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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,741 in Stavanger versus $2,496 in Sarpsborg.

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

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

Living in Stavanger is roughly 10% more expensive than Sarpsborg, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.17 NOK 234

$38.11 NOK 354

-33.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$121 NOK 1,128

$95.2 NOK 885

27.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.07 NOK 140

$18.27 NOK 170

-17.52%

Cappuccino

$4.98 NOK 46.28

$5.25 NOK 48.85

-5.14%

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

$4.03 NOK 37.46

$2.74 NOK 25.44

47.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 NOK 31.18

$2.56 NOK 23.79

30.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.18 NOK 104

$6.24 NOK 58.1

79.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.23 NOK 95.2

$7.89 NOK 73.4

29.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.37 NOK 22.02

$2.22 NOK 20.61

6.76%

White Bread (500g)

$3.03 NOK 28.22

$3.28 NOK 30.50

-7.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.48 NOK 41.64

$3.32 NOK 30.86

34.94%

Eggs

$4.35 NOK 40.46

$4.43 NOK 41.21

-1.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 NOK 123

$12.12 NOK 113

9.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.31 NOK 152

$14.90 NOK 139

9.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.77 NOK 258

$28.08 NOK 261

-1.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.54 NOK 32.92

$3.48 NOK 32.38

1.72%

Banana (1kg)

$2.61 NOK 24.32

$2.48 NOK 23.07

5.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 NOK 27.90

$3.41 NOK 31.71

-12.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.66 NOK 43.33

$4.38 NOK 40.76

6.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 NOK 19.73

$2.45 NOK 22.76

-13.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.97 NOK 27.59

$2.54 NOK 23.62

16.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.50 NOK 23.27

$2.75 NOK 25.59

-9.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 NOK 16.39

$1.92 NOK 17.86

-8.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.97 NOK 139

$14.92 NOK 139

0.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.93 NOK 176

$19.21 NOK 179

-1.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.62 NOK 33.68

$3.34 NOK 31.03

8.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 NOK 37.00

$4.08 NOK 37.91

-2.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.45 NOK 41.34

$2.49 NOK 23.17

78.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.7 NOK 630

$74.4 NOK 691

-8.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.12 NOK 141

$10.19 NOK 94.8

48.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 NOK 20.17

$1.39 NOK 12.92

56.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$101 NOK 942

$47.55 NOK 442

113.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 NOK 19.91

$2.03 NOK 18.89

5.42%

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

$34.2K NOK 317.7K

$35.1K NOK 326.0K

-2.53%

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

$32.6K NOK 303.0K

$38.2K NOK 354.9K

-14.63%

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

$193 NOK 1,796

$240 NOK 2,232

-19.56%

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

$42.05 NOK 391

$37.83 NOK 352

11.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$82.6 NOK 768

$56.0 NOK 521

47.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.6 NOK 527

$49.58 NOK 461

14.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.06 NOK 335

$36.07 NOK 335

-0.03%

Cinema Ticket

$19.57 NOK 182

$16.71 NOK 155

17.12%

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

$322 NOK 2,992

$279 NOK 2,593

15.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K NOK 122.8K

$10.1K NOK 93.6K

31.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 NOK 1,116

$96.6 NOK 898

24.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.8 NOK 556

$51.3 NOK 477

16.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 NOK 973

$108 NOK 1,003

-2.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$158 NOK 1,473

$154 NOK 1,437

2.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,639 NOK 15.2K

$1,222 NOK 11.4K

34.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,140 NOK 10.6K

$904 NOK 8,404

26.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,764 NOK 25.7K

$1,514 NOK 14.1K

82.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,791 NOK 16.7K

$1,342 NOK 12.5K

33.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,956 NOK 55.4K

$6,929 NOK 64.4K

-14.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,337 NOK 49.6K

$4,477 NOK 41.6K

19.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,925 NOK 45.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

4.38

2.97%

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

Last update for Stavanger: April 21, 2026

Last update for Sarpsborg: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

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

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

Stavanger vs Sarpsborg: 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 $4,111 in Stavanger and $3,744 in Sarpsborg 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: $1,639 in Stavanger versus $1,222 in Sarpsborg. 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 $322 in Stavanger versus $279 in Sarpsborg. 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, Stavanger and Sarpsborg 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.