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: $2,531 in Sarpsborg versus $2,699 in Stavanger.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,800 in Sarpsborg versus $4,150 in Stavanger.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,068 in Sarpsborg versus $5,601 in Stavanger.

Living in Sarpsborg costs roughly 6% less than in Stavanger, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sarpsborg 90% above, Stavanger 103% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$38.33 NOK 368

$25.22 NOK 242

51.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.9 NOK 891

$123 NOK 1,180

-24.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.37 NOK 176

$15.08 NOK 145

21.82%

Cappuccino

$5.45 NOK 52.3

$5.02 NOK 48.16

8.57%

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

$2.74 NOK 26.26

$3.89 NOK 37.28

-29.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 NOK 23.96

$3.40 NOK 32.64

-26.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.92 NOK 56.8

$10.99 NOK 105

-46.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.85 NOK 75.3

$10.26 NOK 98.4

-23.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 NOK 21.60

$2.40 NOK 22.99

-6.25%

White Bread (500g)

$3.43 NOK 32.87

$3.11 NOK 29.80

10.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.30 NOK 31.69

$4.64 NOK 44.54

-28.88%

Eggs

$4.35 NOK 41.68

$4.52 NOK 43.38

-3.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.81 NOK 113

$12.98 NOK 124

-9.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.83 NOK 142

$16.24 NOK 156

-8.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.38 NOK 263

$27.67 NOK 265

-1.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.53 NOK 33.89

$3.53 NOK 33.83

Banana (1kg)

$2.49 NOK 23.86

$2.52 NOK 24.20

-1.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.31 NOK 31.78

$3.05 NOK 29.27

8.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.40 NOK 42.21

$4.66 NOK 44.68

-5.58%

Potato (1kg)

$2.45 NOK 23.51

$2.05 NOK 19.66

19.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.56 NOK 24.60

$3.04 NOK 29.20

-15.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.76 NOK 26.52

$2.58 NOK 24.76

6.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 NOK 17.41

$1.75 NOK 16.75

4.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.07 NOK 145

$15.11 NOK 145

-0.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.63 NOK 160

$17.96 NOK 172

-7.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.28 NOK 31.48

$3.54 NOK 33.99

-7.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 NOK 38.21

$4.08 NOK 39.14

-2.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.51 NOK 24.12

$4.58 NOK 43.95

-45.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.1 NOK 701

$69.1 NOK 663

5.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.02 NOK 96.1

$15.37 NOK 147

-34.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.45 NOK 13.93

$2.07 NOK 19.85

-29.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$46.91 NOK 450

$103 NOK 983

-54.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 NOK 19.92

$2.21 NOK 21.17

-5.88%

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

$36.1K NOK 346.1K

$34.7K NOK 333.0K

3.92%

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

$39.2K NOK 376.1K

$32.7K NOK 313.8K

19.85%

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

$238 NOK 2,282

$192 NOK 1,842

23.86%

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

$38.73 NOK 372

$42.41 NOK 407

-8.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.2 NOK 529

$80.9 NOK 776

-31.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.40 NOK 474

$55.8 NOK 535

-11.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.87 NOK 334

$35.17 NOK 337

-0.85%

Cinema Ticket

$16.78 NOK 161

$19.02 NOK 182

-11.78%

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

$288 NOK 2,761

$314 NOK 3,010

-8.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K NOK 97.0K

$12.9K NOK 123.6K

-21.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.4 NOK 915

$116 NOK 1,108

-17.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.7 NOK 506

$58.4 NOK 560

-9.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 NOK 1,021

$107 NOK 1,030

-0.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$151 NOK 1,449

$157 NOK 1,510

-4.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,192 NOK 11.4K

$1,595 NOK 15.3K

-25.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$885 NOK 8,493

$1,135 NOK 10.9K

-22.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,532 NOK 14.7K

$2,798 NOK 26.8K

-45.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,290 NOK 12.4K

$1,777 NOK 17.0K

-27.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,754 NOK 55.2K

$6,005 NOK 57.6K

-4.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,063 NOK 39.0K

$5,223 NOK 50.1K

-22.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,612 NOK 25.1K

$4,909 NOK 47.1K

-46.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.38

4.51

-2.88%

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

Last update for Sarpsborg: July 27, 2026

Last update for Stavanger: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,192 in Sarpsborg and $1,595 in Stavanger. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stavanger pays 88% 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 $123 in Stavanger for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $450 vs $468 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 Stavanger: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sarpsborg wins on cost – living expenses run 7% 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 88% 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: $1,192 in Sarpsborg versus $1,595 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 6% less than in Stavanger. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $288 in Sarpsborg versus $314 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 $2,531 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 7% less than in Stavanger. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.