Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Kolbotn Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Kolbotn

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,688 in Bergen versus $2,393 in Kolbotn.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,981 in Bergen versus $3,702 in Kolbotn.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,273 in Bergen versus $5,012 in Kolbotn.

Living in Bergen is roughly 12% more expensive than Kolbotn, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 101% above, Kolbotn 79% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.64 NOK 239

$25.01 NOK 233

2.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 NOK 948

$101 NOK 939

0.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.93 NOK 176

$13.62 NOK 127

38.99%

Cappuccino

$5.60 NOK 52.2

$5.06 NOK 47.16

10.67%

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

$3.11 NOK 28.95

$2.43 NOK 22.69

27.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 NOK 27.05

$2.17 NOK 20.19

33.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.69 NOK 109

$9.03 NOK 84.1

29.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.43 NOK 87.9

$9.48 NOK 88.3

-0.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.75 NOK 25.64

$2.19 NOK 20.39

25.57%

White Bread (500g)

$3.30 NOK 30.73

$3.28 NOK 30.54

0.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.81 NOK 26.16

$3.31 NOK 30.85

-15.11%

Eggs

$4.86 NOK 45.27

$4.84 NOK 45.11

0.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.19 NOK 132

$11.39 NOK 106

24.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.59 NOK 145

$14.20 NOK 132

9.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.20 NOK 263

$31.33 NOK 292

-9.99%

Apples (1kg)

$3.87 NOK 36.11

$3.57 NOK 33.23

8.40%

Banana (1kg)

$3.06 NOK 28.54

$2.25 NOK 20.95

36.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.61 NOK 33.64

$3.31 NOK 30.83

9.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.57 NOK 51.9

$4.71 NOK 43.93

18.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.70 NOK 25.18

$2.29 NOK 21.38

17.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.86 NOK 26.65

$2.25 NOK 20.99

27.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 NOK 25.89

$2.85 NOK 26.58

-2.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 NOK 19.77

$1.89 NOK 17.62

12.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.39 NOK 153

$14.01 NOK 131

16.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.35 NOK 171

$19.10 NOK 178

-3.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.27 NOK 30.52

$3.23 NOK 30.08

1.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 NOK 40.95

$4.07 NOK 37.98

7.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.43 NOK 41.24

$4.37 NOK 40.74

1.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.3 NOK 758

$73.9 NOK 689

10.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.40 NOK 144

$10.26 NOK 95.6

50.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.29 NOK 21.30

$1.45 NOK 13.55

57.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$73.1 NOK 681

$42.02 NOK 392

73.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 NOK 20.02

$2.16 NOK 20.10

-0.46%

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

$35.0K NOK 326.4K

$36.0K NOK 335.5K

-2.69%

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

$42.3K NOK 394.4K

$41.9K NOK 390.4K

1.02%

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

$245 NOK 2,284

$216 NOK 2,015

13.31%

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

$38.87 NOK 362

$31.72 NOK 296

22.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.9 NOK 605

$37.78 NOK 352

71.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.3 NOK 515

$49.42 NOK 461

11.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.54 NOK 369

$34.98 NOK 326

13.04%

Cinema Ticket

$20.55 NOK 192

$14.79 NOK 138

38.95%

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

$279 NOK 2,597

$267 NOK 2,484

4.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K NOK 120.8K

$14.5K NOK 135.2K

-10.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.8 NOK 837

$116 NOK 1,081

-22.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.2 NOK 515

$48.17 NOK 449

14.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 NOK 1,061

$99.1 NOK 923

14.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 NOK 1,340

$151 NOK 1,412

-5.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 NOK 12.0K

$1,206 NOK 11.2K

6.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$967 NOK 9,014

$878 NOK 8,179

10.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,994 NOK 18.6K

$1,799 NOK 16.8K

10.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 NOK 14.7K

$1,559 NOK 14.5K

0.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,978 NOK 74.4K

$6,091 NOK 56.8K

30.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 NOK 46.6K

$4,372 NOK 40.7K

14.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,447 NOK 41.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.85

5.02

-3.39%

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

Last update for Bergen: April 25, 2026

Last update for Kolbotn: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,287 in Bergen and $1,206 in Kolbotn. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $102 in Bergen vs $101 in Kolbotn for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $489 vs $462 per month, with Kolbotn 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 Kolbotn: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kolbotn is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $4,032 in Bergen and $3,589 in Kolbotn to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,287 in Bergen versus $1,206 in Kolbotn. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $279 in Bergen versus $267 in Kolbotn. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Bergen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Kolbotn is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Kolbotn 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 Kolbotn 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 Kolbotn gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.