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: $2,496 in Sarpsborg versus $2,594 in Bergen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,763 in Sarpsborg versus $3,948 in Bergen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,030 in Sarpsborg versus $5,302 in Bergen.

Living in Sarpsborg costs roughly 4% less than in Bergen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sarpsborg 86% above, Bergen 94% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$38.11 NOK 354

$25.44 NOK 237

49.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.2 NOK 885

$101 NOK 940

-5.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.27 NOK 170

$19.61 NOK 182

-6.83%

Cappuccino

$5.25 NOK 48.85

$5.50 NOK 51.2

-4.55%

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

$2.74 NOK 25.44

$3.13 NOK 29.10

-12.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 NOK 23.79

$3.03 NOK 28.17

-15.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.24 NOK 58.1

$11.80 NOK 110

-47.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.89 NOK 73.4

$9.60 NOK 89.3

-17.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 NOK 20.61

$2.65 NOK 24.65

-16.23%

White Bread (500g)

$3.28 NOK 30.50

$3.31 NOK 30.83

-0.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.32 NOK 30.86

$2.91 NOK 27.11

14.09%

Eggs

$4.43 NOK 41.21

$4.83 NOK 44.96

-8.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.12 NOK 113

$13.96 NOK 130

-13.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.90 NOK 139

$15.71 NOK 146

-5.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.08 NOK 261

$28.27 NOK 263

-0.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.48 NOK 32.38

$3.78 NOK 35.17

-7.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.48 NOK 23.07

$3.09 NOK 28.72

-19.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.41 NOK 31.71

$3.61 NOK 33.55

-5.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.38 NOK 40.76

$5.57 NOK 51.8

-21.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.45 NOK 22.76

$2.71 NOK 25.24

-9.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 NOK 23.62

$2.75 NOK 25.59

-7.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.75 NOK 25.59

$2.80 NOK 26.07

-1.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 NOK 17.86

$2.11 NOK 19.60

-9.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.92 NOK 139

$16.40 NOK 153

-9.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.21 NOK 179

$18.27 NOK 170

5.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.34 NOK 31.03

$3.31 NOK 30.80

0.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 NOK 37.91

$4.32 NOK 40.14

-5.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.49 NOK 23.17

$4.51 NOK 41.91

-44.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.4 NOK 691

$81.4 NOK 757

-8.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.19 NOK 94.8

$15.23 NOK 142

-33.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 NOK 12.92

$2.23 NOK 20.75

-37.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$47.55 NOK 442

$73.6 NOK 684

-35.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.03 NOK 18.89

$2.14 NOK 19.90

-5.14%

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

$35.1K NOK 326.0K

$34.9K NOK 324.7K

0.41%

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

$38.2K NOK 354.9K

$43.1K NOK 400.6K

-11.39%

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

$240 NOK 2,232

$240 NOK 2,227

0.23%

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

$37.83 NOK 352

$38.14 NOK 355

-0.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.0 NOK 521

$65.2 NOK 606

-14.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.58 NOK 461

$54.7 NOK 509

-9.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.07 NOK 335

$39.54 NOK 368

-8.78%

Cinema Ticket

$16.71 NOK 155

$20.28 NOK 189

-17.60%

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

$279 NOK 2,593

$280 NOK 2,606

-0.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K NOK 93.6K

$12.7K NOK 118.2K

-20.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.6 NOK 898

$91.3 NOK 849

5.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.3 NOK 477

$55.5 NOK 516

-7.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 NOK 1,003

$112 NOK 1,037

-3.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$154 NOK 1,437

$146 NOK 1,358

5.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 NOK 11.4K

$1,308 NOK 12.2K

-6.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$904 NOK 8,404

$971 NOK 9,034

-6.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,514 NOK 14.1K

$2,048 NOK 19.0K

-26.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,342 NOK 12.5K

$1,534 NOK 14.3K

-12.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,929 NOK 64.4K

$7,924 NOK 73.7K

-12.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,477 NOK 41.6K

$4,854 NOK 45.1K

-7.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,333 NOK 40.3K

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: April 20, 2026

Last update for Bergen: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,222 in Sarpsborg and $1,308 in Bergen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $95 in Sarpsborg vs $101 in Bergen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $459 vs $487 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 4% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,744 in Sarpsborg and $3,892 in Bergen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,222 in Sarpsborg versus $1,308 in Bergen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $279 in Sarpsborg versus $280 in Bergen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% 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 4% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.