Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Karmøy

For one person, living is cheaper in Karmøy: $2,641 a month against $3,093 in Bergen, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 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
132

Cost of Living Index in Karmøy
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Karmøy Living Index

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Bergen

🇳🇴 Norway

$3,093

/mo nomad

Karmøy

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bergen and in Karmøy

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 Karmøy actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,093 in Bergen versus $2,641 in Karmøy.

Bergen $3,093
Karmøy $2,641

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,619 in Bergen versus $4,032 in Karmøy.

Bergen $4,619
Karmøy $4,032

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,145 in Bergen versus $5,423 in Karmøy.

Bergen $6,145
Karmøy $5,423

Living in Bergen is roughly 17% more expensive than in Karmøy, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 127% above, Karmøy 94% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.85 NOK 222

$21.23 NOK 197

12.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$141 NOK 1,313

$122 NOK 1,135

15.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.30 NOK 151

$16.23 NOK 151

0.43%

Cappuccino

$5.62 NOK 52.2

$6.16 NOK 57.3

-8.77%

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

$5.19 NOK 48.23

$3.80 NOK 35.34

36.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.57 NOK 42.47

$2.91 NOK 27.02

57.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.92 NOK 120

$11.67 NOK 108

10.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.71 NOK 99.5

$11.22 NOK 104

-4.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.35 NOK 21.79

$2.32 NOK 21.55

1.29%

White Bread (500g)

$3.83 NOK 35.60

$3.87 NOK 35.94

-1.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.45 NOK 32.02

$3.37 NOK 31.29

2.37%

Eggs

$6.67 NOK 62.0

$4.39 NOK 40.75

51.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.89 NOK 138

$12.31 NOK 114

20.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.88 NOK 166

$15.45 NOK 144

15.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$37.65 NOK 350

$29.85 NOK 277

26.13%

Apples (1kg)

$4.10 NOK 38.11

$3.29 NOK 30.53

24.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.80 NOK 26.03

$2.37 NOK 22.03

18.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.70 NOK 34.38

$3.05 NOK 28.29

21.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.54 NOK 51.5

$4.55 NOK 42.32

21.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.46 NOK 22.90

$2.51 NOK 23.35

-1.99%

Onion (1kg)

$3.41 NOK 31.67

$3.00 NOK 27.91

13.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.08 NOK 28.60

$3.44 NOK 31.92

-10.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 NOK 17.02

$2.49 NOK 23.13

-26.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.65 NOK 164

$20.07 NOK 186

-12.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.73 NOK 183

$17.00 NOK 158

16.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.83 NOK 35.56

$3.89 NOK 36.11

-1.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 NOK 41.24

$4.95 NOK 45.99

-10.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.32 NOK 49.47

$4.66 NOK 43.32

14.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.0 NOK 827

$84.3 NOK 783

5.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.82 NOK 119

$13.42 NOK 125

-4.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 NOK 18.14

$1.84 NOK 17.09

5.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$74.9 NOK 696

$63.7 NOK 592

17.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.41 NOK 22.36

$2.52 NOK 23.41

-4.37%

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

$50.1K NOK 465.1K

$50.9K NOK 472.5K

-1.56%

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

$44.8K NOK 415.9K

$41.1K NOK 381.6K

8.99%

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

$292 NOK 2,709

$243 NOK 2,259

19.90%

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

$33.90 NOK 315

$30.54 NOK 284

11.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.1 NOK 790

$46.76 NOK 434

81.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.43 NOK 450

$49.24 NOK 457

-1.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.06 NOK 409

$41.02 NOK 381

7.41%

Cinema Ticket

$19.28 NOK 179

$16.70 NOK 155

15.45%

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

$251 NOK 2,331

$259 NOK 2,405

-3.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K NOK 111.2K

$12.2K NOK 113.3K

-1.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$108 NOK 1,000

$96.0 NOK 892

12.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 NOK 521

$49.63 NOK 461

12.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 NOK 1,116

$111 NOK 1,031

8.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$166 NOK 1,541

$154 NOK 1,429

7.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,627 NOK 15.1K

$1,262 NOK 11.7K

28.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,283 NOK 11.9K

$1,044 NOK 9,703

22.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,668 NOK 24.8K

$2,068 NOK 19.2K

29.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,928 NOK 17.9K

$1,688 NOK 15.7K

14.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,228 NOK 76.4K

$6,242 NOK 58.0K

31.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,382 NOK 50.0K

$4,136 NOK 38.4K

30.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,732 NOK 44.0K

$4,114 NOK 38.2K

15.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.27

4.94

6.68%

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

Last update for Bergen: October 26, 2026

Last update for Karmøy: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bergen

$1.3K 41.5%

Karmøy

$1K 39.6% 18.6% $239

Groceries & Markets

Bergen

$545 17.6%

Karmøy

$483 18.3% 11.4% $62

Eating Out

Bergen

$432 14%

Karmøy

$400 15.2% 7.4% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bergen

$411 13.3%

Karmøy

$321 12.1% 21.9% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Bergen

$202 6.5%

Karmøy

$185 7% 8.7% $18

Getting Around

Bergen

$133 4.3%

Karmøy

$126 4.8% 5.5% $7.3

Sport & Entertainment

Bergen

$87 2.8%

Karmøy

$83 3.1% 5% $4.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,627 in Bergen and $1,262 in Karmøy. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 15% 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 $122 in Karmøy for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $545 vs $483 per month, with Karmøy cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇴 Bergen

🇳🇴 Karmøy

🕒 Local time

18:39 6:39 PM

Same time as Bergen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

292,482

43,404

💱 Currency

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 NOK = 10.76 USD

100 NOK = 9.67 EUR

100 NOK = 10.76 USD

100 NOK = 9.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

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Between locations

Bergen Karmøy 130 km

From you

Bergen
Karmøy

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 Karmøy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Karmøy is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, utilities, and eating out. The 17% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 15% 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 $1,262 in Karmøy. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $251 in Bergen versus $259 in Karmøy. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Bergen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,641 in Karmøy versus $3,093 in Bergen, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Karmøy but tight or insufficient in Bergen. The gap between the two cities makes Karmøy 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, Bergen and Karmøy 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 Karmøy gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.