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: $2,531 in Sarpsborg versus $2,658 in Bergen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,800 in Sarpsborg versus $4,013 in Bergen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,068 in Sarpsborg versus $5,368 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 90% above, Bergen 100% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$38.33 NOK 368

$25.18 NOK 242

52.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.9 NOK 891

$102 NOK 982

-9.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.37 NOK 176

$19.35 NOK 186

-5.06%

Cappuccino

$5.45 NOK 52.3

$5.34 NOK 51.2

2.06%

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

$2.74 NOK 26.26

$3.24 NOK 31.04

-15.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 NOK 23.96

$2.90 NOK 27.79

-13.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.92 NOK 56.8

$11.61 NOK 111

-49.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.85 NOK 75.3

$9.63 NOK 92.4

-18.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 NOK 21.60

$2.71 NOK 26.00

-16.97%

White Bread (500g)

$3.43 NOK 32.87

$3.44 NOK 33.02

-0.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.30 NOK 31.69

$2.79 NOK 26.75

18.28%

Eggs

$4.35 NOK 41.68

$5.03 NOK 48.24

-13.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.81 NOK 113

$13.95 NOK 134

-15.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.83 NOK 142

$15.55 NOK 149

-4.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.38 NOK 263

$27.87 NOK 267

-1.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.53 NOK 33.89

$3.81 NOK 36.51

-7.35%

Banana (1kg)

$2.49 NOK 23.86

$2.96 NOK 28.39

-15.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.31 NOK 31.78

$3.58 NOK 34.37

-7.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.40 NOK 42.21

$5.51 NOK 52.9

-20.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.45 NOK 23.51

$2.60 NOK 24.98

-5.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.56 NOK 24.60

$2.75 NOK 26.39

-6.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.76 NOK 26.52

$2.77 NOK 26.56

-0.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 NOK 17.41

$2.11 NOK 20.25

-13.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.07 NOK 145

$16.74 NOK 161

-9.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.63 NOK 160

$17.70 NOK 170

-6.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.28 NOK 31.48

$3.39 NOK 32.48

-3.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 NOK 38.21

$4.30 NOK 41.24

-7.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.51 NOK 24.12

$4.37 NOK 41.93

-42.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.1 NOK 701

$79.8 NOK 766

-8.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.02 NOK 96.1

$15.20 NOK 146

-34.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.45 NOK 13.93

$2.20 NOK 21.11

-34.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$46.91 NOK 450

$72.6 NOK 697

-35.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 NOK 19.92

$2.21 NOK 21.23

-5.88%

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

$36.1K NOK 346.1K

$35.8K NOK 343.5K

0.76%

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

$39.2K NOK 376.1K

$43.7K NOK 419.0K

-10.23%

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

$238 NOK 2,282

$244 NOK 2,341

-2.52%

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

$38.73 NOK 372

$38.05 NOK 365

1.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.2 NOK 529

$65.4 NOK 627

-15.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.40 NOK 474

$54.2 NOK 519

-8.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.87 NOK 334

$39.77 NOK 381

-12.32%

Cinema Ticket

$16.78 NOK 161

$19.90 NOK 191

-15.68%

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

$288 NOK 2,761

$284 NOK 2,723

1.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K NOK 97.0K

$12.9K NOK 123.6K

-21.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.4 NOK 915

$92.5 NOK 888

3.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.7 NOK 506

$55.7 NOK 534

-5.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 NOK 1,021

$113 NOK 1,080

-5.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$151 NOK 1,449

$143 NOK 1,376

5.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,192 NOK 11.4K

$1,304 NOK 12.5K

-8.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$885 NOK 8,493

$997 NOK 9,565

-11.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,532 NOK 14.7K

$2,032 NOK 19.5K

-24.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,290 NOK 12.4K

$1,595 NOK 15.3K

-19.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,754 NOK 55.2K

$7,558 NOK 72.5K

-23.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,063 NOK 39.0K

$4,679 NOK 44.9K

-13.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,612 NOK 25.1K

$4,385 NOK 42.1K

-40.42%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Bergen: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,192 in Sarpsborg and $1,304 in Bergen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 68% 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: $93.0 in Sarpsborg vs $102 in Bergen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $450 vs $485 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 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 68% 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: $1,192 in Sarpsborg versus $1,304 in Bergen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $288 in Sarpsborg versus $284 in Bergen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% 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.