Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Karmøy Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Karmøy

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,942 in Bergen versus $2,742 in Karmøy.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,473 in Bergen versus $4,097 in Karmøy.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,004 in Bergen versus $5,453 in Karmøy.

Living in Bergen is roughly 7% more expensive than in Karmøy, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 113% above, Karmøy 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.62 NOK 228

$21.51 NOK 200

14.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$140 NOK 1,294

$106 NOK 979

32.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.47 NOK 153

$15.74 NOK 146

4.64%

Cappuccino

$5.92 NOK 54.9

$5.61 NOK 52.1

5.53%

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

$5.17 NOK 48.00

$4.25 NOK 39.41

21.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 NOK 42.96

$3.12 NOK 28.91

48.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.94 NOK 120

$11.61 NOK 108

11.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.70 NOK 99.3

$10.87 NOK 101

-1.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.48 NOK 22.99

$2.60 NOK 24.15

-4.62%

White Bread (500g)

$3.82 NOK 35.42

$3.58 NOK 33.21

6.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.47 NOK 32.20

$3.84 NOK 35.58

-9.64%

Eggs

$6.75 NOK 62.6

$5.10 NOK 47.35

32.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.20 NOK 141

$13.47 NOK 125

12.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.60 NOK 163

$15.21 NOK 141

15.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$35.27 NOK 327

$30.51 NOK 283

15.60%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 NOK 38.35

$3.48 NOK 32.33

18.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.86 NOK 26.52

$2.66 NOK 24.64

7.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.60 NOK 33.43

$3.46 NOK 32.06

4.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.80 NOK 53.8

$5.23 NOK 48.53

10.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.52 NOK 23.33

$2.66 NOK 24.65

-5.26%

Onion (1kg)

$3.34 NOK 31.01

$2.97 NOK 27.57

12.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.93 NOK 27.19

$3.11 NOK 28.82

-5.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 NOK 19.07

$2.44 NOK 22.64

-15.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.04 NOK 167

$17.92 NOK 166

0.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.63 NOK 173

$16.56 NOK 154

12.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.56 NOK 33.06

$3.62 NOK 33.61

-1.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 NOK 39.64

$4.30 NOK 39.86

-0.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.21 NOK 48.37

$4.79 NOK 44.39

8.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.0 NOK 826

$84.6 NOK 785

5.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.91 NOK 120

$12.39 NOK 115

4.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 NOK 17.66

$1.92 NOK 17.77

-1.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$75.3 NOK 698

$71.1 NOK 660

5.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.36 NOK 21.94

$2.30 NOK 21.31

2.61%

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

$49.9K NOK 463.0K

$48.8K NOK 453.1K

2.18%

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

$44.8K NOK 415.9K

$44.5K NOK 412.5K

0.83%

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

$296 NOK 2,747

$275 NOK 2,553

7.62%

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

$31.98 NOK 297

$33.22 NOK 308

-3.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.9 NOK 732

$57.1 NOK 529

38.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.57 NOK 423

$50.4 NOK 468

-9.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.44 NOK 412

$37.15 NOK 345

19.62%

Cinema Ticket

$19.31 NOK 179

$17.99 NOK 167

7.34%

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

$250 NOK 2,323

$245 NOK 2,270

2.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K NOK 114.1K

$12.1K NOK 112.5K

1.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 NOK 1,013

$102 NOK 944

7.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.7 NOK 516

$57.2 NOK 530

-2.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 NOK 1,128

$126 NOK 1,173

-3.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$171 NOK 1,588

$160 NOK 1,484

6.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,542 NOK 14.3K

$1,223 NOK 11.3K

26.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,118 NOK 10.4K

$1,051 NOK 9,752

6.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,485 NOK 23.1K

$2,025 NOK 18.8K

22.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,767 NOK 16.4K

$1,683 NOK 15.6K

5.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,803 NOK 72.4K

$6,326 NOK 58.7K

23.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,910 NOK 45.5K

$4,315 NOK 40.0K

13.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,848 NOK 45.0K

$4,071 NOK 37.8K

19.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.31

4.96

7.06%

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

Last update for Bergen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Karmøy: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,542 in Bergen and $1,223 in Karmøy. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 19% 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: $140 in Bergen vs $105 in Karmøy for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $539 vs $494 per month, with Karmøy 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 Karmøy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Karmøy is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 19% 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: $1,542 in Bergen versus $1,223 in Karmøy. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $250 in Bergen versus $245 in Karmøy. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% 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. Karmøy is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Karmøy is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Bergen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

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 7% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.