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: $2,594 in Bergen versus $2,422 in Karmøy.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,948 in Bergen versus $3,792 in Karmøy.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,302 in Bergen versus $5,161 in Karmøy.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 94% above, Karmøy 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.44 NOK 237

$25.28 NOK 235

0.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 NOK 940

$102 NOK 945

-0.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.61 NOK 182

$13.41 NOK 125

46.23%

Cappuccino

$5.50 NOK 51.2

$4.88 NOK 45.36

12.70%

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

$3.13 NOK 29.10

$3.12 NOK 29.04

0.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 NOK 28.17

$2.85 NOK 26.51

6.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.80 NOK 110

$10.03 NOK 93.2

17.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.60 NOK 89.3

$9.37 NOK 87.1

2.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.65 NOK 24.65

$2.19 NOK 20.38

21.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.31 NOK 30.83

$3.37 NOK 31.37

-1.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.91 NOK 27.11

$3.20 NOK 29.75

-9.06%

Eggs

$4.83 NOK 44.96

$4.32 NOK 40.17

11.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 NOK 130

$11.83 NOK 110

18.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.71 NOK 146

$14.67 NOK 136

7.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.27 NOK 263

$28.42 NOK 264

-0.53%

Apples (1kg)

$3.78 NOK 35.17

$3.47 NOK 32.25

8.93%

Banana (1kg)

$3.09 NOK 28.72

$2.46 NOK 22.85

25.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.61 NOK 33.55

$3.25 NOK 30.20

11.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.57 NOK 51.8

$4.34 NOK 40.36

28.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.71 NOK 25.24

$2.44 NOK 22.73

11.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.75 NOK 25.59

$2.58 NOK 24.01

6.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 NOK 26.07

$2.79 NOK 25.93

0.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 NOK 19.60

$1.88 NOK 17.52

12.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.40 NOK 153

$13.77 NOK 128

19.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.27 NOK 170

$18.22 NOK 169

0.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.31 NOK 30.80

$3.35 NOK 31.12

-1.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 NOK 40.14

$3.93 NOK 36.57

9.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.51 NOK 41.91

$4.28 NOK 39.80

5.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.4 NOK 757

$73.7 NOK 686

10.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.23 NOK 142

$10.28 NOK 95.6

48.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.23 NOK 20.75

$1.40 NOK 13.06

59.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$73.6 NOK 684

$47.28 NOK 440

55.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 NOK 19.90

$2.00 NOK 18.57

7.00%

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

$34.9K NOK 324.7K

$34.8K NOK 323.6K

0.33%

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

$43.1K NOK 400.6K

$38.2K NOK 355.1K

12.81%

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

$240 NOK 2,227

$238 NOK 2,210

0.80%

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

$38.14 NOK 355

$37.95 NOK 353

0.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.2 NOK 606

$54.9 NOK 510

18.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.7 NOK 509

$50.2 NOK 467

9.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.54 NOK 368

$34.73 NOK 323

13.85%

Cinema Ticket

$20.28 NOK 189

$16.37 NOK 152

23.89%

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

$280 NOK 2,606

$287 NOK 2,674

-2.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K NOK 118.2K

$10.0K NOK 93.2K

26.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.3 NOK 849

$95.6 NOK 889

-4.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.5 NOK 516

$51.9 NOK 483

6.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 NOK 1,037

$109 NOK 1,011

2.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$146 NOK 1,358

$151 NOK 1,401

-3.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,308 NOK 12.2K

$1,206 NOK 11.2K

8.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$971 NOK 9,034

$903 NOK 8,396

7.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 NOK 19.0K

$1,792 NOK 16.7K

14.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 NOK 14.3K

$1,549 NOK 14.4K

-0.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,924 NOK 73.7K

$5,458 NOK 50.8K

45.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,854 NOK 45.1K

$4,019 NOK 37.4K

20.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,333 NOK 40.3K

$3,995 NOK 37.2K

8.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.85

4.38

10.73%

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

Last update for Bergen: April 21, 2026

Last update for Karmøy: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,308 in Bergen and $1,206 in Karmøy. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 8% 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: $101 in Bergen vs $102 in Karmøy. Groceries flip the comparison at $487 vs $454, with Karmøy cheaper for home cooking.

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, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Bergen pays 8% more on average, 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: $1,308 in Bergen versus $1,206 in Karmøy. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $280 in Bergen versus $287 in Karmøy. 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. 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.