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: $2,605 in Bergen versus $2,490 in Karmøy.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,923 in Bergen versus $3,838 in Karmøy.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,240 in Bergen versus $5,185 in Karmøy.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 94% above, Karmøy 86% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.78 NOK 244

$24.81 NOK 235

3.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$100 NOK 947

$99.6 NOK 941

0.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.96 NOK 179

$13.60 NOK 129

39.41%

Cappuccino

$5.36 NOK 50.7

$4.83 NOK 45.66

10.97%

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

$3.21 NOK 30.39

$3.19 NOK 30.20

0.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 NOK 28.63

$2.94 NOK 27.76

3.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.53 NOK 109

$9.93 NOK 93.9

16.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.67 NOK 91.4

$9.38 NOK 88.7

3.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.64 NOK 24.93

$2.25 NOK 21.30

17.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.36 NOK 31.75

$3.32 NOK 31.41

1.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.90 NOK 27.39

$3.33 NOK 31.49

-12.91%

Eggs

$5.11 NOK 48.28

$4.42 NOK 41.83

15.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 NOK 132

$12.17 NOK 115

14.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.06 NOK 152

$14.81 NOK 140

8.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.05 NOK 265

$28.09 NOK 266

-0.14%

Apples (1kg)

$3.75 NOK 35.46

$3.53 NOK 33.35

6.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.94 NOK 27.77

$2.50 NOK 23.61

17.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.61 NOK 34.15

$3.37 NOK 31.89

7.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.52 NOK 52.2

$4.50 NOK 42.53

22.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 NOK 25.69

$2.48 NOK 23.44

9.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.77 NOK 26.18

$2.50 NOK 23.59

10.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 NOK 26.91

$2.76 NOK 26.14

3.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 NOK 20.30

$1.92 NOK 18.16

11.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.93 NOK 160

$13.83 NOK 131

22.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.39 NOK 174

$18.34 NOK 173

0.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.35 NOK 31.63

$3.26 NOK 30.83

2.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 NOK 40.38

$4.08 NOK 38.61

4.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.56 NOK 43.15

$4.31 NOK 40.74

5.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 NOK 761

$72.7 NOK 687

10.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.36 NOK 145

$10.02 NOK 94.7

53.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.28 NOK 21.52

$1.45 NOK 13.69

57.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$72.7 NOK 687

$46.91 NOK 443

54.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.16 NOK 20.46

$2.08 NOK 19.67

3.85%

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

$35.0K NOK 330.9K

$35.1K NOK 331.8K

-0.28%

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

$43.6K NOK 411.9K

$39.2K NOK 371.0K

11.02%

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

$238 NOK 2,246

$244 NOK 2,306

-2.61%

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

$38.16 NOK 361

$37.96 NOK 359

0.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.1 NOK 606

$55.4 NOK 523

15.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.2 NOK 522

$49.25 NOK 466

12.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.59 NOK 384

$34.82 NOK 329

16.57%

Cinema Ticket

$19.99 NOK 189

$16.76 NOK 158

19.27%

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

$281 NOK 2,656

$282 NOK 2,668

-0.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K NOK 122.2K

$10.3K NOK 97.0K

25.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.5 NOK 856

$95.9 NOK 906

-5.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.0 NOK 519

$51.7 NOK 488

6.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 NOK 1,053

$107 NOK 1,009

4.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$147 NOK 1,394

$154 NOK 1,451

-3.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 NOK 12.1K

$1,219 NOK 11.5K

4.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$997 NOK 9,427

$877 NOK 8,293

13.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,004 NOK 18.9K

$1,789 NOK 16.9K

12.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,576 NOK 14.9K

$1,532 NOK 14.5K

2.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,998 NOK 75.6K

$6,260 NOK 59.2K

27.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,773 NOK 45.1K

$4,632 NOK 43.8K

3.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,646 NOK 43.9K

$4,169 NOK 39.4K

11.45%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Karmøy: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,275 in Bergen and $1,219 in Karmøy. 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: $100 in Bergen vs $100 in Karmøy. Groceries flip the comparison at $490 vs $458, 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 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Bergen pays 11% 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: $1,275 in Bergen versus $1,219 in Karmøy. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $281 in Bergen versus $282 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.

At $2,490 in Karmøy versus $2,605 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.

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 5% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.