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: $2,942 in Bergen versus $2,542 in Kolbotn.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,473 in Bergen versus $3,962 in Kolbotn.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,004 in Bergen versus $5,382 in Kolbotn.

Living in Bergen is roughly 16% more expensive than in Kolbotn, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 113% above, Kolbotn 84% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.62 NOK 228

$21.50 NOK 199

14.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$140 NOK 1,294

$129 NOK 1,197

8.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.47 NOK 153

$16.35 NOK 152

0.73%

Cappuccino

$5.92 NOK 54.9

$5.87 NOK 54.5

0.85%

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

$5.17 NOK 48.00

$4.31 NOK 39.96

19.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 NOK 42.96

$3.39 NOK 31.43

36.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.94 NOK 120

$11.87 NOK 110

9.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.70 NOK 99.3

$12.61 NOK 117

-15.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.48 NOK 22.99

$2.08 NOK 19.30

19.23%

White Bread (500g)

$3.82 NOK 35.42

$2.52 NOK 23.41

51.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.47 NOK 32.20

$2.25 NOK 20.86

54.22%

Eggs

$6.75 NOK 62.6

$5.05 NOK 46.85

33.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.20 NOK 141

$14.60 NOK 135

4.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.60 NOK 163

$15.73 NOK 146

11.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$35.27 NOK 327

$30.70 NOK 285

14.89%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 NOK 38.35

$2.95 NOK 27.35

40.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.86 NOK 26.52

$2.00 NOK 18.57

43.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.60 NOK 33.43

$3.52 NOK 32.66

2.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.80 NOK 53.8

$5.17 NOK 47.99

12.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.52 NOK 23.33

$2.10 NOK 19.49

20.00%

Onion (1kg)

$3.34 NOK 31.01

$2.35 NOK 21.80

42.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.93 NOK 27.19

$3.24 NOK 30.06

-9.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 NOK 19.07

$1.55 NOK 14.41

32.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.04 NOK 167

$19.43 NOK 180

-7.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.63 NOK 173

$16.58 NOK 154

12.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.56 NOK 33.06

$3.58 NOK 33.23

-0.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 NOK 39.64

$4.45 NOK 41.31

-4.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.21 NOK 48.37

$4.80 NOK 44.51

8.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.0 NOK 826

$85.4 NOK 792

4.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.91 NOK 120

$12.07 NOK 112

6.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 NOK 17.66

$1.91 NOK 17.69

-0.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$75.3 NOK 698

$69.9 NOK 648

7.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.36 NOK 21.94

$2.21 NOK 20.51

6.79%

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

$49.9K NOK 463.0K

$48.5K NOK 449.8K

2.93%

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

$44.8K NOK 415.9K

$45.7K NOK 423.9K

-1.87%

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

$296 NOK 2,747

$111 NOK 1,026

167.78%

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

$31.98 NOK 297

$21.54 NOK 200

48.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.9 NOK 732

$57.3 NOK 532

37.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.57 NOK 423

$51.0 NOK 473

-10.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.44 NOK 412

$36.95 NOK 343

20.27%

Cinema Ticket

$19.31 NOK 179

$15.54 NOK 144

24.26%

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

$250 NOK 2,323

0.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K NOK 114.1K

$15.8K NOK 146.6K

-22.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 NOK 1,013

$102 NOK 948

6.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.7 NOK 516

$60.4 NOK 560

-7.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 NOK 1,128

$136 NOK 1,257

-10.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$171 NOK 1,588

$162 NOK 1,499

5.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,542 NOK 14.3K

$1,238 NOK 11.5K

24.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,118 NOK 10.4K

$1,021 NOK 9,475

9.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,485 NOK 23.1K

$2,069 NOK 19.2K

20.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,767 NOK 16.4K

$1,738 NOK 16.1K

1.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,803 NOK 72.4K

$6,389 NOK 59.3K

22.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,910 NOK 45.5K

$4,210 NOK 39.1K

16.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,848 NOK 45.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.31

4.96

7.06%

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

Last update for Bergen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Kolbotn: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,542 in Bergen and $1,238 in Kolbotn. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $140 in Bergen vs $129 in Kolbotn for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $539 vs $459 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 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $4,412 in Bergen and $3,812 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: $1,542 in Bergen versus $1,238 in Kolbotn. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $250 in Bergen versus $250 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.

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 16% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.