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: $2,252 in Arendal versus $2,622 in Bergen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,400 in Arendal versus $3,948 in Bergen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,548 in Arendal versus $5,274 in Bergen.

Living in Arendal costs roughly 14% less than in Bergen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Arendal 68% above, Bergen 95% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.27 NOK 173

$25.22 NOK 239

-27.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.5 NOK 716

$102 NOK 965

-25.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.44 NOK 147

$18.97 NOK 180

-18.61%

Cappuccino

$5.21 NOK 49.49

$5.55 NOK 52.6

-6.13%

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

$3.21 NOK 30.46

$3.17 NOK 30.10

1.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 NOK 28.99

$3.01 NOK 28.56

1.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.98 NOK 104

$11.86 NOK 113

-7.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.23 NOK 97.1

$9.58 NOK 90.9

6.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 NOK 21.94

$2.69 NOK 25.50

-14.13%

White Bread (500g)

$3.00 NOK 28.52

$3.44 NOK 32.66

-12.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.60 NOK 34.13

$2.88 NOK 27.34

25.00%

Eggs

$4.36 NOK 41.38

$5.03 NOK 47.75

-13.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.99 NOK 123

$13.96 NOK 132

-6.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.36 NOK 146

$15.99 NOK 152

-3.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.96 NOK 265

$27.79 NOK 264

0.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 NOK 32.30

$3.79 NOK 35.95

-10.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.54 NOK 24.08

$2.95 NOK 27.98

-13.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 NOK 29.41

$3.59 NOK 34.03

-13.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.55 NOK 43.20

$5.70 NOK 54.1

-20.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 NOK 19.60

$2.62 NOK 24.85

-20.99%

Onion (1kg)

$2.98 NOK 28.27

$2.87 NOK 27.29

3.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 NOK 24.75

$2.91 NOK 27.63

-10.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 NOK 16.65

$2.14 NOK 20.34

-18.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.43 NOK 146

$16.78 NOK 159

-8.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.24 NOK 173

$17.96 NOK 170

1.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.35 NOK 31.83

$3.44 NOK 32.68

-2.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 NOK 38.01

$4.32 NOK 40.97

-7.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.89 NOK 36.88

$4.44 NOK 42.14

-12.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 NOK 1,009

$80.0 NOK 759

32.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.93 NOK 75.3

$15.23 NOK 145

-47.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.08 NOK 19.74

$2.27 NOK 21.55

-8.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.96 NOK 294

$72.5 NOK 688

-57.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 NOK 19.71

$2.21 NOK 20.93

-5.88%

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

$33.9K NOK 321.7K

$35.9K NOK 340.3K

-5.48%

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

$32.9K NOK 312.7K

$42.9K NOK 407.0K

-23.17%

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

$189 NOK 1,793

$243 NOK 2,311

-22.40%

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

$35.99 NOK 342

$38.80 NOK 368

-7.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.0 NOK 703

$65.3 NOK 620

13.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.53 NOK 423

$54.2 NOK 514

-17.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$54.0 NOK 513

$39.54 NOK 375

36.57%

Cinema Ticket

$11.93 NOK 113

$20.20 NOK 192

-40.94%

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

$306 NOK 2,903

$282 NOK 2,677

8.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.2K NOK 96.8K

$12.6K NOK 119.9K

-19.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.8 NOK 919

$90.9 NOK 863

6.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.9 NOK 550

$55.9 NOK 531

3.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 NOK 1,003

$112 NOK 1,064

-5.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 NOK 1,512

$147 NOK 1,391

8.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,099 NOK 10.4K

$1,295 NOK 12.3K

-15.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$708 NOK 6,722

$973 NOK 9,238

-27.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,333 NOK 12.7K

$1,994 NOK 18.9K

-33.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,162 NOK 11.0K

$1,568 NOK 14.9K

-25.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,229 NOK 30.7K

$7,844 NOK 74.4K

-58.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,099 NOK 19.9K

$4,587 NOK 43.5K

-54.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,080 NOK 38.7K

$4,531 NOK 43.0K

-9.95%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Bergen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,099 in Arendal and $1,295 in Bergen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 11% 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 $457 vs $490 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 16% in total monthly costs ($2,252 vs $2,622 including rent). Arendal is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Bergen earns 11% less. 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: $1,099 in Arendal versus $1,295 in Bergen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $306 in Arendal versus $282 in Bergen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Bergen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Arendal is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 16% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.