Cost of Living Comparison Between Sarpsborg and Stavanger Cost of Living Comparison Between Sarpsborg and Stavanger

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,802 in Sarpsborg versus $3,202 in Stavanger.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,162 in Sarpsborg versus $4,642 in Stavanger.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,521 in Sarpsborg versus $6,082 in Stavanger.

Living in Sarpsborg costs roughly 12% less than in Stavanger, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sarpsborg 105% above, Stavanger 134% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$40.12 NOK 378

$25.74 NOK 243

55.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$107 NOK 1,010

$97.4 NOK 917

10.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.57 NOK 184

$16.15 NOK 152

21.18%

Cappuccino

$5.76 NOK 54.2

$6.37 NOK 60.0

-9.58%

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

$2.90 NOK 27.37

$5.34 NOK 50.3

-45.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 NOK 25.01

$4.43 NOK 41.75

-40.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.82 NOK 83.2

$13.88 NOK 131

-36.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.73 NOK 111

$12.16 NOK 115

-3.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 NOK 22.24

$2.50 NOK 23.55

-5.60%

White Bread (500g)

$3.30 NOK 31.09

$3.60 NOK 33.96

-8.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.76 NOK 35.40

$3.96 NOK 37.33

-5.05%

Eggs

$5.08 NOK 47.90

$5.05 NOK 47.55

0.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.87 NOK 121

$15.10 NOK 142

-14.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.59 NOK 147

$17.22 NOK 162

-9.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$29.86 NOK 281

$35.93 NOK 339

-16.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.49 NOK 32.90

$3.71 NOK 34.97

-5.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.78 NOK 26.16

$2.78 NOK 26.20

Oranges (1kg)

$3.60 NOK 33.90

$3.49 NOK 32.84

3.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 NOK 42.58

$5.04 NOK 47.53

-10.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.60 NOK 24.51

$2.51 NOK 23.69

3.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.98 NOK 28.08

$3.12 NOK 29.43

-4.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.11 NOK 29.30

$2.91 NOK 27.45

6.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 NOK 21.97

$2.42 NOK 22.84

-3.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.68 NOK 185

$17.89 NOK 169

10.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.86 NOK 168

$18.83 NOK 177

-5.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.61 NOK 34.03

$3.94 NOK 37.16

-8.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 NOK 40.74

$4.51 NOK 42.46

-4.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.70 NOK 25.46

$4.82 NOK 45.41

-43.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 NOK 732

$87.4 NOK 824

-11.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.98 NOK 104

$6.37 NOK 60.0

72.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 NOK 18.39

$1.72 NOK 16.18

13.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$73.9 NOK 696

$106 NOK 1,003

-30.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 NOK 20.53

$2.25 NOK 21.21

-3.11%

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

$45.0K NOK 423.6K

$49.6K NOK 467.6K

-9.40%

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

$40.2K NOK 378.5K

$42.3K NOK 398.5K

-5.01%

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

$273 NOK 2,571

$251 NOK 2,362

8.82%

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

$30.00 NOK 283

$35.70 NOK 336

-15.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.3 NOK 559

$83.6 NOK 788

-29.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.4 NOK 484

$52.5 NOK 495

-2.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$32.10 NOK 302

$37.19 NOK 350

-13.69%

Cinema Ticket

$16.91 NOK 159

$22.57 NOK 213

-25.08%

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

$253 NOK 2,384

$330 NOK 3,112

-23.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K NOK 124.2K

$14.5K NOK 136.6K

-9.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.1 NOK 915

$131 NOK 1,230

-25.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.2 NOK 492

$60.9 NOK 574

-14.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 NOK 1,065

$158 NOK 1,492

-28.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$182 NOK 1,711

$210 NOK 1,978

-13.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,257 NOK 11.8K

$1,708 NOK 16.1K

-26.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,038 NOK 9,785

$1,391 NOK 13.1K

-25.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,609 NOK 15.2K

$2,794 NOK 26.3K

-42.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,388 NOK 13.1K

$2,084 NOK 19.6K

-33.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,265 NOK 59.0K

$6,179 NOK 58.2K

1.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,159 NOK 39.2K

$5,479 NOK 51.6K

-24.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,721 NOK 25.6K

$5,006 NOK 47.2K

-45.65%

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: September 15, 2026

Last update for Stavanger: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,257 in Sarpsborg and $1,708 in Stavanger. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stavanger pays 84% 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: $107 in Sarpsborg vs $97.0 in Stavanger. Groceries flip the comparison at $486 vs $532, with Sarpsborg cheaper for home cooking.

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 Stavanger: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sarpsborg wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Stavanger. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Sarpsborg the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 84% lower in Stavanger. 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: $1,257 in Sarpsborg versus $1,708 in Stavanger. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Sarpsborg runs roughly 13% less than in Stavanger. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $253 in Sarpsborg versus $330 in Stavanger. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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.

Both work as nomad bases, but Sarpsborg delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,802 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Sarpsborg hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Sarpsborg and Stavanger 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 14% less than in Stavanger. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.