Cost of Living Comparison Between Trondheim and Sarpsborg Cost of Living Comparison Between Trondheim and Sarpsborg

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,745 in Trondheim versus $2,531 in Sarpsborg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,170 in Trondheim versus $3,800 in Sarpsborg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,595 in Trondheim versus $5,068 in Sarpsborg.

Living in Trondheim is roughly 8% more expensive than in Sarpsborg, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Trondheim 106% above, Sarpsborg 90% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.21 NOK 213

$38.33 NOK 368

-42.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$123 NOK 1,175

$92.9 NOK 891

31.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.44 NOK 139

$18.37 NOK 176

-21.39%

Cappuccino

$4.82 NOK 46.28

$5.45 NOK 52.3

-11.56%

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

$3.67 NOK 35.25

$2.74 NOK 26.26

33.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 NOK 28.67

$2.50 NOK 23.96

19.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.80 NOK 104

$5.92 NOK 56.8

82.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.45 NOK 110

$7.85 NOK 75.3

45.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.51 NOK 24.07

$2.25 NOK 21.60

11.56%

White Bread (500g)

$3.65 NOK 34.98

$3.43 NOK 32.87

6.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.86 NOK 37.05

$3.30 NOK 31.69

16.97%

Eggs

$4.59 NOK 44.00

$4.35 NOK 41.68

5.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.21 NOK 117

$11.81 NOK 113

3.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.92 NOK 143

$14.83 NOK 142

0.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.37 NOK 272

$27.38 NOK 263

3.62%

Apples (1kg)

$3.77 NOK 36.18

$3.53 NOK 33.89

6.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.97 NOK 28.54

$2.49 NOK 23.86

19.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.64 NOK 25.29

$3.31 NOK 31.78

-20.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.01 NOK 48.05

$4.40 NOK 42.21

13.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.97 NOK 28.53

$2.45 NOK 23.51

21.22%

Onion (1kg)

$3.22 NOK 30.88

$2.56 NOK 24.60

25.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.20 NOK 30.68

$2.76 NOK 26.52

15.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 NOK 23.95

$1.82 NOK 17.41

37.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.41 NOK 148

$15.07 NOK 145

2.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 NOK 177

$16.63 NOK 160

10.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.66 NOK 35.09

$3.28 NOK 31.48

11.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.84 NOK 46.40

$3.98 NOK 38.21

21.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.57 NOK 43.88

$2.51 NOK 24.12

82.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.7 NOK 899

$73.1 NOK 701

28.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.40 NOK 148

$10.02 NOK 96.1

53.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.26 NOK 21.65

$1.45 NOK 13.93

55.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$89.5 NOK 858

$46.91 NOK 450

90.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.12 NOK 20.29

$2.08 NOK 19.92

1.92%

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

$32.4K NOK 310.4K

$36.1K NOK 346.1K

-10.32%

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

$43.1K NOK 413.7K

$39.2K NOK 376.1K

10.00%

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

$323 NOK 3,094

$238 NOK 2,282

35.60%

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

$43.23 NOK 415

$38.73 NOK 372

11.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.7 NOK 736

$55.2 NOK 529

39.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.53 NOK 408

$49.40 NOK 474

-13.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.79 NOK 449

$34.87 NOK 334

34.18%

Cinema Ticket

$17.26 NOK 166

$16.78 NOK 161

2.86%

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

$321 NOK 3,079

$288 NOK 2,761

11.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,375 NOK 80.3K

$10.1K NOK 97.0K

-17.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$110 NOK 1,057

$95.4 NOK 915

15.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.48 NOK 455

$52.7 NOK 506

-9.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 NOK 1,229

$106 NOK 1,021

20.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 NOK 1,263

$151 NOK 1,449

-12.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,371 NOK 13.2K

$1,192 NOK 11.4K

15.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,079 NOK 10.3K

$885 NOK 8,493

21.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,269 NOK 21.8K

$1,532 NOK 14.7K

48.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,685 NOK 16.2K

$1,290 NOK 12.4K

30.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,109 NOK 58.6K

$5,754 NOK 55.2K

6.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,952 NOK 47.5K

$4,063 NOK 39.0K

21.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,148 NOK 39.8K

$2,612 NOK 25.1K

58.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.32

4.38

-1.37%

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

Last update for Trondheim: July 26, 2026

Last update for Sarpsborg: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,371 in Trondheim and $1,192 in Sarpsborg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Trondheim pays 59% 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 Trondheim vs $93.0 in Sarpsborg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $487 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

Trondheim vs Sarpsborg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sarpsborg wins on cost – living expenses run 8% lower than in Trondheim. 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 59% higher in Trondheim, 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: $1,371 in Trondheim 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 28% less than in Trondheim. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $321 in Trondheim 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, Trondheim 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 8% less than in Trondheim. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.