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: $3,202 in Stavanger versus $2,802 in Sarpsborg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,642 in Stavanger versus $4,162 in Sarpsborg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,082 in Stavanger versus $5,521 in Sarpsborg.

Living in Stavanger is roughly 14% more expensive than in Sarpsborg, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Stavanger 134% above, Sarpsborg 105% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.74 NOK 243

$40.12 NOK 378

-35.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.4 NOK 917

$107 NOK 1,010

-9.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.15 NOK 152

$19.57 NOK 184

-17.48%

Cappuccino

$6.37 NOK 60.0

$5.76 NOK 54.2

10.59%

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

$5.34 NOK 50.3

$2.90 NOK 27.37

84.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 NOK 41.75

$2.65 NOK 25.01

67.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.88 NOK 131

$8.82 NOK 83.2

57.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.16 NOK 115

$11.73 NOK 111

3.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.50 NOK 23.55

$2.36 NOK 22.24

5.93%

White Bread (500g)

$3.60 NOK 33.96

$3.30 NOK 31.09

9.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.96 NOK 37.33

$3.76 NOK 35.40

5.32%

Eggs

$5.05 NOK 47.55

$5.08 NOK 47.90

-0.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.10 NOK 142

$12.87 NOK 121

17.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.22 NOK 162

$15.59 NOK 147

10.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$35.93 NOK 339

$29.86 NOK 281

20.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.71 NOK 34.97

$3.49 NOK 32.90

6.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.78 NOK 26.20

$2.78 NOK 26.16

Oranges (1kg)

$3.49 NOK 32.84

$3.60 NOK 33.90

-3.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.04 NOK 47.53

$4.52 NOK 42.58

11.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.51 NOK 23.69

$2.60 NOK 24.51

-3.46%

Onion (1kg)

$3.12 NOK 29.43

$2.98 NOK 28.08

4.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.91 NOK 27.45

$3.11 NOK 29.30

-6.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 NOK 22.84

$2.33 NOK 21.97

3.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.89 NOK 169

$19.68 NOK 185

-9.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.83 NOK 177

$17.86 NOK 168

5.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.94 NOK 37.16

$3.61 NOK 34.03

9.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 NOK 42.46

$4.32 NOK 40.74

4.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.82 NOK 45.41

$2.70 NOK 25.46

78.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.4 NOK 824

$77.7 NOK 732

12.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.37 NOK 60.0

$10.98 NOK 104

-41.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 NOK 16.18

$1.95 NOK 18.39

-11.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$106 NOK 1,003

$73.9 NOK 696

44.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 NOK 21.21

$2.18 NOK 20.53

3.21%

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

$49.6K NOK 467.6K

$45.0K NOK 423.6K

10.38%

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

$42.3K NOK 398.5K

$40.2K NOK 378.5K

5.28%

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

$251 NOK 2,362

$273 NOK 2,571

-8.10%

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

$35.70 NOK 336

$30.00 NOK 283

19.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$83.6 NOK 788

$59.3 NOK 559

40.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.5 NOK 495

$51.4 NOK 484

2.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.19 NOK 350

$32.10 NOK 302

15.86%

Cinema Ticket

$22.57 NOK 213

$16.91 NOK 159

33.47%

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

$330 NOK 3,112

$253 NOK 2,384

30.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.5K NOK 136.6K

$13.2K NOK 124.2K

9.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$131 NOK 1,230

$97.1 NOK 915

34.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.9 NOK 574

$52.2 NOK 492

16.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$158 NOK 1,492

$113 NOK 1,065

40.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$210 NOK 1,978

$182 NOK 1,711

15.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 NOK 16.1K

$1,257 NOK 11.8K

35.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,391 NOK 13.1K

$1,038 NOK 9,785

33.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 NOK 26.3K

$1,609 NOK 15.2K

73.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,084 NOK 19.6K

$1,388 NOK 13.1K

50.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,179 NOK 58.2K

$6,265 NOK 59.0K

-1.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,479 NOK 51.6K

$4,159 NOK 39.2K

31.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,006 NOK 47.2K

$2,721 NOK 25.6K

84.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.27

5.18

1.74%

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

Last update for Stavanger: September 14, 2026

Last update for Sarpsborg: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,708 in Stavanger and $1,257 in Sarpsborg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stavanger pays 84% 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: $97.0 in Stavanger vs $107 in Sarpsborg. Groceries flip the comparison at $532 vs $486, with Sarpsborg cheaper for home cooking.

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 14% 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 84% 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: $1,708 in Stavanger versus $1,257 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 13% less than in Stavanger. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $330 in Stavanger versus $253 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 $2,802 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 14% less than in Stavanger. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.