Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Kolbotn

For one person, living is cheaper in Kolbotn: $2,540 a month against $3,093 in Bergen, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Bergen
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Bergen Living Index
122

Cost of Living Index in Kolbotn
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Kolbotn Living Index

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Bergen

🇳🇴 Norway

$3,093

/mo nomad

Kolbotn

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,540

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bergen and in Kolbotn

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Bergen and in Kolbotn actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,093 in Bergen versus $2,540 in Kolbotn.

Bergen $3,093
Kolbotn $2,540

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,619 in Bergen versus $3,844 in Kolbotn.

Bergen $4,619
Kolbotn $3,844

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,145 in Bergen versus $5,147 in Kolbotn.

Bergen $6,145
Kolbotn $5,147

Living in Bergen is roughly 22% more expensive than in Kolbotn, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 127% above, Kolbotn 87% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.85 NOK 222

$21.37 NOK 199

11.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$141 NOK 1,313

$129 NOK 1,197

9.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.30 NOK 151

$16.00 NOK 149

1.88%

Cappuccino

$5.62 NOK 52.2

$5.87 NOK 54.5

-4.26%

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

$5.19 NOK 48.23

$4.54 NOK 42.17

14.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.57 NOK 42.47

$3.43 NOK 31.84

33.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.92 NOK 120

$11.92 NOK 111

8.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.71 NOK 99.5

$12.78 NOK 119

-16.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.35 NOK 21.79

$2.11 NOK 19.63

11.37%

White Bread (500g)

$3.83 NOK 35.60

$2.46 NOK 22.90

55.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.45 NOK 32.02

$2.27 NOK 21.12

51.98%

Eggs

$6.67 NOK 62.0

$5.09 NOK 47.25

31.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.89 NOK 138

$15.04 NOK 140

-1.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.88 NOK 166

$16.10 NOK 150

11.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$37.65 NOK 350

$31.83 NOK 296

18.28%

Apples (1kg)

$4.10 NOK 38.11

$2.92 NOK 27.15

40.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.80 NOK 26.03

$2.02 NOK 18.76

38.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.70 NOK 34.38

$3.64 NOK 33.79

1.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.54 NOK 51.5

$4.90 NOK 45.56

13.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.46 NOK 22.90

$2.16 NOK 20.04

13.89%

Onion (1kg)

$3.41 NOK 31.67

$2.31 NOK 21.45

47.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.08 NOK 28.60

$3.13 NOK 29.04

-1.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 NOK 17.02

$1.64 NOK 15.23

11.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.65 NOK 164

$19.35 NOK 180

-8.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.73 NOK 183

$16.73 NOK 155

17.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.83 NOK 35.56

$3.62 NOK 33.67

5.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 NOK 41.24

$4.22 NOK 39.22

5.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.32 NOK 49.47

$4.67 NOK 43.42

13.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.0 NOK 827

$86.3 NOK 802

3.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.82 NOK 119

$12.09 NOK 112

6.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 NOK 18.14

$1.85 NOK 17.18

5.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$74.9 NOK 696

$72.9 NOK 677

2.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.41 NOK 22.36

$2.23 NOK 20.71

8.07%

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

$50.1K NOK 465.1K

$50.3K NOK 467.4K

-0.49%

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

$44.8K NOK 415.9K

$44.8K NOK 416.0K

-0.01%

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

$292 NOK 2,709

$112 NOK 1,041

160.21%

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

$33.90 NOK 315

$21.57 NOK 200

57.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.1 NOK 790

$54.8 NOK 509

55.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.43 NOK 450

$49.22 NOK 457

-1.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.06 NOK 409

$37.00 NOK 344

19.08%

Cinema Ticket

$19.28 NOK 179

$15.48 NOK 144

24.55%

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

$251 NOK 2,331

$242 NOK 2,246

3.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K NOK 111.2K

$16.1K NOK 149.3K

-25.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$108 NOK 1,000

$105 NOK 973

2.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 NOK 521

$61.0 NOK 567

-8.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 NOK 1,116

$135 NOK 1,253

-11.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$166 NOK 1,541

$159 NOK 1,478

4.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,627 NOK 15.1K

$1,253 NOK 11.6K

29.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,283 NOK 11.9K

$1,067 NOK 9,911

20.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,668 NOK 24.8K

$2,044 NOK 19.0K

30.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,928 NOK 17.9K

$1,493 NOK 13.9K

29.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,228 NOK 76.4K

$6,511 NOK 60.5K

26.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,382 NOK 50.0K

$4,158 NOK 38.6K

29.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,732 NOK 44.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.27

4.94

6.68%

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

Last update for Bergen: October 26, 2026

Last update for Kolbotn: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Bergen

$1.3K 41.5%

Kolbotn

$1.1K 42% 16.9% $217

Groceries & Markets

Bergen

$545 17.6%

Kolbotn

$465 18.3% 14.6% $80

Eating Out

Bergen

$432 14%

Kolbotn

$406 16% 5.9% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bergen

$411 13.3%

Kolbotn

$188 7.4% 54.1% $222

Clothing & Footwear

Bergen

$202 6.5%

Kolbotn

$207 8.1% 2.2% $4.5

Getting Around

Bergen

$133 4.3%

Kolbotn

$126 5% 4.9% $6.5

Sport & Entertainment

Bergen

$87 2.8%

Kolbotn

$80 3.2% 7.8% $6.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,627 in Bergen and $1,253 in Kolbotn. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $141 in Bergen vs $129 in Kolbotn for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $545 vs $465 per month, with Kolbotn cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇴 Bergen

🇳🇴 Kolbotn

🕒 Local time

21:22 9:22 PM

Same time as Bergen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

292,482

4,500

💱 Currency

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 NOK = 10.76 USD

100 NOK = 9.67 EUR

100 NOK = 10.76 USD

100 NOK = 9.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Bergen Kolbotn 310 km

From you

Bergen
Kolbotn

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 about 18% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, utilities, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $4,640 in Bergen and $3,811 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: $1,627 in Bergen versus $1,253 in Kolbotn. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $251 in Bergen versus $242 in Kolbotn. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% 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.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Bergen and Kolbotn are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Kolbotn gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.