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: $2,496 in Sarpsborg versus $2,741 in Stavanger.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,763 in Sarpsborg versus $4,135 in Stavanger.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,030 in Sarpsborg versus $5,530 in Stavanger.

Living in Sarpsborg costs roughly 9% less than in Stavanger, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sarpsborg 86% above, Stavanger 105% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$38.11 NOK 354

$25.17 NOK 234

51.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.2 NOK 885

$121 NOK 1,128

-21.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.27 NOK 170

$15.07 NOK 140

21.23%

Cappuccino

$5.25 NOK 48.85

$4.98 NOK 46.28

5.42%

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

$2.74 NOK 25.44

$4.03 NOK 37.46

-32.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 NOK 23.79

$3.35 NOK 31.18

-23.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.24 NOK 58.1

$11.18 NOK 104

-44.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.89 NOK 73.4

$10.23 NOK 95.2

-22.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 NOK 20.61

$2.37 NOK 22.02

-6.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.28 NOK 30.50

$3.03 NOK 28.22

8.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.32 NOK 30.86

$4.48 NOK 41.64

-25.89%

Eggs

$4.43 NOK 41.21

$4.35 NOK 40.46

1.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.12 NOK 113

$13.27 NOK 123

-8.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.90 NOK 139

$16.31 NOK 152

-8.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.08 NOK 261

$27.77 NOK 258

1.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.48 NOK 32.38

$3.54 NOK 32.92

-1.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.48 NOK 23.07

$2.61 NOK 24.32

-4.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.41 NOK 31.71

$3.00 NOK 27.90

13.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.38 NOK 40.76

$4.66 NOK 43.33

-6.01%

Potato (1kg)

$2.45 NOK 22.76

$2.12 NOK 19.73

15.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 NOK 23.62

$2.97 NOK 27.59

-14.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.75 NOK 25.59

$2.50 NOK 23.27

10.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 NOK 17.86

$1.76 NOK 16.39

9.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.92 NOK 139

$14.97 NOK 139

-0.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.21 NOK 179

$18.93 NOK 176

1.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.34 NOK 31.03

$3.62 NOK 33.68

-7.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 NOK 37.91

$3.98 NOK 37.00

2.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.49 NOK 23.17

$4.45 NOK 41.34

-44.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.4 NOK 691

$67.7 NOK 630

9.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.19 NOK 94.8

$15.12 NOK 141

-32.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 NOK 12.92

$2.17 NOK 20.17

-35.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$47.55 NOK 442

$101 NOK 942

-53.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.03 NOK 18.89

$2.14 NOK 19.91

-5.14%

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

$35.1K NOK 326.0K

$34.2K NOK 317.7K

2.59%

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

$38.2K NOK 354.9K

$32.6K NOK 303.0K

17.13%

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

$240 NOK 2,232

$193 NOK 1,796

24.31%

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

$37.83 NOK 352

$42.05 NOK 391

-10.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.0 NOK 521

$82.6 NOK 768

-32.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.58 NOK 461

$56.6 NOK 527

-12.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.07 NOK 335

$36.06 NOK 335

0.03%

Cinema Ticket

$16.71 NOK 155

$19.57 NOK 182

-14.61%

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

$279 NOK 2,593

$322 NOK 2,992

-13.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K NOK 93.6K

$13.2K NOK 122.8K

-23.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.6 NOK 898

$120 NOK 1,116

-19.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.3 NOK 477

$59.8 NOK 556

-14.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 NOK 1,003

$105 NOK 973

3.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$154 NOK 1,437

$158 NOK 1,473

-2.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 NOK 11.4K

$1,639 NOK 15.2K

-25.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$904 NOK 8,404

$1,140 NOK 10.6K

-20.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,514 NOK 14.1K

$2,764 NOK 25.7K

-45.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,342 NOK 12.5K

$1,791 NOK 16.7K

-25.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,929 NOK 64.4K

$5,956 NOK 55.4K

16.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,477 NOK 41.6K

$5,337 NOK 49.6K

-16.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,925 NOK 45.8K

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: April 20, 2026

Last update for Stavanger: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,222 in Sarpsborg and $1,639 in Stavanger. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $95 in Sarpsborg vs $121 in Stavanger for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $459 vs $470 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 10% 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.

You'd need roughly $3,744 in Sarpsborg and $4,111 in Stavanger to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,222 in Sarpsborg versus $1,639 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 10% less than in Stavanger. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $279 in Sarpsborg versus $322 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 $2,496 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 10% less than in Stavanger. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.