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

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

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

Living in Stavanger is roughly 7% more expensive than in Sarpsborg, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.22 NOK 242

$38.33 NOK 368

-34.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$123 NOK 1,180

$92.9 NOK 891

32.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.08 NOK 145

$18.37 NOK 176

-17.91%

Cappuccino

$5.02 NOK 48.16

$5.45 NOK 52.3

-7.89%

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

$3.89 NOK 37.28

$2.74 NOK 26.26

41.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 NOK 32.64

$2.50 NOK 23.96

36.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.99 NOK 105

$5.92 NOK 56.8

85.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.26 NOK 98.4

$7.85 NOK 75.3

30.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.40 NOK 22.99

$2.25 NOK 21.60

6.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.11 NOK 29.80

$3.43 NOK 32.87

-9.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.64 NOK 44.54

$3.30 NOK 31.69

40.61%

Eggs

$4.52 NOK 43.38

$4.35 NOK 41.68

3.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 NOK 124

$11.81 NOK 113

9.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.24 NOK 156

$14.83 NOK 142

9.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.67 NOK 265

$27.38 NOK 263

1.06%

Apples (1kg)

$3.53 NOK 33.83

$3.53 NOK 33.89

Banana (1kg)

$2.52 NOK 24.20

$2.49 NOK 23.86

1.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.05 NOK 29.27

$3.31 NOK 31.78

-7.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.66 NOK 44.68

$4.40 NOK 42.21

5.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 NOK 19.66

$2.45 NOK 23.51

-16.33%

Onion (1kg)

$3.04 NOK 29.20

$2.56 NOK 24.60

18.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.58 NOK 24.76

$2.76 NOK 26.52

-6.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 NOK 16.75

$1.82 NOK 17.41

-3.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.11 NOK 145

$15.07 NOK 145

0.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.96 NOK 172

$16.63 NOK 160

8.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.54 NOK 33.99

$3.28 NOK 31.48

7.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 NOK 39.14

$3.98 NOK 38.21

2.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.58 NOK 43.95

$2.51 NOK 24.12

82.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.1 NOK 663

$73.1 NOK 701

-5.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.37 NOK 147

$10.02 NOK 96.1

53.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 NOK 19.85

$1.45 NOK 13.93

42.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$103 NOK 983

$46.91 NOK 450

118.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 NOK 21.17

$2.08 NOK 19.92

6.25%

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

$34.7K NOK 333.0K

$36.1K NOK 346.1K

-3.78%

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

$32.7K NOK 313.8K

$39.2K NOK 376.1K

-16.56%

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

$192 NOK 1,842

$238 NOK 2,282

-19.26%

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

$42.41 NOK 407

$38.73 NOK 372

9.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.9 NOK 776

$55.2 NOK 529

46.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 NOK 535

$49.40 NOK 474

12.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.17 NOK 337

$34.87 NOK 334

0.86%

Cinema Ticket

$19.02 NOK 182

$16.78 NOK 161

13.35%

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

$314 NOK 3,010

$288 NOK 2,761

9.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K NOK 123.6K

$10.1K NOK 97.0K

27.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$116 NOK 1,108

$95.4 NOK 915

21.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.4 NOK 560

$52.7 NOK 506

10.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 NOK 1,030

$106 NOK 1,021

0.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$157 NOK 1,510

$151 NOK 1,449

4.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 NOK 15.3K

$1,192 NOK 11.4K

33.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,135 NOK 10.9K

$885 NOK 8,493

28.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,798 NOK 26.8K

$1,532 NOK 14.7K

82.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,777 NOK 17.0K

$1,290 NOK 12.4K

37.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,005 NOK 57.6K

$5,754 NOK 55.2K

4.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,223 NOK 50.1K

$4,063 NOK 39.0K

28.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,909 NOK 47.1K

$2,612 NOK 25.1K

87.94%

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: July 26, 2026

Last update for Sarpsborg: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,595 in Stavanger and $1,192 in Sarpsborg. 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: $123 in Stavanger vs $93.0 in Sarpsborg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $468 vs $450 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 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.

Average pay runs 88% higher in Stavanger, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,595 in Stavanger versus $1,192 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 6% less than in Stavanger. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

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