Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Arendal

For one person, living is cheaper in Arendal: $2,750 a month against $3,093 in Bergen, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Bergen
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Bergen Living Index
133

Cost of Living Index in Arendal
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Arendal Living Index

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Bergen

🇳🇴 Norway

$3,093

/mo nomad

Arendal

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,750

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bergen and in Arendal

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Bergen and in Arendal actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,093 in Bergen versus $2,750 in Arendal.

Bergen $3,093
Arendal $2,750

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,619 in Bergen versus $3,932 in Arendal.

Bergen $4,619
Arendal $3,932

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,145 in Bergen versus $5,113 in Arendal.

Bergen $6,145
Arendal $5,113

Living in Bergen is roughly 12% more expensive than in Arendal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 127% above, Arendal 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.85 NOK 219

$20.71 NOK 190

15.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$141 NOK 1,298

$67.1 NOK 617

110.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.30 NOK 150

$16.06 NOK 148

1.49%

Cappuccino

$5.62 NOK 51.6

$5.51 NOK 50.6

2.00%

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

$5.19 NOK 47.69

$3.75 NOK 34.49

38.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.57 NOK 42.00

$3.42 NOK 31.41

33.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.92 NOK 119

$11.85 NOK 109

9.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.71 NOK 98.4

$10.58 NOK 97.2

1.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.35 NOK 21.55

$2.49 NOK 22.88

-5.62%

White Bread (500g)

$3.83 NOK 35.21

$3.55 NOK 32.60

7.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.45 NOK 31.66

$4.01 NOK 36.82

-13.97%

Eggs

$6.67 NOK 61.3

$4.76 NOK 43.74

40.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.89 NOK 137

$14.98 NOK 138

-0.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.88 NOK 164

$14.93 NOK 137

19.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$37.65 NOK 346

$34.94 NOK 321

7.76%

Apples (1kg)

$4.10 NOK 37.68

$3.61 NOK 33.12

13.57%

Banana (1kg)

$2.80 NOK 25.74

$2.75 NOK 25.27

1.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.70 NOK 34.00

$3.49 NOK 32.03

6.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.54 NOK 50.9

$4.99 NOK 45.83

11.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.46 NOK 22.64

$2.56 NOK 23.52

-3.91%

Onion (1kg)

$3.41 NOK 31.32

$3.16 NOK 29.02

7.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.08 NOK 28.28

$2.90 NOK 26.67

6.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 NOK 16.83

$2.42 NOK 22.28

-24.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.65 NOK 162

$18.37 NOK 169

-3.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.73 NOK 181

$15.07 NOK 138

30.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.83 NOK 35.17

$3.74 NOK 34.39

2.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 NOK 40.78

$4.45 NOK 40.85

-0.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.32 NOK 48.92

$3.78 NOK 34.73

40.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.0 NOK 817

$94.4 NOK 867

-5.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.82 NOK 118

$6.36 NOK 58.4

101.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 NOK 17.94

$1.82 NOK 16.69

7.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$74.9 NOK 688

$108 NOK 996

-30.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.41 NOK 22.11

$2.33 NOK 21.43

3.43%

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

$50.1K NOK 460.0K

$49.6K NOK 456.1K

0.85%

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

$44.8K NOK 411.3K

$41.7K NOK 383.2K

7.32%

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

$292 NOK 2,679

$263 NOK 2,413

11.01%

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

$33.90 NOK 311

$34.00 NOK 312

-0.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.1 NOK 782

$79.7 NOK 733

6.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.43 NOK 445

$37.05 NOK 340

30.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.06 NOK 405

Cinema Ticket

$19.28 NOK 177

$15.90 NOK 146

21.26%

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

$251 NOK 2,305

$335 NOK 3,073

-25.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K NOK 110.0K

$14.5K NOK 133.4K

-17.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$108 NOK 989

$131 NOK 1,199

-17.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 NOK 515

$44.64 NOK 410

25.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 NOK 1,103

$130 NOK 1,196

-7.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$166 NOK 1,524

$210 NOK 1,926

-20.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,627 NOK 15.0K

$1,159 NOK 10.6K

40.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,283 NOK 11.8K

$1,053 NOK 9,676

21.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,668 NOK 24.5K

$1,593 NOK 14.6K

67.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,928 NOK 17.7K

$1,518 NOK 13.9K

27.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,228 NOK 75.6K

$4,347 NOK 39.9K

89.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,382 NOK 49.4K

$3,230 NOK 29.7K

66.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,732 NOK 43.5K

$4,235 NOK 38.9K

11.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.27

4.68

12.61%

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

Last update for Bergen: October 26, 2026

Last update for Arendal: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Bergen

$1.3K 41.5%

Arendal

$1.1K 38.3% 17.9% $230

Groceries & Markets

Bergen

$545 17.6%

Arendal

$506 18.4% 7.2% $39

Eating Out

Bergen

$432 14%

Arendal

$389 14.2% 10% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bergen

$411 13.3%

Arendal

$376 13.7% 8.3% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Bergen

$202 6.5%

Arendal

$232 8.4% 14.5% $29

Getting Around

Bergen

$133 4.3%

Arendal

$125 4.5% 5.9% $7.9

Sport & Entertainment

Bergen

$87 2.8%

Arendal

$69 2.5% 20.8% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,627 in Bergen and $1,159 in Arendal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 12% 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: $141 in Bergen vs $67 in Arendal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $545 vs $506 per month, with Arendal cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇴 Bergen

🇳🇴 Arendal

🕒 Local time

10:40 10:40 AM

Same time as Bergen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

292,482

46,406

💱 Currency

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 NOK = 10.88 USD

100 NOK = 9.75 EUR

100 NOK = 10.88 USD

100 NOK = 9.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bergen Arendal 290 km

From you

Bergen
Arendal

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Bergen vs Arendal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $3,093 in Bergen and $2,750 in Arendal, so Arendal is about 11% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 12% higher in Bergen, 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: $1,627 in Bergen versus $1,159 in Arendal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $251 in Bergen versus $335 in Arendal. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Bergen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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, Bergen and Arendal are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Arendal wins on affordability, Bergen on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.