Cost of Living Comparison Between Sarpsborg and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Sarpsborg and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,496 in Sarpsborg versus $2,243 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,763 in Sarpsborg versus $3,315 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,030 in Sarpsborg versus $4,387 in Lisbon.

Living in Sarpsborg is roughly 11% more expensive than Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sarpsborg 86% above, Lisbon 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$38.11 NOK 354

$15.73 €13.42

142.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.2 NOK 885

$63.2 €53.9

50.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.27 NOK 170

$10.32 €8.80

77.03%

Cappuccino

$5.25 NOK 48.85

$2.81 €2.40

86.83%

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

$2.74 NOK 25.44

$2.33 €1.99

17.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 NOK 23.79

$1.51 €1.29

69.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.24 NOK 58.1

$3.37 €2.87

85.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.89 NOK 73.4

$3.91 €3.34

101.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 NOK 20.61

$1.08 €0.92

105.56%

White Bread (500g)

$3.28 NOK 30.50

$1.75 €1.49

87.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.32 NOK 30.86

$1.75 €1.50

89.71%

Eggs

$4.43 NOK 41.21

$3.10 €2.64

42.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.12 NOK 113

$13.28 €11.33

-8.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.90 NOK 139

$7.85 €6.70

89.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.08 NOK 261

$16.05 €13.69

74.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.48 NOK 32.38

$2.39 €2.04

45.61%

Banana (1kg)

$2.48 NOK 23.07

$1.72 €1.47

44.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.41 NOK 31.71

$1.97 €1.68

73.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.38 NOK 40.76

$2.55 €2.17

71.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.45 NOK 22.76

$1.79 €1.53

36.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 NOK 23.62

$1.97 €1.68

28.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.75 NOK 25.59

$1.96 €1.67

40.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 NOK 17.86

$0.84 €0.71

128.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.92 NOK 139

$6.82 €5.82

118.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.21 NOK 179

$5.85 €4.99

228.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.34 NOK 31.03

$1.38 €1.18

142.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 NOK 37.91

$2.92 €2.49

39.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.49 NOK 23.17

$2.29 €1.95

8.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.4 NOK 691

$46.88 €39.99

58.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.19 NOK 94.8

$4.12 €3.51

147.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 NOK 12.92

$0.81 €0.69

71.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$47.55 NOK 442

$18.94 €16.16

151.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.03 NOK 18.89

$2.09 €1.78

-2.87%

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

$35.1K NOK 326.0K

$35.1K €30.0K

-0.18%

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

$38.2K NOK 354.9K

$39.7K €33.9K

-3.91%

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

$240 NOK 2,232

$150 €128

60.50%

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

$37.83 NOK 352

$20.49 €17.48

84.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.0 NOK 521

$39.15 €33.40

43.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.58 NOK 461

$49.65 €42.35

-0.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.07 NOK 335

$18.47 €15.76

95.29%

Cinema Ticket

$16.71 NOK 155

$9.20 €7.84

81.63%

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

$279 NOK 2,593

$624 €533

-55.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K NOK 93.6K

$15.9K €13.6K

-36.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.6 NOK 898

$102 €87.2

-5.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.3 NOK 477

$40.88 €34.87

25.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 NOK 1,003

$95.7 €81.6

12.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$154 NOK 1,437

$121 €103

27.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 NOK 11.4K

$1,653 €1,410

-26.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$904 NOK 8,404

$1,233 €1,051

-26.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,514 NOK 14.1K

$3,043 €2,596

-50.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,342 NOK 12.5K

$2,059 €1,756

-34.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,929 NOK 64.4K

$7,879 €6,720

-12.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,477 NOK 41.6K

$4,303 €3,671

4.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,566 €1,336

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.38

3.81

14.96%

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

Last update for Sarpsborg: April 20, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,222 in Sarpsborg and $1,653 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $95 in Sarpsborg vs $63 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $459 vs $270 per month, with Lisbon 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 Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sarpsborg and Lisbon differ by about 11% in total monthly costs ($2,496 vs $2,243 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,744 in Sarpsborg and $3,365 in Lisbon 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 $1,653 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $279 in Sarpsborg versus $624 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 70% higher in Sarpsborg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Lisbon is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

Safety-wise, Sarpsborg and Lisbon 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 Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Sarpsborg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.