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: $2,612 in Bergen versus $2,415 in Kolbotn.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,989 in Bergen versus $3,714 in Kolbotn.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,367 in Bergen versus $5,012 in Kolbotn.

Living in Bergen is roughly 8% more expensive than in Kolbotn, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 96% above, Kolbotn 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.50 NOK 248

$25.59 NOK 249

-0.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 NOK 980

$100 NOK 978

0.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.48 NOK 190

$13.61 NOK 133

43.13%

Cappuccino

$5.59 NOK 54.5

$5.05 NOK 49.20

10.69%

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

$3.22 NOK 31.36

$2.51 NOK 24.43

28.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 NOK 29.64

$2.24 NOK 21.82

35.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.42 NOK 111

$8.97 NOK 87.4

27.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.86 NOK 96.0

$9.59 NOK 93.4

2.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.63 NOK 25.66

$2.09 NOK 20.36

25.84%

White Bread (500g)

$3.41 NOK 33.20

$3.28 NOK 31.99

3.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.90 NOK 28.27

$3.18 NOK 31.02

-8.81%

Eggs

$4.99 NOK 48.65

$4.68 NOK 45.61

6.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.94 NOK 136

$11.42 NOK 111

22.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.90 NOK 155

$13.79 NOK 134

15.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.89 NOK 272

$30.77 NOK 300

-9.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.89 NOK 37.91

$3.46 NOK 33.70

12.43%

Banana (1kg)

$3.08 NOK 30.01

$2.27 NOK 22.15

35.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.62 NOK 35.31

$3.31 NOK 32.26

9.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.76 NOK 56.1

$4.82 NOK 46.93

19.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 NOK 25.70

$2.18 NOK 21.25

21.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 NOK 28.10

$2.26 NOK 21.99

27.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 NOK 28.19

$2.88 NOK 28.06

0.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 NOK 20.89

$1.82 NOK 17.75

17.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.57 NOK 161

$14.37 NOK 140

15.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.71 NOK 172

$19.00 NOK 185

-6.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.32 NOK 32.33

$3.22 NOK 31.37

3.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 NOK 41.13

$3.86 NOK 37.55

9.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.47 NOK 43.50

$4.22 NOK 41.06

5.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.3 NOK 772

$72.3 NOK 704

9.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.50 NOK 151

$10.32 NOK 100

50.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.23 NOK 21.72

$1.40 NOK 13.60

59.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$73.3 NOK 714

$42.66 NOK 416

71.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 NOK 21.53

$2.18 NOK 21.20

1.38%

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

$35.1K NOK 342.3K

$35.9K NOK 349.2K

-1.98%

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

$43.4K NOK 422.9K

$42.4K NOK 413.3K

2.31%

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

$244 NOK 2,378

$216 NOK 2,106

12.93%

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

$38.98 NOK 380

$30.65 NOK 299

27.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.7 NOK 630

$37.85 NOK 369

70.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 NOK 528

$50.2 NOK 489

7.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.42 NOK 394

$35.54 NOK 346

13.73%

Cinema Ticket

$19.90 NOK 194

$15.13 NOK 147

31.53%

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

$288 NOK 2,808

$269 NOK 2,624

6.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K NOK 125.3K

$14.6K NOK 142.0K

-11.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.3 NOK 870

$116 NOK 1,134

-23.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.2 NOK 547

$46.59 NOK 454

20.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 NOK 1,096

$98.2 NOK 957

14.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$147 NOK 1,430

$152 NOK 1,484

-3.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 NOK 12.4K

$1,215 NOK 11.8K

4.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$979 NOK 9,540

$898 NOK 8,747

9.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,054 NOK 20.0K

$1,847 NOK 18.0K

11.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 NOK 15.1K

$1,560 NOK 15.2K

-0.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,700 NOK 75.0K

$6,002 NOK 58.5K

28.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,716 NOK 45.9K

$4,021 NOK 39.2K

17.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,514 NOK 44.0K

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: June 15, 2026

Last update for Kolbotn: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,268 in Bergen and $1,215 in Kolbotn. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $101 in Bergen vs $100 in Kolbotn for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $490 vs $455 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 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,918 in Bergen and $3,623 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: $1,268 in Bergen versus $1,215 in Kolbotn. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $288 in Bergen versus $269 in Kolbotn. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% 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 8% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.