Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Sarpsborg

For one person, living is cheaper in Cape Town: $1,527 a month against $2,872 in Sarpsborg, rent and utilities included – about $16,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Sarpsborg
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Sarpsborg Living Index

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Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,527

/mo nomad

Sarpsborg

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,872

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cape Town and in Sarpsborg

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cape Town and in Sarpsborg actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,527 per month in Cape Town vs $2,872 in Sarpsborg, rent included.

Cape Town $1,527
Sarpsborg $2,872

A couple spends around $2,417 per month in Cape Town vs $4,169 in Sarpsborg, rent included.

Cape Town $2,417
Sarpsborg $4,169

A family of three spends $3,306 per month in Cape Town vs $5,466 in Sarpsborg, rent included.

Cape Town $3,306
Sarpsborg $5,466

Cape Town is about 47% cheaper than Sarpsborg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Cape Town and Sarpsborg sit above the global median – Cape Town by 13%, Sarpsborg by 112%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.01 R 198

$40.81 NOK 380

-70.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.92 R 707

$99.3 NOK 923

-56.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.15 R 101

$19.17 NOK 178

-67.92%

Cappuccino

$2.37 R 39.04

$5.74 NOK 53.4

-58.71%

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

$1.27 R 20.96

$2.88 NOK 26.81

-55.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 R 15.46

$2.67 NOK 24.82

-64.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 R 48.77

$6.60 NOK 61.4

-55.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 R 60.8

$8.19 NOK 76.2

-54.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 R 21.73

$2.32 NOK 21.54

-43.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 R 19.87

$3.49 NOK 32.50

-65.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 R 36.26

$4.01 NOK 37.30

-45.14%

Eggs

$3.10 R 51.1

$4.56 NOK 42.40

-32.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.73 R 144

$12.54 NOK 117

-30.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.89 R 114

$17.04 NOK 158

-59.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.26 R 153

$34.26 NOK 319

-72.97%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 R 30.08

$3.85 NOK 35.82

-52.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 R 32.12

$2.67 NOK 24.86

-26.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 R 27.32

$3.49 NOK 32.51

-52.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 R 35.19

$6.04 NOK 56.2

-64.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.58 R 26.01

$2.84 NOK 26.45

-44.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.29

$3.18 NOK 29.56

-53.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 R 22.18

$2.65 NOK 24.67

-49.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 R 18.85

$2.59 NOK 24.05

-55.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.58 R 59.0

$15.56 NOK 145

-76.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.05 R 99.7

$13.73 NOK 128

-55.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.95

$3.34 NOK 31.04

-58.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 R 35.90

$4.71 NOK 43.79

-53.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 R 23.02

$2.62 NOK 24.41

-46.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 R 1,001

$87.2 NOK 811

-30.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 R 15.26

$12.01 NOK 112

-92.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 R 14.83

$1.97 NOK 18.30

-54.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.96 R 81.7

$63.8 NOK 593

-92.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 R 25.37

$2.27 NOK 21.12

-32.16%

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

$35.4K R 582.8K

$55.3K NOK 514.6K

-36.08%

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

$33.4K R 549.9K

$47.2K NOK 438.7K

-29.25%

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

$117 R 1,929

$238 NOK 2,212

-50.78%

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

$25.71 R 424

$36.62 NOK 341

-29.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.41 R 649

$47.03 NOK 437

-16.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 R 850

$50.1 NOK 466

3.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.35 R 187

$38.46 NOK 358

-70.49%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 R 146

$19.49 NOK 181

-54.39%

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

$308 R 5,069

$239 NOK 2,222

28.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,141 R 134.2K

$11.6K NOK 108.0K

-29.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.4 R 946

$111 NOK 1,036

-48.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.75 R 523

$66.9 NOK 622

-52.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 R 1,911

$125 NOK 1,160

-7.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 R 1,660

$180 NOK 1,674

-44.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,047 R 17.2K

$1,224 NOK 11.4K

-14.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$669 R 11.0K

$1,093 NOK 10.2K

-38.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,861 R 30.7K

$1,606 NOK 14.9K

15.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 R 23.2K

$1,399 NOK 13.0K

0.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,410 R 39.7K

$6,415 NOK 59.7K

-62.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,570 R 25.9K

$4,241 NOK 39.4K

-62.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,630 R 26.9K

$2,714 NOK 25.2K

-39.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.89

5.18

110.23%

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

Last update for Cape Town: November 2, 2026

Last update for Sarpsborg: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$669 43.8%

Sarpsborg

$1.1K 38.1% 63.3% $423

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$223 14.6%

Sarpsborg

$508 17.7% 127% $284

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$182 11.9%

Sarpsborg

$321 11.2% 76.5% $139

Eating Out

Cape Town

$174 11.4%

Sarpsborg

$524 18.3% 201% $350

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$138 9%

Sarpsborg

$217 7.6% 57.9% $80

Getting Around

Cape Town

$72 4.7%

Sarpsborg

$120 4.2% 66.6% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$69 4.5%

Sarpsborg

$89 3.1% 28.3% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,047 in Cape Town versus $1,224 in Sarpsborg. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 67% higher in Sarpsborg, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Cape Town versus $99 in Sarpsborg. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $223 vs $508 – making Cape Town the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇳🇴 Sarpsborg

🕒 Local time

09:23 9:23 AM

08:23 8:23 AM

1 h behind Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

59,906

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

100 NOK = 10.75 USD

100 NOK = 9.57 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NOK, USD, EUR to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.51 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 9.3 NOK (1 NOK = 0.108 USD). 1 EUR = 10.45 NOK (100 NOK = 9.57 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cape Town Sarpsborg 10,380 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Sarpsborg

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Cape Town vs Sarpsborg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sarpsborg costs about 88% more than Cape Town, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,291 per month in Cape Town and $4,308 in Sarpsborg. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cape Town, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,047 there versus $1,224 in Sarpsborg.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,527 in Cape Town and $2,872 in Sarpsborg. That makes Cape Town about 47% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 30% less in Cape Town. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,527 in Cape Town and $2,872 in Sarpsborg. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Cape Town has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,527 in Cape Town to $2,872 in Sarpsborg. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Cape Town. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sarpsborg makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.