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: $2,561 in Sarpsborg versus $2,622 in Bergen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,771 in Sarpsborg versus $3,948 in Bergen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,982 in Sarpsborg versus $5,274 in Bergen.

Living in Sarpsborg costs roughly 2% less than in Bergen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sarpsborg 91% above, Bergen 95% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$37.65 NOK 357

$25.22 NOK 239

49.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.3 NOK 876

$102 NOK 965

-9.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.53 NOK 176

$18.97 NOK 180

-2.32%

Cappuccino

$5.28 NOK 50.1

$5.55 NOK 52.6

-4.86%

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

$2.68 NOK 25.40

$3.17 NOK 30.10

-15.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 NOK 24.70

$3.01 NOK 28.56

-13.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.89 NOK 55.9

$11.86 NOK 113

-50.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.79 NOK 73.9

$9.58 NOK 90.9

-18.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 NOK 21.41

$2.69 NOK 25.50

-15.99%

White Bread (500g)

$3.29 NOK 31.18

$3.44 NOK 32.66

-4.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.14 NOK 29.85

$2.88 NOK 27.34

9.03%

Eggs

$4.37 NOK 41.52

$5.03 NOK 47.75

-13.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.93 NOK 113

$13.96 NOK 132

-14.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.93 NOK 142

$15.99 NOK 152

-6.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.14 NOK 267

$27.79 NOK 264

1.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 NOK 34.19

$3.79 NOK 35.95

-5.01%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 NOK 23.46

$2.95 NOK 27.98

-16.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.32 NOK 31.54

$3.59 NOK 34.03

-7.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.35 NOK 41.26

$5.70 NOK 54.1

-23.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.48 NOK 23.58

$2.62 NOK 24.85

-5.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 NOK 23.67

$2.87 NOK 27.29

-13.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 NOK 26.37

$2.91 NOK 27.63

-4.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 NOK 17.24

$2.14 NOK 20.34

-14.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.31 NOK 145

$16.78 NOK 159

-8.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.10 NOK 181

$17.96 NOK 170

6.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.40 NOK 32.24

$3.44 NOK 32.68

-1.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.99 NOK 37.88

$4.32 NOK 40.97

-7.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 NOK 23.40

$4.44 NOK 42.14

-44.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.1 NOK 703

$80.0 NOK 759

-7.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.15 NOK 96.3

$15.23 NOK 145

-33.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 NOK 13.30

$2.27 NOK 21.55

-38.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$45.99 NOK 437

$72.5 NOK 688

-36.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 NOK 20.32

$2.21 NOK 20.93

-3.17%

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

$36.1K NOK 342.9K

$35.9K NOK 340.3K

0.77%

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

$38.6K NOK 366.1K

$42.9K NOK 407.0K

-10.05%

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

$238 NOK 2,263

$243 NOK 2,311

-2.07%

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

$38.10 NOK 362

$38.80 NOK 368

-1.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.1 NOK 532

$65.3 NOK 620

-14.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.1 NOK 476

$54.2 NOK 514

-7.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.13 NOK 343

$39.54 NOK 375

-8.62%

Cinema Ticket

$16.31 NOK 155

$20.20 NOK 192

-19.26%

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

$284 NOK 2,692

$282 NOK 2,677

0.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K NOK 95.8K

$12.6K NOK 119.9K

-20.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.6 NOK 926

$90.9 NOK 863

7.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.8 NOK 501

$55.9 NOK 531

-5.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 NOK 1,033

$112 NOK 1,064

-2.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$150 NOK 1,421

$147 NOK 1,391

2.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 NOK 11.5K

$1,295 NOK 12.3K

-6.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$903 NOK 8,572

$973 NOK 9,238

-7.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 NOK 14.2K

$1,994 NOK 18.9K

-25.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,319 NOK 12.5K

$1,568 NOK 14.9K

-15.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,022 NOK 57.2K

$7,844 NOK 74.4K

-23.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,474 NOK 42.5K

$4,587 NOK 43.5K

-2.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,685 NOK 25.5K

$4,531 NOK 43.0K

-40.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.38

4.85

-9.69%

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

Last update for Sarpsborg: June 8, 2026

Last update for Bergen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,209 in Sarpsborg and $1,295 in Bergen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 69% 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: $92.0 in Sarpsborg vs $102 in Bergen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $457 vs $490 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, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Bergen earns 69% less. 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: $1,209 in Sarpsborg versus $1,295 in Bergen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $284 in Sarpsborg versus $282 in Bergen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% 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 2% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.