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: $2,561 in Sarpsborg versus $2,263 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,771 in Sarpsborg versus $3,315 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,982 in Sarpsborg versus $4,368 in Lisbon.

Living in Sarpsborg is roughly 13% more expensive than Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sarpsborg 91% above, Lisbon 68% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$37.65 NOK 357

$15.94 €13.73

136.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.3 NOK 876

$63.4 €54.6

45.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.53 NOK 176

$10.38 €8.95

78.52%

Cappuccino

$5.28 NOK 50.1

$2.79 €2.40

89.25%

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

$2.68 NOK 25.40

$2.34 €2.01

14.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 NOK 24.70

$1.57 €1.35

65.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.89 NOK 55.9

$3.43 €2.95

71.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.79 NOK 73.9

$3.91 €3.37

99.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 NOK 21.41

$1.08 €0.93

109.26%

White Bread (500g)

$3.29 NOK 31.18

$1.77 €1.52

85.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.14 NOK 29.85

$1.71 €1.47

83.63%

Eggs

$4.37 NOK 41.52

$3.15 €2.71

38.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.93 NOK 113

$13.68 €11.79

-12.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.93 NOK 142

$8.01 €6.90

86.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.14 NOK 267

$15.52 €13.37

81.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 NOK 34.19

$2.29 €1.98

57.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 NOK 23.46

$1.64 €1.41

50.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.32 NOK 31.54

$1.94 €1.67

71.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.35 NOK 41.26

$2.51 €2.17

73.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.48 NOK 23.58

$1.79 €1.54

38.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 NOK 23.67

$2.01 €1.73

23.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 NOK 26.37

$1.97 €1.69

41.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 NOK 17.24

$0.84 €0.73

116.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.31 NOK 145

$6.79 €5.85

125.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.10 NOK 181

$5.67 €4.89

236.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.40 NOK 32.24

$1.39 €1.20

144.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.99 NOK 37.88

$3.02 €2.60

32.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 NOK 23.40

$2.27 €1.95

8.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.1 NOK 703

$45.44 €39.15

63.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.15 NOK 96.3

$4.29 €3.70

136.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 NOK 13.30

$0.85 €0.73

64.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$45.99 NOK 437

$18.28 €15.75

151.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 NOK 20.32

$1.99 €1.71

7.54%

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

$36.1K NOK 342.9K

$35.0K €30.2K

3.13%

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

$38.6K NOK 366.1K

$39.5K €34.1K

-2.47%

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

$238 NOK 2,263

$146 €126

63.09%

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

$38.10 NOK 362

$20.45 €17.62

86.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.1 NOK 532

$38.98 €33.58

43.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.1 NOK 476

$48.98 €42.21

2.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.13 NOK 343

$18.83 €16.22

91.87%

Cinema Ticket

$16.31 NOK 155

$9.52 €8.21

71.32%

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

$284 NOK 2,692

$608 €524

-53.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K NOK 95.8K

$16.5K €14.2K

-38.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.6 NOK 926

$104 €89.5

-6.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.8 NOK 501

$42.12 €36.29

25.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 NOK 1,033

$92.2 €79.5

18.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$150 NOK 1,421

$120 €103

24.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 NOK 11.5K

$1,621 €1,397

-25.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$903 NOK 8,572

$1,268 €1,092

-28.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 NOK 14.2K

$3,048 €2,626

-51.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,319 NOK 12.5K

$2,009 €1,731

-34.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,022 NOK 57.2K

$7,663 €6,602

-21.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,474 NOK 42.5K

$4,329 €3,730

3.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,685 NOK 25.5K

$1,585 €1,366

69.44%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,209 in Sarpsborg and $1,621 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sarpsborg 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 $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $457 vs $269 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 13% in total monthly costs ($2,561 vs $2,263 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Sarpsborg pays 69% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,209 in Sarpsborg versus $1,621 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $284 in Sarpsborg versus $608 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.

At $2,263 in Lisbon versus $2,561 in Sarpsborg, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Sarpsborg. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 13% less than in Sarpsborg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.