Cost of Living Comparison Between Sarpsborg and Bergen Cost of Living Comparison Between Sarpsborg and Bergen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,802 in Sarpsborg versus $2,948 in Bergen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,162 in Sarpsborg versus $4,449 in Bergen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,521 in Sarpsborg versus $5,950 in Bergen.

Living in Sarpsborg costs roughly 5% less than in Bergen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sarpsborg 105% above, Bergen 115% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$40.12 NOK 378

$24.70 NOK 233

62.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$107 NOK 1,010

$139 NOK 1,311

-22.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.57 NOK 184

$15.86 NOK 149

23.39%

Cappuccino

$5.76 NOK 54.2

$5.68 NOK 53.5

1.41%

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

$2.90 NOK 27.37

$5.31 NOK 50.0

-45.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 NOK 25.01

$4.53 NOK 42.69

-41.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.82 NOK 83.2

$12.85 NOK 121

-31.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.73 NOK 111

$10.60 NOK 99.9

10.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 NOK 22.24

$2.33 NOK 21.95

1.29%

White Bread (500g)

$3.30 NOK 31.09

$3.90 NOK 36.77

-15.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.76 NOK 35.40

$3.57 NOK 33.67

5.32%

Eggs

$5.08 NOK 47.90

$6.62 NOK 62.4

-23.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.87 NOK 121

$15.02 NOK 142

-14.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.59 NOK 147

$17.61 NOK 166

-11.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$29.86 NOK 281

$35.64 NOK 336

-16.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.49 NOK 32.90

$4.02 NOK 37.88

-13.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.78 NOK 26.16

$2.83 NOK 26.64

-1.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.60 NOK 33.90

$3.67 NOK 34.54

-1.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 NOK 42.58

$5.50 NOK 51.8

-17.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.60 NOK 24.51

$2.55 NOK 23.99

1.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.98 NOK 28.08

$3.30 NOK 31.10

-9.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.11 NOK 29.30

$2.94 NOK 27.70

5.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 NOK 21.97

$1.91 NOK 17.95

21.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.68 NOK 185

$18.18 NOK 171

8.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.86 NOK 168

$18.23 NOK 172

-2.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.61 NOK 34.03

$3.52 NOK 33.20

2.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 NOK 40.74

$4.39 NOK 41.32

-1.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.70 NOK 25.46

$5.12 NOK 48.20

-47.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 NOK 732

$90.2 NOK 850

-13.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.98 NOK 104

$12.62 NOK 119

-13.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 NOK 18.39

$1.96 NOK 18.43

-0.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$73.9 NOK 696

$74.5 NOK 702

-0.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 NOK 20.53

$2.37 NOK 22.33

-8.02%

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

$45.0K NOK 423.6K

$49.1K NOK 462.5K

-8.41%

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

$40.2K NOK 378.5K

$44.2K NOK 416.9K

-9.20%

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

$273 NOK 2,571

$288 NOK 2,717

-5.39%

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

$30.00 NOK 283

$31.45 NOK 296

-4.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.3 NOK 559

$78.6 NOK 741

-24.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.4 NOK 484

$45.85 NOK 432

12.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$32.10 NOK 302

$43.68 NOK 412

-26.51%

Cinema Ticket

$16.91 NOK 159

$19.64 NOK 185

-13.90%

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

$253 NOK 2,384

$245 NOK 2,309

3.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K NOK 124.2K

$12.2K NOK 115.2K

7.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.1 NOK 915

$107 NOK 1,008

-9.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.2 NOK 492

$54.3 NOK 511

-3.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 NOK 1,065

$125 NOK 1,181

-9.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$182 NOK 1,711

$170 NOK 1,602

6.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,257 NOK 11.8K

$1,496 NOK 14.1K

-15.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,038 NOK 9,785

$1,104 NOK 10.4K

-5.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,609 NOK 15.2K

$2,481 NOK 23.4K

-35.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,388 NOK 13.1K

$1,780 NOK 16.8K

-22.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,265 NOK 59.0K

$7,757 NOK 73.1K

-19.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,159 NOK 39.2K

$4,967 NOK 46.8K

-16.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,721 NOK 25.6K

$4,712 NOK 44.4K

-42.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.18

5.31

-2.45%

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

Last update for Sarpsborg: September 15, 2026

Last update for Bergen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,257 in Sarpsborg and $1,496 in Bergen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 73% 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: $107 in Sarpsborg vs $139 in Bergen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $486 vs $534 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

Sarpsborg vs Bergen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sarpsborg is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 73% lower in Bergen. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,257 in Sarpsborg versus $1,496 in Bergen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $253 in Sarpsborg versus $245 in Bergen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% 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, Sarpsborg and Bergen 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 5% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.