Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sarpsborg and Stavanger

For one person, living is cheaper in Sarpsborg: $2,872 a month against $3,259 in Stavanger, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

138

Cost of Living Index in Sarpsborg
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Sarpsborg Living Index
155

Cost of Living Index in Stavanger
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Stavanger Living Index

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Sarpsborg

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,872

/mo nomad

Stavanger

🇳🇴 Norway

$3,259

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sarpsborg and in Stavanger

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Sarpsborg and in Stavanger actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,872 in Sarpsborg versus $3,259 in Stavanger.

Sarpsborg $2,872
Stavanger $3,259

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,169 in Sarpsborg versus $4,736 in Stavanger.

Sarpsborg $4,169
Stavanger $4,736

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,466 in Sarpsborg versus $6,213 in Stavanger.

Sarpsborg $5,466
Stavanger $6,213

Living in Sarpsborg costs roughly 12% less than in Stavanger, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sarpsborg 112% above, Stavanger 141% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$40.81 NOK 379

$24.14 NOK 224

69.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.3 NOK 921

$98.3 NOK 913

0.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.17 NOK 178

$15.94 NOK 148

20.26%

Cappuccino

$5.74 NOK 53.3

$6.41 NOK 59.5

-10.45%

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

$2.88 NOK 26.75

$5.61 NOK 52.1

-48.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 NOK 24.77

$4.73 NOK 43.92

-43.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.60 NOK 61.2

$13.82 NOK 128

-52.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.19 NOK 76.0

$10.69 NOK 99.2

-23.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 NOK 21.49

$2.47 NOK 22.91

-6.07%

White Bread (500g)

$3.49 NOK 32.42

$3.56 NOK 33.02

-1.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.01 NOK 37.22

$3.98 NOK 36.96

0.75%

Eggs

$4.56 NOK 42.30

$4.88 NOK 45.27

-6.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.54 NOK 116

$14.99 NOK 139

-16.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.04 NOK 158

$17.54 NOK 163

-2.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$34.26 NOK 318

$35.30 NOK 328

-2.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.85 NOK 35.74

$3.59 NOK 33.30

7.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.67 NOK 24.81

$2.85 NOK 26.49

-6.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.49 NOK 32.43

$3.61 NOK 33.49

-3.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.04 NOK 56.1

$4.82 NOK 44.76

25.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.84 NOK 26.39

$2.53 NOK 23.44

12.25%

Onion (1kg)

$3.18 NOK 29.50

$3.09 NOK 28.64

2.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.65 NOK 24.61

$2.82 NOK 26.15

-6.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 NOK 24.00

$2.34 NOK 21.74

10.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.56 NOK 144

$18.25 NOK 169

-14.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.73 NOK 127

$19.05 NOK 177

-27.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.34 NOK 30.97

$3.76 NOK 34.87

-11.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.71 NOK 43.69

$4.63 NOK 42.93

1.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.62 NOK 24.36

$4.91 NOK 45.57

-46.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.2 NOK 809

$88.2 NOK 819

-1.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.01 NOK 111

$6.51 NOK 60.5

84.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.97 NOK 18.26

$1.75 NOK 16.21

12.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$63.8 NOK 592

$105 NOK 974

-39.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.27 NOK 21.08

$2.56 NOK 23.75

-11.33%

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

$55.3K NOK 513.5K

$48.9K NOK 454.3K

13.03%

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

$47.2K NOK 437.7K

$42.0K NOK 389.8K

12.27%

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

$238 NOK 2,207

$268 NOK 2,488

-11.28%

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

$36.62 NOK 340

$35.09 NOK 326

4.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.03 NOK 436

$82.3 NOK 764

-42.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.1 NOK 465

$53.8 NOK 499

-6.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.46 NOK 357

$37.71 NOK 350

1.99%

Cinema Ticket

$19.49 NOK 181

$21.86 NOK 203

-10.84%

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

$239 NOK 2,217

$322 NOK 2,987

-25.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K NOK 107.7K

$11.8K NOK 109.9K

-2.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 NOK 1,034

$131 NOK 1,217

-15.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.9 NOK 621

$60.2 NOK 559

11.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 NOK 1,158

$150 NOK 1,391

-16.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$180 NOK 1,670

$207 NOK 1,918

-12.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,224 NOK 11.4K

$1,768 NOK 16.4K

-30.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,093 NOK 10.1K

$1,429 NOK 13.3K

-23.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,606 NOK 14.9K

$2,917 NOK 27.1K

-44.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,399 NOK 13.0K

$2,162 NOK 20.1K

-35.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,415 NOK 59.5K

$6,490 NOK 60.2K

-1.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,241 NOK 39.4K

$5,330 NOK 49.5K

-20.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,714 NOK 25.2K

$5,344 NOK 49.6K

-49.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.18

5.24

-1.15%

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

Last update for Sarpsborg: November 1, 2026

Last update for Stavanger: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Sarpsborg

$1.1K 38.1%

Stavanger

$1.4K 43.9% 30.8% $336

Eating Out

Sarpsborg

$524 18.3%

Stavanger

$450 13.8% 14.2% $75

Groceries & Markets

Sarpsborg

$508 17.7%

Stavanger

$527 16.2% 3.9% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sarpsborg

$321 11.2%

Stavanger

$385 11.8% 19.9% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Sarpsborg

$217 7.6%

Stavanger

$247 7.6% 13.4% $29

Getting Around

Sarpsborg

$120 4.2%

Stavanger

$123 3.8% 3% $3.5

Sport & Entertainment

Sarpsborg

$89 3.1%

Stavanger

$98 3% 9.5% $8.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,224 in Sarpsborg and $1,768 in Stavanger. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stavanger pays 97% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $99 in Sarpsborg vs $98 in Stavanger. Groceries flip the comparison at $508 vs $527, with Sarpsborg cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇳🇴 Sarpsborg

🇳🇴 Stavanger

🕒 Local time

20:09 8:09 PM

Same time as Sarpsborg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

59,906

149,330

💱 Currency

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 NOK = 10.78 USD

100 NOK = 9.59 EUR

100 NOK = 10.78 USD

100 NOK = 9.59 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Sarpsborg Stavanger 320 km

From you

Sarpsborg
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 12% 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 49% lower in Sarpsborg. 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: $1,224 in Sarpsborg versus $1,768 in Stavanger. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,872 per month in Sarpsborg versus $3,259 in Stavanger – Sarpsborg is about 12% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Stavanger. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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 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 Stavanger are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Sarpsborg wins on affordability, Stavanger on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.