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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,948 in Bergen versus $2,812 in Arendal.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,449 in Bergen versus $3,929 in Arendal.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,950 in Bergen versus $5,045 in Arendal.

Living in Bergen is roughly 5% more expensive than in Arendal, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 115% above, Arendal 106% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.70 NOK 233

$20.31 NOK 191

21.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$139 NOK 1,311

$67.9 NOK 640

104.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.86 NOK 149

$16.13 NOK 152

-1.67%

Cappuccino

$5.68 NOK 53.5

$5.59 NOK 52.7

1.61%

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

$5.31 NOK 50.0

$3.62 NOK 34.12

46.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 NOK 42.69

$3.23 NOK 30.45

40.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.85 NOK 121

$11.95 NOK 113

7.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.60 NOK 99.9

$12.45 NOK 117

-14.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.33 NOK 21.95

$2.43 NOK 22.89

-4.12%

White Bread (500g)

$3.90 NOK 36.77

$3.58 NOK 33.73

8.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.57 NOK 33.67

$3.89 NOK 36.66

-8.23%

Eggs

$6.62 NOK 62.4

$5.01 NOK 47.20

32.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.02 NOK 142

$14.93 NOK 141

0.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.61 NOK 166

$14.73 NOK 139

19.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$35.64 NOK 336

$33.89 NOK 319

5.16%

Apples (1kg)

$4.02 NOK 37.88

$3.68 NOK 34.66

9.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 NOK 26.64

$2.87 NOK 27.03

-1.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.67 NOK 34.54

$3.57 NOK 33.63

2.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.50 NOK 51.8

$4.90 NOK 46.16

12.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 NOK 23.99

$2.64 NOK 24.84

-3.41%

Onion (1kg)

$3.30 NOK 31.10

$3.12 NOK 29.44

5.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.94 NOK 27.70

$2.77 NOK 26.11

6.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 NOK 17.95

$2.41 NOK 22.71

-20.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.18 NOK 171

$17.64 NOK 166

3.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.23 NOK 172

$14.94 NOK 141

22.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.52 NOK 33.20

$3.66 NOK 34.46

-3.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 NOK 41.32

$4.59 NOK 43.21

-4.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.12 NOK 48.20

$3.72 NOK 35.06

37.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.2 NOK 850

$93.3 NOK 879

-3.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.62 NOK 119

$6.37 NOK 60.0

98.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 NOK 18.43

$1.74 NOK 16.41

12.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$74.5 NOK 702

$107 NOK 1,010

-30.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.37 NOK 22.33

$2.25 NOK 21.22

5.33%

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

$49.1K NOK 462.5K

$49.0K NOK 461.4K

0.25%

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

$44.2K NOK 416.9K

$42.7K NOK 402.6K

3.55%

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

$288 NOK 2,717

$252 NOK 2,374

14.43%

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

$31.45 NOK 296

$36.14 NOK 341

-12.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.6 NOK 741

$80.2 NOK 755

-1.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.85 NOK 432

$38.02 NOK 358

20.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$43.68 NOK 412

Cinema Ticket

$19.64 NOK 185

$15.79 NOK 149

24.38%

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

$245 NOK 2,309

$333 NOK 3,136

-26.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K NOK 115.2K

$14.5K NOK 136.9K

-15.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 NOK 1,008

$129 NOK 1,216

-17.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 NOK 511

$44.75 NOK 422

21.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 NOK 1,181

$130 NOK 1,222

-3.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$170 NOK 1,602

$204 NOK 1,924

-16.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 NOK 14.1K

$1,139 NOK 10.7K

31.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,104 NOK 10.4K

$1,067 NOK 10.1K

3.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,481 NOK 23.4K

$1,581 NOK 14.9K

56.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,780 NOK 16.8K

$1,504 NOK 14.2K

18.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,757 NOK 73.1K

$4,308 NOK 40.6K

80.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,967 NOK 46.8K

$3,230 NOK 30.4K

53.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,712 NOK 44.4K

$4,248 NOK 40.0K

10.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.31

4.68

13.46%

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

Last update for Bergen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Arendal: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,496 in Bergen and $1,139 in Arendal. 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: $139 in Bergen vs $68.0 in Arendal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $534 vs $502 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

Bergen vs Arendal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bergen and Arendal differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($2,948 vs $2,812 including rent). Arendal is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 11% 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: $1,496 in Bergen versus $1,139 in Arendal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $245 in Bergen versus $333 in Arendal. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% 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, Bergen and Arendal 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 5% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.