Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Barbara, CA and Haugesund Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Barbara, CA and Haugesund

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $4,350 per month in Santa Barbara, CA vs $2,721 in Haugesund, rent included.

A couple spends around $6,257 per month in Santa Barbara, CA vs $4,059 in Haugesund, rent included.

A family of three spends $8,163 per month in Santa Barbara, CA vs $5,398 in Haugesund, rent included.

Santa Barbara, CA costs about 60% more than Haugesund, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Santa Barbara, CA and Haugesund sit above the global median – Santa Barbara, CA by 217%, Haugesund by 98%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.97 $24.97

$22.71 NOK 212

9.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.5 $99.5

$109 NOK 1,018

-8.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.71 $14.71

$14.73 NOK 137

-0.14%

Cappuccino

$6.13 $6.13

$4.70 NOK 43.84

30.43%

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

$3.77 $3.77

$5.15 NOK 48.04

-26.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$4.07 NOK 37.98

-25.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.04 $8.04

$11.81 NOK 110

-31.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.07 $12.07

$10.67 NOK 99.6

13.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$2.28 NOK 21.31

-34.65%

White Bread (500g)

$4.56 $4.56

$3.82 NOK 35.67

19.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.19 $7.19

$3.57 NOK 33.32

101.40%

Eggs

$5.16 $5.16

$4.96 NOK 46.25

4.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.68 $19.68

$12.00 NOK 112

64.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.50 $14.50

$15.61 NOK 146

-7.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.21 $22.21

$35.98 NOK 336

-38.27%

Apples (1kg)

$8.36 $8.36

$3.22 NOK 30.07

159.63%

Banana (1kg)

$3.35 $3.35

$2.19 NOK 20.45

52.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.47 $6.47

$3.73 NOK 34.76

73.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$10.14 $10.14

$4.30 NOK 40.11

135.81%

Potato (1kg)

$8.83 $8.83

$2.45 NOK 22.90

260.41%

Onion (1kg)

$4.88 $4.88

$3.48 NOK 32.48

40.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.97 NOK 27.70

16.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.98 NOK 18.52

40.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.87 $11.87

$17.52 NOK 163

-32.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.94 $15.94

$15.09 NOK 141

5.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

$3.50 NOK 32.70

-37.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 $4.61

$4.32 NOK 40.31

6.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.53 $2.53

$3.74 NOK 34.85

-32.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.0 $51.0

$69.5 NOK 648

-26.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.97 $2.97

$12.81 NOK 120

-76.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 $2.46

$1.91 NOK 17.83

28.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$59.6 $59.6

$56.2 NOK 525

5.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 $1.40

$2.28 NOK 21.26

-38.60%

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

$37.1K $37.1K

$45.3K NOK 422.9K

-18.12%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$44.3K NOK 413.1K

-42.85%

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

$255 $255

$289 NOK 2,697

-11.88%

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

$76.1 $76.1

$31.75 NOK 296

139.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.1 $71.1

$56.7 NOK 529

25.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.4 $77.4

$50.6 NOK 472

52.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.82 $19.82

$37.27 NOK 348

-46.82%

Cinema Ticket

$14.12 $14.12

$17.70 NOK 165

-20.23%

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

$1,446 $1,446

$242 NOK 2,258

497.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.6K $36.6K

$3,019 NOK 28.2K

1112.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 $87.8

$102 NOK 951

-13.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.92 $45.92

$55.9 NOK 522

-17.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.4 $79.4

$89.0 NOK 831

-10.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 $131

$156 NOK 1,457

-16.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,792 $2,792

$1,579 NOK 14.7K

76.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,651 $2,651

$1,116 NOK 10.4K

137.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,910 $4,910

$2,147 NOK 20.0K

128.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,125 $4,125

$1,685 NOK 15.7K

144.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,936 $9,936

$6,472 NOK 60.4K

53.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,880 $9,880

$4,810 NOK 44.9K

105.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,044 $5,044

$4,174 NOK 38.9K

20.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.24

5.2

20.00%

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

Last update for Santa Barbara, CA: August 31, 2026

Last update for Haugesund: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,792 in Santa Barbara, CA versus $1,579 in Haugesund. 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 21% 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 $99.0 in Santa Barbara, CA versus $109 in Haugesund. Groceries tell a different story – $582 in Santa Barbara, CA vs $489 in Haugesund – so Haugesund wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

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

Santa Barbara, CA costs about 60% more than Haugesund, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,526 per month in Santa Barbara, CA and $4,081 in Haugesund. 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 19% 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 $99.0 in Santa Barbara, CA and $109 in Haugesund. 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 $4,350 in Santa Barbara, CA and $2,721 in Haugesund. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Haugesund costs $2,721 versus $4,350 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.