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 $3,771 per month in Santa Barbara, CA vs $2,504 in Haugesund, rent included.

A couple spends around $5,781 per month in Santa Barbara, CA vs $3,688 in Haugesund, rent included.

A family of three spends $7,791 per month in Santa Barbara, CA vs $4,871 in Haugesund, rent included.

Santa Barbara, CA costs about 51% more than Haugesund, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both Santa Barbara, CA and Haugesund sit above the global median – Santa Barbara, CA by 181%, Haugesund by 87%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.23 $25.23

$21.54 NOK 200

17.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.5 $98.5

$101 NOK 939

-2.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.92 $9.92

$13.51 NOK 125

-26.57%

Cappuccino

$5.41 $5.41

$4.55 NOK 42.29

18.90%

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

$2.63 $2.63

$3.10 NOK 28.81

-15.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 $2.11

$2.90 NOK 26.92

-27.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$10.66 NOK 99.1

-23.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.68 $8.68

$9.39 NOK 87.2

-7.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 $1.35

$2.13 NOK 19.79

-36.62%

White Bread (500g)

$4.83 $4.83

$3.34 NOK 31.00

44.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$2.89 NOK 26.88

65.05%

Eggs

$5.60 $5.60

$4.42 NOK 41.08

26.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.64 $12.64

$11.56 NOK 107

9.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.34 $11.34

$14.59 NOK 136

-22.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.38 $14.38

$27.86 NOK 259

-48.38%

Apples (1kg)

$6.44 $6.44

$2.94 NOK 27.36

119.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 $1.91

$2.16 NOK 20.07

-11.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.77 $3.77

$3.58 NOK 33.30

5.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.61 $5.61

$4.05 NOK 37.59

38.52%

Potato (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$2.74 NOK 25.46

14.96%

Onion (1kg)

$3.07 $3.07

$2.77 NOK 25.74

10.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.87 NOK 26.69

-25.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$2.03 NOK 18.90

-0.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.83 $12.83

$16.59 NOK 154

-22.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.80 $15.80

$15.15 NOK 141

4.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$3.46 NOK 32.10

-48.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 $4.04

$4.22 NOK 39.22

-4.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.80 $1.80

$3.64 NOK 33.84

-50.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.8 $62.8

$66.2 NOK 615

-5.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.94 $5.94

$14.31 NOK 133

-58.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.53 NOK 14.20

32.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$51.9 $51.9

$55.6 NOK 517

-6.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 $1.22

$2.22 NOK 20.65

-45.05%

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

$28.0K $28.0K

$35.2K NOK 326.7K

-20.31%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$39.6K NOK 368.0K

-34.26%

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

$205 $205

$238 NOK 2,208

-13.90%

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

$55.1 $55.1

$38.34 NOK 356

43.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.9 $71.9

$55.5 NOK 516

29.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.4 $66.4

$46.28 NOK 430

43.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 $18.53

$35.30 NOK 328

-47.51%

Cinema Ticket

$12.45 $12.45

$16.47 NOK 153

-24.41%

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

$1,419 $1,419

$279 NOK 2,592

408.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$37.6K $37.6K

$2,905 NOK 27.0K

1193.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.3 $68.3

$81.3 NOK 755

-16.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.02 $41.02

$55.3 NOK 513

-25.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.8 $76.8

$92.8 NOK 862

-17.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$143 NOK 1,331

-1.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,663 $2,663

$1,660 NOK 15.4K

60.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,268 $2,268

$1,035 NOK 9,614

119.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,084 $5,084

$2,029 NOK 18.8K

150.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,385 $4,385

$1,551 NOK 14.4K

182.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.0K $10.0K

$4,476 NOK 41.6K

124.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,991 $9,991

$4,790 NOK 44.5K

108.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,034 $5,034

$3,845 NOK 35.7K

30.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.68

3.98

67.84%

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

Last update for Santa Barbara, CA: June 1, 2026

Last update for Haugesund: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,663 in Santa Barbara, CA versus $1,660 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 31% 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 $98.0 in Santa Barbara, CA versus $101 in Haugesund. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $425 vs $443 – making Santa Barbara, CA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 51% more than Haugesund, with the gap driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,657 per month in Santa Barbara, CA and $3,755 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.

Interestingly, groceries are about 4% cheaper in Santa Barbara, CA – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $98.0 in Santa Barbara, CA and $101 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 $3,771 in Santa Barbara, CA and $2,504 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 $2,504 versus $3,771 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.