Cost of Living Comparison Between Arendal and Bergen Cost of Living Comparison Between Arendal and Bergen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,203 in Arendal versus $2,658 in Bergen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Arendal versus $4,013 in Bergen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,494 in Arendal versus $5,368 in Bergen.

Living in Arendal costs roughly 17% less than in Bergen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Arendal 65% above, Bergen 100% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.89 NOK 170

$25.18 NOK 239

-28.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.8 NOK 709

$102 NOK 970

-26.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.38 NOK 146

$19.35 NOK 183

-20.52%

Cappuccino

$5.16 NOK 48.92

$5.34 NOK 50.7

-3.37%

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

$3.29 NOK 31.20

$3.24 NOK 30.68

1.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 NOK 29.18

$2.90 NOK 27.47

6.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.02 NOK 105

$11.61 NOK 110

-5.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.95 NOK 94.4

$9.63 NOK 91.3

3.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.41 NOK 22.82

$2.71 NOK 25.70

-11.07%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 NOK 30.06

$3.44 NOK 32.64

-7.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.68 NOK 34.90

$2.79 NOK 26.44

31.90%

Eggs

$4.33 NOK 41.08

$5.03 NOK 47.68

-13.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.30 NOK 126

$13.95 NOK 132

-4.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.42 NOK 146

$15.55 NOK 147

-0.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.89 NOK 264

$27.87 NOK 264

0.07%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 NOK 32.88

$3.81 NOK 36.09

-8.92%

Banana (1kg)

$2.54 NOK 24.09

$2.96 NOK 28.07

-14.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.12 NOK 29.55

$3.58 NOK 33.98

-12.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 NOK 45.78

$5.51 NOK 52.3

-12.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 NOK 19.68

$2.60 NOK 24.70

-20.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.95 NOK 28.00

$2.75 NOK 26.09

7.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 NOK 24.73

$2.77 NOK 26.26

-5.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 NOK 17.08

$2.11 NOK 20.02

-14.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.08 NOK 143

$16.74 NOK 159

-9.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.78 NOK 169

$17.70 NOK 168

0.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.36 NOK 31.87

$3.39 NOK 32.11

-0.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 NOK 38.08

$4.30 NOK 40.77

-6.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.81 NOK 36.09

$4.37 NOK 41.45

-12.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 NOK 1,009

$79.8 NOK 757

33.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 NOK 78.6

$15.20 NOK 144

-45.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 NOK 19.49

$2.20 NOK 20.87

-6.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.83 NOK 292

$72.6 NOK 689

-57.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 NOK 19.57

$2.21 NOK 20.98

-6.79%

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

$34.7K NOK 328.9K

$35.8K NOK 339.6K

-3.14%

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

$33.3K NOK 316.2K

$43.7K NOK 414.2K

-23.66%

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

$191 NOK 1,814

$244 NOK 2,314

-21.62%

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

$35.33 NOK 335

$38.05 NOK 361

-7.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.4 NOK 705

$65.4 NOK 620

13.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.23 NOK 419

$54.2 NOK 513

-18.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$52.6 NOK 498

$39.77 NOK 377

32.19%

Cinema Ticket

$11.96 NOK 113

$19.90 NOK 189

-39.90%

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

$308 NOK 2,918

$284 NOK 2,692

8.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.2K NOK 96.7K

$12.9K NOK 122.2K

-20.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.7 NOK 926

$92.5 NOK 877

5.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.6 NOK 565

$55.7 NOK 528

7.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 NOK 983

$113 NOK 1,067

-7.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$161 NOK 1,524

$143 NOK 1,360

12.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 NOK 10.2K

$1,304 NOK 12.4K

-17.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$704 NOK 6,676

$997 NOK 9,455

-29.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,317 NOK 12.5K

$2,032 NOK 19.3K

-35.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,138 NOK 10.8K

$1,595 NOK 15.1K

-28.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,161 NOK 30.0K

$7,558 NOK 71.7K

-58.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 NOK 19.8K

$4,679 NOK 44.4K

-55.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,017 NOK 38.1K

$4,385 NOK 41.6K

-8.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.6

4.85

-25.77%

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

Last update for Arendal: July 27, 2026

Last update for Bergen: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Arendal and $1,304 in Bergen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 9% 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: $75.0 in Arendal vs $102 in Bergen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $462 vs $485 per month, with Arendal 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

Arendal vs Bergen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arendal and Bergen differ by about 21% in total monthly costs ($2,203 vs $2,658 including rent). Arendal is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 9% lower in Bergen. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,071 in Arendal versus $1,304 in Bergen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $308 in Arendal versus $284 in Bergen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Bergen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,203 in Arendal versus $2,658 in Bergen, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Arendal but tight or insufficient in Bergen. The gap between the two cities makes Arendal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Arendal and Bergen 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 Arendal gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.