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

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

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

Living in Stavanger is roughly 5% more expensive than Sarpsborg, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.39 NOK 241

$37.65 NOK 357

-32.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 NOK 1,138

$92.3 NOK 876

29.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.31 NOK 145

$18.53 NOK 176

-17.38%

Cappuccino

$5.03 NOK 47.77

$5.28 NOK 50.1

-4.73%

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

$3.88 NOK 36.83

$2.68 NOK 25.40

44.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.47 NOK 32.89

$2.60 NOK 24.70

33.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.98 NOK 104

$5.89 NOK 55.9

86.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.21 NOK 96.9

$7.79 NOK 73.9

31.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 NOK 21.93

$2.26 NOK 21.41

2.21%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 NOK 29.59

$3.29 NOK 31.18

-5.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.58 NOK 43.48

$3.14 NOK 29.85

45.86%

Eggs

$4.48 NOK 42.52

$4.37 NOK 41.52

2.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 NOK 122

$11.93 NOK 113

8.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.73 NOK 159

$14.93 NOK 142

12.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.83 NOK 264

$28.14 NOK 267

-1.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.48 NOK 33.01

$3.60 NOK 34.19

-3.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.64 NOK 25.03

$2.47 NOK 23.46

6.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.11 NOK 29.53

$3.32 NOK 31.54

-6.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.68 NOK 44.37

$4.35 NOK 41.26

7.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 NOK 19.77

$2.48 NOK 23.58

-16.13%

Onion (1kg)

$3.08 NOK 29.27

$2.49 NOK 23.67

23.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 NOK 23.47

$2.78 NOK 26.37

-11.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 NOK 17.38

$1.82 NOK 17.24

0.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.97 NOK 142

$15.31 NOK 145

-2.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.46 NOK 175

$19.10 NOK 181

-3.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.68 NOK 34.89

$3.40 NOK 32.24

8.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 NOK 38.90

$3.99 NOK 37.88

2.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.58 NOK 43.47

$2.47 NOK 23.40

85.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.6 NOK 651

$74.1 NOK 703

-7.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.31 NOK 145

$10.15 NOK 96.3

50.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.06 NOK 19.57

$1.40 NOK 13.30

47.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$100 NOK 953

$45.99 NOK 437

118.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 NOK 20.01

$2.14 NOK 20.32

-1.40%

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

$34.4K NOK 326.1K

$36.1K NOK 342.9K

-4.92%

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

$32.4K NOK 307.3K

$38.6K NOK 366.1K

-16.06%

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

$190 NOK 1,806

$238 NOK 2,263

-20.20%

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

$42.20 NOK 401

$38.10 NOK 362

10.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$83.1 NOK 789

$56.1 NOK 532

48.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 NOK 531

$50.1 NOK 476

11.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.16 NOK 334

$36.13 NOK 343

-2.68%

Cinema Ticket

$19.57 NOK 186

$16.31 NOK 155

19.99%

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

$321 NOK 3,048

$284 NOK 2,692

13.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K NOK 123.1K

$10.1K NOK 95.8K

28.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$116 NOK 1,098

$97.6 NOK 926

18.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 NOK 550

$52.8 NOK 501

9.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 NOK 1,017

$109 NOK 1,033

-1.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$160 NOK 1,519

$150 NOK 1,421

6.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 NOK 15.1K

$1,209 NOK 11.5K

31.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 NOK 10.7K

$903 NOK 8,572

24.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,732 NOK 25.9K

$1,492 NOK 14.2K

83.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,774 NOK 16.8K

$1,319 NOK 12.5K

34.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,036 NOK 57.3K

$6,022 NOK 57.2K

0.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,366 NOK 50.9K

$4,474 NOK 42.5K

19.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,104 NOK 48.4K

$2,685 NOK 25.5K

90.08%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Sarpsborg: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,595 in Stavanger and $1,209 in Sarpsborg. 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: $120 in Stavanger vs $92.0 in Sarpsborg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $473 vs $457 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 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.

Stavanger pays 90% more on average, 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 $1,209 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 8% less than in Stavanger. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

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