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: $2,561 in Sarpsborg versus $2,689 in Stavanger.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,771 in Sarpsborg versus $4,070 in Stavanger.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,982 in Sarpsborg versus $5,451 in Stavanger.

Living in Sarpsborg costs roughly 5% less than in Stavanger, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sarpsborg 91% above, Stavanger 100% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$37.65 NOK 357

$25.39 NOK 241

48.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.3 NOK 876

$120 NOK 1,138

-23.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.53 NOK 176

$15.31 NOK 145

21.03%

Cappuccino

$5.28 NOK 50.1

$5.03 NOK 47.77

4.97%

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

$2.68 NOK 25.40

$3.88 NOK 36.83

-30.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 NOK 24.70

$3.47 NOK 32.89

-25.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.89 NOK 55.9

$10.98 NOK 104

-46.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.79 NOK 73.9

$10.21 NOK 96.9

-23.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 NOK 21.41

$2.31 NOK 21.93

-2.16%

White Bread (500g)

$3.29 NOK 31.18

$3.12 NOK 29.59

5.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.14 NOK 29.85

$4.58 NOK 43.48

-31.44%

Eggs

$4.37 NOK 41.52

$4.48 NOK 42.52

-2.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.93 NOK 113

$12.90 NOK 122

-7.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.93 NOK 142

$16.73 NOK 159

-10.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.14 NOK 267

$27.83 NOK 264

1.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 NOK 34.19

$3.48 NOK 33.01

3.45%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 NOK 23.46

$2.64 NOK 25.03

-6.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.32 NOK 31.54

$3.11 NOK 29.53

6.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.35 NOK 41.26

$4.68 NOK 44.37

-7.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.48 NOK 23.58

$2.08 NOK 19.77

19.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 NOK 23.67

$3.08 NOK 29.27

-19.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 NOK 26.37

$2.47 NOK 23.47

12.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 NOK 17.24

$1.83 NOK 17.38

-0.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.31 NOK 145

$14.97 NOK 142

2.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.10 NOK 181

$18.46 NOK 175

3.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.40 NOK 32.24

$3.68 NOK 34.89

-7.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.99 NOK 37.88

$4.10 NOK 38.90

-2.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 NOK 23.40

$4.58 NOK 43.47

-46.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.1 NOK 703

$68.6 NOK 651

8.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.15 NOK 96.3

$15.31 NOK 145

-33.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 NOK 13.30

$2.06 NOK 19.57

-32.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$45.99 NOK 437

$100 NOK 953

-54.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 NOK 20.32

$2.11 NOK 20.01

1.42%

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

$36.1K NOK 342.9K

$34.4K NOK 326.1K

5.18%

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

$38.6K NOK 366.1K

$32.4K NOK 307.3K

19.13%

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

$238 NOK 2,263

$190 NOK 1,806

25.31%

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

$38.10 NOK 362

$42.20 NOK 401

-9.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.1 NOK 532

$83.1 NOK 789

-32.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.1 NOK 476

$55.9 NOK 531

-10.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.13 NOK 343

$35.16 NOK 334

2.76%

Cinema Ticket

$16.31 NOK 155

$19.57 NOK 186

-16.66%

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

$284 NOK 2,692

$321 NOK 3,048

-11.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K NOK 95.8K

$13.0K NOK 123.1K

-22.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.6 NOK 926

$116 NOK 1,098

-15.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.8 NOK 501

$58.0 NOK 550

-8.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 NOK 1,033

$107 NOK 1,017

1.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$150 NOK 1,421

$160 NOK 1,519

-6.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 NOK 11.5K

$1,595 NOK 15.1K

-24.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$903 NOK 8,572

$1,126 NOK 10.7K

-19.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 NOK 14.2K

$2,732 NOK 25.9K

-45.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,319 NOK 12.5K

$1,774 NOK 16.8K

-25.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,022 NOK 57.2K

$6,036 NOK 57.3K

-0.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,474 NOK 42.5K

$5,366 NOK 50.9K

-16.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,685 NOK 25.5K

$5,104 NOK 48.4K

-47.39%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Stavanger: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,209 in Sarpsborg and $1,595 in Stavanger. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stavanger pays 90% 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 $120 in Stavanger for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $457 vs $473 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 5% 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, Stavanger earns 90% less. 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: $1,209 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 8% less than in Stavanger. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $284 in Sarpsborg versus $321 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 $2,561 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 5% less than in Stavanger. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.