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: $2,626 in Bergen versus $2,436 in Karmøy.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,929 in Bergen versus $3,783 in Karmøy.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,232 in Bergen versus $5,130 in Karmøy.

Living in Bergen is roughly 8% more expensive than in Karmøy, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 97% above, Karmøy 82% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.09 NOK 241

$25.53 NOK 245

-1.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$100 NOK 963

$101 NOK 971

-0.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.30 NOK 185

$13.68 NOK 131

41.08%

Cappuccino

$5.38 NOK 51.6

$5.01 NOK 48.06

7.39%

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

$3.19 NOK 30.57

$3.18 NOK 30.52

0.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 NOK 28.61

$2.81 NOK 26.92

6.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.57 NOK 111

$10.17 NOK 97.6

13.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.48 NOK 90.9

$9.45 NOK 90.7

0.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.75 NOK 26.42

$2.19 NOK 21.03

25.57%

White Bread (500g)

$3.43 NOK 32.87

$3.41 NOK 32.74

0.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.87 NOK 27.48

$3.31 NOK 31.74

-13.29%

Eggs

$5.06 NOK 48.53

$4.32 NOK 41.41

17.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.90 NOK 133

$12.23 NOK 117

13.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.64 NOK 150

$14.75 NOK 141

6.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.47 NOK 263

$27.84 NOK 267

-1.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.95 NOK 37.88

$3.47 NOK 33.25

13.83%

Banana (1kg)

$3.06 NOK 29.36

$2.49 NOK 23.88

22.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.76 NOK 36.07

$3.33 NOK 31.90

12.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.74 NOK 55.1

$4.49 NOK 43.04

27.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.62 NOK 25.08

$2.40 NOK 23.07

9.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.89 NOK 27.75

$2.45 NOK 23.53

17.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 NOK 27.31

$2.82 NOK 27.08

1.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 NOK 19.86

$1.85 NOK 17.73

11.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.42 NOK 157

$14.12 NOK 135

16.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.97 NOK 172

$17.83 NOK 171

0.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.35 NOK 32.10

$3.45 NOK 33.11

-2.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.29 NOK 41.13

$4.11 NOK 39.38

4.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.47 NOK 42.82

$4.16 NOK 39.91

7.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.6 NOK 763

$72.5 NOK 696

9.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.53 NOK 149

$10.09 NOK 96.8

53.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.25 NOK 21.56

$1.39 NOK 13.36

61.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$73.1 NOK 701

$45.94 NOK 441

59.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 NOK 21.53

$2.09 NOK 20.07

7.66%

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

$36.1K NOK 346.2K

$35.7K NOK 342.0K

1.21%

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

$43.1K NOK 413.5K

$38.7K NOK 371.3K

11.35%

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

$237 NOK 2,271

$240 NOK 2,301

-1.30%

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

$39.26 NOK 376

$37.78 NOK 362

3.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.8 NOK 612

$55.0 NOK 528

16.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 NOK 519

$50.1 NOK 480

8.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.70 NOK 390

$35.57 NOK 341

14.42%

Cinema Ticket

$20.31 NOK 195

$16.74 NOK 161

21.33%

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

$279 NOK 2,675

$282 NOK 2,708

-1.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K NOK 120.1K

$10.2K NOK 97.8K

22.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.7 NOK 889

$96.1 NOK 922

-3.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 NOK 531

$52.7 NOK 506

5.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 NOK 1,102

$107 NOK 1,028

7.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$146 NOK 1,402

$150 NOK 1,440

-2.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 NOK 12.2K

$1,192 NOK 11.4K

6.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$993 NOK 9,522

$900 NOK 8,634

10.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,042 NOK 19.6K

$1,823 NOK 17.5K

12.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 NOK 15.3K

$1,555 NOK 14.9K

2.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,553 NOK 72.4K

$5,139 NOK 49.3K

46.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,856 NOK 46.6K

$3,582 NOK 34.3K

35.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,481 NOK 43.0K

$4,029 NOK 38.6K

11.20%

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: July 20, 2026

Last update for Karmøy: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,275 in Bergen and $1,192 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 $101 in Karmøy. Groceries flip the comparison at $489 vs $455, 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, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

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: $1,275 in Bergen versus $1,192 in Karmøy. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $279 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 $2,436 in Karmøy versus $2,626 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 8% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.