

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

$35.9K NOK 340.3K

$36.1K NOK 342.9K

-0.77%

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

$42.9K NOK 407.0K

$38.6K NOK 366.1K

11.17%

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

$243 NOK 2,311

$238 NOK 2,263

2.11%

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

$38.80 NOK 368

$38.10 NOK 362

1.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.3 NOK 620

$56.1 NOK 532

16.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 NOK 514

$50.1 NOK 476

8.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.54 NOK 375

$36.13 NOK 343

9.44%

Cinema Ticket

$20.20 NOK 192

$16.31 NOK 155

23.85%

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

$282 NOK 2,677

$284 NOK 2,692

-0.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K NOK 119.9K

$10.1K NOK 95.8K

25.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.9 NOK 863

$97.6 NOK 926

-6.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 NOK 531

$52.8 NOK 501

5.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 NOK 1,064

$109 NOK 1,033

2.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$147 NOK 1,391

$150 NOK 1,421

-2.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 NOK 12.3K

$1,209 NOK 11.5K

7.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$973 NOK 9,238

$903 NOK 8,572

7.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,994 NOK 18.9K

$1,492 NOK 14.2K

33.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,568 NOK 14.9K

$1,319 NOK 12.5K

18.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,844 NOK 74.4K

$6,022 NOK 57.2K

30.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,587 NOK 43.5K

$4,474 NOK 42.5K

2.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,531 NOK 43.0K

$2,685 NOK 25.5K

68.74%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Sarpsborg: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,295 in Bergen and $1,209 in Sarpsborg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 69% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $102 in Bergen vs $92.0 in Sarpsborg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $490 vs $457 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 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Bergen pays 69% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,295 in Bergen versus $1,209 in Sarpsborg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $282 in Bergen versus $284 in Sarpsborg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% 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 2% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.