Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sarpsborg and Bergen

For one person, living is cheaper in Sarpsborg: $2,872 a month against $3,086 in Bergen, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Bergen outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Sarpsborg, Norway
Bergen, Norway
Sarpsborg
🇳🇴 Norway
$2,872
/mo nomad
Bergen
🇳🇴 Norway
$3,086
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sarpsborg and in Bergen

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,872 in Sarpsborg versus $3,086 in Bergen.

  • Sarpsborg $2,872
  • Bergen $3,086

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,169 in Sarpsborg versus $4,601 in Bergen.

  • Sarpsborg $4,169
  • Bergen $4,601

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,466 in Sarpsborg versus $6,117 in Bergen.

  • Sarpsborg $5,466
  • Bergen $6,117

Living in Sarpsborg costs roughly 7% less than in Bergen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sarpsborg 112% above, Bergen 128% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Sarpsborg
Bergen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$40.81 NOK 379
$24.42 NOK 227
67.12%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$99.3 NOK 921
$140 NOK 1,303
-29.33%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$19.17 NOK 178
$15.86 NOK 147
20.87%
Cappuccino
$5.74 NOK 53.3
$5.53 NOK 51.3
3.80%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.88 NOK 26.75
$5.30 NOK 49.19
-45.66%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.67 NOK 24.77
$4.72 NOK 43.81
-43.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.60 NOK 61.2
$12.62 NOK 117
-47.70%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.19 NOK 76.0
$10.66 NOK 98.9
-23.17%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sarpsborg
Bergen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.32 NOK 21.49
$2.26 NOK 21.02
2.65%
White Bread (500g)
$3.49 NOK 32.42
$3.90 NOK 36.22
-10.51%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.01 NOK 37.22
$3.62 NOK 33.57
10.77%
Eggs
$4.56 NOK 42.30
$6.67 NOK 61.9
-31.63%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.54 NOK 116
$14.80 NOK 137
-15.27%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$17.04 NOK 158
$17.76 NOK 165
-4.05%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$34.26 NOK 318
$37.47 NOK 348
-8.57%
Apples (1kg)
$3.85 NOK 35.74
$4.11 NOK 38.10
-6.33%
Banana (1kg)
$2.67 NOK 24.81
$2.67 NOK 24.78
-
Oranges (1kg)
$3.49 NOK 32.43
$3.47 NOK 32.21
0.58%
Tomato (1kg)
$6.04 NOK 56.1
$5.70 NOK 52.9
5.96%
Potato (1kg)
$2.84 NOK 26.39
$2.55 NOK 23.71
11.37%
Onion (1kg)
$3.18 NOK 29.50
$3.34 NOK 31.00
-4.79%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.65 NOK 24.61
$2.95 NOK 27.39
-10.17%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.59 NOK 24.00
$1.86 NOK 17.30
39.25%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$15.56 NOK 144
$18.04 NOK 167
-13.75%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.73 NOK 127
$19.81 NOK 184
-30.69%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.34 NOK 30.97
$3.66 NOK 33.99
-8.74%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.71 NOK 43.69
$4.53 NOK 42.05
3.97%
🚌 Getting Around
Sarpsborg
Bergen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.62 NOK 24.36
$5.61 NOK 52.1
-53.30%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$87.2 NOK 809
$88.2 NOK 818
-1.06%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$12.01 NOK 111
$12.63 NOK 117
-4.91%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.97 NOK 18.26
$1.89 NOK 17.50
4.23%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$63.8 NOK 592
$73.0 NOK 677
-12.62%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.27 NOK 21.08
$2.41 NOK 22.36
-5.81%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$55.3K NOK 513.5K
$49.5K NOK 459.7K
11.69%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$47.2K NOK 437.7K
$44.6K NOK 414.0K
5.71%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sarpsborg
Bergen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$238 NOK 2,207
$292 NOK 2,713
-18.65%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$36.62 NOK 340
$35.42 NOK 329
3.39%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$47.03 NOK 436
$79.0 NOK 733
-40.43%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sarpsborg
Bergen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$50.1 NOK 465
$46.83 NOK 435
6.90%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$38.46 NOK 357
$44.17 NOK 410
-12.93%
Cinema Ticket
$19.49 NOK 181
$19.31 NOK 179
0.93%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sarpsborg
Bergen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$239 NOK 2,217
$243 NOK 2,252
-1.54%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.6K NOK 107.7K
$15.5K NOK 144.3K
-25.34%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sarpsborg
Bergen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$111 NOK 1,034
$115 NOK 1,066
-3.00%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$66.9 NOK 621
$55.2 NOK 512
21.25%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$125 NOK 1,158
$117 NOK 1,081
7.08%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$180 NOK 1,670
$162 NOK 1,507
10.82%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sarpsborg
Bergen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,224 NOK 11.4K
$1,613 NOK 15.0K
-24.11%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,093 NOK 10.1K
$1,283 NOK 11.9K
-14.82%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,606 NOK 14.9K
$2,639 NOK 24.5K
-39.14%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,399 NOK 13.0K
$1,911 NOK 17.7K
-26.79%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,415 NOK 59.5K
$8,204 NOK 76.1K
-21.82%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,241 NOK 39.4K
$5,269 NOK 48.9K
-19.51%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sarpsborg
Bergen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,714 NOK 25.2K
$4,937 NOK 45.8K
-45.02%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.18
5.27
-1.71%

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

Last update for Sarpsborg: November 1, 2026

Last update for Bergen: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Sarpsborg
$1.1K
Bergen
$1.3K 17.4% $190
Eating Out
Sarpsborg
$524
Bergen
$434 17.3% $91
Groceries & Markets
Sarpsborg
$508
Bergen
$543 7% $35
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sarpsborg
$321
Bergen
$407 26.5% $85
Clothing & Footwear
Sarpsborg
$217
Bergen
$202 7.1% $15
Getting Around
Sarpsborg
$120
Bergen
$133 11% $13
Sport & Entertainment
Sarpsborg
$89
Bergen
$85 4% $3.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,224 in Sarpsborg and $1,613 in Bergen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 82% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $99 in Sarpsborg vs $140 in Bergen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $508 vs $543 per month, with Sarpsborg cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇳🇴 Sarpsborg
🇳🇴 Bergen
🕒 Local time
18:47 6:47 PM
18:47 6:47 PM
Same time as Sarpsborg
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
59,906
292,482
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to NOK – Norwegian Krone Converter

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 9.28 NOK (1 NOK = 0.108 USD). 1 EUR = 10.43 NOK (100 NOK = 9.59 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Sarpsborg Bergen 350 km
From you
  • Sarpsborg
  • Bergen

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
Sarpsborg vs Bergen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sarpsborg cheaper than Bergen?
Sarpsborg is about 7% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, utilities, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Sarpsborg or Bergen?
On paper, salaries run 45% lower in Sarpsborg. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Sarpsborg and Bergen?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,224 in Sarpsborg versus $1,613 in Bergen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $239 in Sarpsborg versus $243 in Bergen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Sarpsborg or in Bergen?
Dining out is cheaper in Sarpsborg – a meal for two runs $99 versus $140 in Bergen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $2,000 enough to cover costs in Sarpsborg or in Bergen?
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.
Is it better to live in Sarpsborg or in Bergen?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Which city is safer, Sarpsborg or Bergen?
Safety-wise, Sarpsborg and Bergen are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
It comes down to priorities – Sarpsborg wins on affordability, Bergen on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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