Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Haugesund and Santa Barbara, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Haugesund: $2,654 a month against $4,295 in Santa Barbara, CA, rent and utilities included – about $19,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Haugesund
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Haugesund Living Index
211

Cost of Living Index in Santa Barbara, CA
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Santa Barbara, CA Living Index

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Haugesund

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,654

/mo nomad

Santa Barbara, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,295

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Haugesund and in Santa Barbara, CA

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

A single person spends $2,654 per month in Haugesund vs $4,295 in Santa Barbara, CA, rent included.

Haugesund $2,654
Santa Barbara, CA $4,295

A couple spends around $3,956 per month in Haugesund vs $6,163 in Santa Barbara, CA, rent included.

Haugesund $3,956
Santa Barbara, CA $6,163

A family of three spends $5,259 per month in Haugesund vs $8,031 in Santa Barbara, CA, rent included.

Haugesund $5,259
Santa Barbara, CA $8,031

Haugesund is about 38% cheaper than Santa Barbara, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Haugesund and Santa Barbara, CA sit above the global median – Haugesund by 97%, Santa Barbara, CA by 218%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.97 NOK 207

$25.23 $25.23

-12.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$105 NOK 987

$99.0 $99.0

5.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.38 NOK 135

$14.84 $14.84

-3.10%

Cappuccino

$4.59 NOK 43.19

$6.04 $6.04

-24.01%

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

$5.08 NOK 47.78

$3.82 $3.82

32.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 NOK 37.48

$3.08 $3.08

29.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.63 NOK 109

$7.86 $7.86

47.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.31 NOK 97.0

$11.96 $11.96

-13.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 NOK 20.52

$1.50 $1.50

45.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 NOK 35.73

$4.69 $4.69

-18.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.50 NOK 32.92

$6.92 $6.92

-49.42%

Eggs

$4.79 NOK 45.06

$5.19 $5.19

-7.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.80 NOK 111

$19.09 $19.09

-38.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.02 NOK 141

$14.35 $14.35

4.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$33.81 NOK 318

$21.85 $21.85

54.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.08 NOK 29.02

$8.16 $8.16

-62.25%

Banana (1kg)

$2.12 NOK 20.00

$3.24 $3.24

-34.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.44 NOK 32.37

$6.12 $6.12

-43.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.21 NOK 39.58

$9.85 $9.85

-57.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.42 NOK 22.77

$8.56 $8.56

-71.73%

Onion (1kg)

$3.32 NOK 31.23

$4.76 $4.76

-30.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.00 NOK 28.20

$3.55 $3.55

-15.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 NOK 17.26

$2.80 $2.80

-34.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.21 NOK 162

$11.92 $11.92

44.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.47 NOK 136

$16.30 $16.30

-11.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.58 NOK 33.70

$2.30 $2.30

55.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 NOK 39.17

$4.41 $4.41

-5.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.56 NOK 33.51

$2.44 $2.44

45.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 NOK 635

$52.7 $52.7

27.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.19 NOK 115

$2.93 $2.93

316.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 NOK 16.81

$2.45 $2.45

-26.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$56.2 NOK 529

$61.1 $61.1

-8.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.45 NOK 23.03

$1.54 $1.54

59.09%

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

$44.3K NOK 417.0K

$37.7K $37.7K

17.50%

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

$43.5K NOK 409.6K

$25.6K $25.6K

69.85%

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

$275 NOK 2,591

$257 $257

7.15%

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

$32.80 NOK 309

$73.8 $73.8

-55.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.8 NOK 525

$71.1 $71.1

-21.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.71 NOK 468

$76.9 $76.9

-35.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.17 NOK 341

$19.90 $19.90

81.76%

Cinema Ticket

$16.92 NOK 159

$14.07 $14.07

20.26%

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

$241 NOK 2,269

$1,398 $1,398

-82.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,918 NOK 27.5K

$37.5K $37.5K

-92.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.4 NOK 917

$88.3 $88.3

10.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.6 NOK 504

$45.98 $45.98

16.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.1 NOK 820

$79.1 $79.1

10.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$155 NOK 1,463

$132 $132

17.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,576 NOK 14.8K

$2,815 $2,815

-44.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,067 NOK 10.0K

$2,571 $2,571

-58.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,099 NOK 19.8K

$4,807 $4,807

-56.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,668 NOK 15.7K

$4,170 $4,170

-60.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,302 NOK 59.3K

$10.2K $10.2K

-37.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,637 NOK 43.6K

$9,905 $9,905

-53.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,952 NOK 37.2K

$5,229 $5,229

-24.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.2

6.75

-22.96%

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

Last update for Haugesund: October 12, 2026

Last update for Santa Barbara, CA: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Haugesund

$1.1K 40.2%

Santa Barbara, CA

$2.6K 59.9% 141% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

Haugesund

$471 17.7%

Santa Barbara, CA

$575 13.4% 22.1% $104

Eating Out

Haugesund

$389 14.7%

Santa Barbara, CA

$410 9.5% 5.3% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Haugesund

$364 13.7%

Santa Barbara, CA

$402 9.4% 10.4% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Haugesund

$177 6.7%

Santa Barbara, CA

$155 3.6% 12.2% $22

Getting Around

Haugesund

$103 3.9%

Santa Barbara, CA

$78 1.8% 24.4% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Haugesund

$84 3.2%

Santa Barbara, CA

$105 2.4% 25.6% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,576 in Haugesund versus $2,815 in Santa Barbara, CA. 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 32% higher in Santa Barbara, CA, 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 $105 in Haugesund versus $99.0 in Santa Barbara, CA. Groceries tell a different story – $471 in Haugesund vs $575 in Santa Barbara, CA – so Haugesund wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇴 Haugesund

🇺🇸 Santa Barbara, CA

🕒 Local time

12:32 12:32 PM

03:32 3:32 AM

9 h behind Haugesund

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

38,362

91,196

💱 Currency

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 NOK = 10.62 USD

100 NOK = 9.45 EUR

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to NOK – Norwegian Krone Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇴 Norwegian Krone (kr)

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 9.41 NOK (1 NOK = 0.106 USD). 1 EUR = 10.58 NOK (100 NOK = 9.45 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

USD to NOK in detail →

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Between locations

Haugesund Santa Barbara, CA 8,420 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Haugesund
Santa Barbara, CA

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

Haugesund vs Santa Barbara, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santa Barbara, CA costs about 62% more than Haugesund, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,981 per month in Haugesund and $6,443 in Santa Barbara, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Haugesund, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 22% more in Santa Barbara, CA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $105 in Haugesund and $99.0 in Santa Barbara, CA. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,654 in Haugesund and $4,295 in Santa Barbara, CA. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Haugesund costs $2,654 versus $4,295 in Santa Barbara, CA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Haugesund. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Santa Barbara, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.