Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Kristiansand Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Kristiansand

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,907 in Bergen versus $2,706 in Kristiansand.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,400 in Bergen versus $4,081 in Kristiansand.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,894 in Bergen versus $5,457 in Kristiansand.

Living in Bergen is roughly 7% more expensive than in Kristiansand, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 112% above, Kristiansand 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.49 NOK 238

$29.29 NOK 273

-12.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$141 NOK 1,309

$84.6 NOK 788

66.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.21 NOK 151

$16.30 NOK 152

-0.55%

Cappuccino

$5.63 NOK 52.5

$4.70 NOK 43.75

19.79%

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

$5.28 NOK 49.18

$3.28 NOK 30.53

60.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 NOK 44.12

$2.43 NOK 22.63

95.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.91 NOK 120

$12.92 NOK 120

-0.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.52 NOK 98.0

$8.83 NOK 82.3

19.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.48 NOK 23.08

$2.35 NOK 21.85

5.53%

White Bread (500g)

$3.83 NOK 35.70

$3.62 NOK 33.72

5.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.58 NOK 33.31

$3.99 NOK 37.21

-10.28%

Eggs

$6.70 NOK 62.5

$5.63 NOK 52.5

19.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.27 NOK 142

$13.06 NOK 122

16.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.52 NOK 163

$15.57 NOK 145

12.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$35.05 NOK 327

$43.87 NOK 409

-20.10%

Apples (1kg)

$4.22 NOK 39.28

$4.50 NOK 41.90

-6.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.71 NOK 25.26

$2.59 NOK 24.13

4.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.72 NOK 34.67

$4.00 NOK 37.29

-7.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.61 NOK 52.3

$4.95 NOK 46.12

13.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.56 NOK 23.82

$2.53 NOK 23.60

1.19%

Onion (1kg)

$3.48 NOK 32.38

$2.44 NOK 22.69

42.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.03 NOK 28.22

$3.05 NOK 28.38

-0.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 NOK 18.50

$2.15 NOK 20.07

-7.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.89 NOK 167

$16.95 NOK 158

5.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.74 NOK 175

$16.03 NOK 149

16.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.62 NOK 33.70

$3.82 NOK 35.55

-5.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.24 NOK 39.52

$3.90 NOK 36.33

8.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.17 NOK 48.14

$3.78 NOK 35.20

36.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.2 NOK 840

$72.4 NOK 675

24.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.70 NOK 118

$8.14 NOK 75.9

56.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 NOK 17.74

$1.67 NOK 15.58

13.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$73.1 NOK 681

$58.6 NOK 546

24.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 NOK 20.90

$2.33 NOK 21.70

-3.86%

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

$49.8K NOK 463.6K

$48.4K NOK 450.9K

2.82%

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

$43.8K NOK 408.1K

$44.3K NOK 412.8K

-1.15%

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

$286 NOK 2,662

$223 NOK 2,082

27.87%

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

$31.94 NOK 298

$31.99 NOK 298

-0.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.6 NOK 732

$60.7 NOK 566

29.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.64 NOK 416

$48.83 NOK 455

-8.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$43.59 NOK 406

$37.35 NOK 348

16.71%

Cinema Ticket

$19.25 NOK 179

$15.98 NOK 149

20.46%

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

$241 NOK 2,242

$306 NOK 2,850

-21.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K NOK 111.3K

$2,720 NOK 25.3K

339.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 NOK 994

$117 NOK 1,089

-8.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 NOK 506

$58.2 NOK 542

-6.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 NOK 1,145

$121 NOK 1,127

1.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$169 NOK 1,576

$162 NOK 1,514

4.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,514 NOK 14.1K

$1,193 NOK 11.1K

26.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,119 NOK 10.4K

$1,015 NOK 9,452

10.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,489 NOK 23.2K

$1,861 NOK 17.3K

33.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,758 NOK 16.4K

$1,609 NOK 15.0K

9.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,741 NOK 72.1K

$4,893 NOK 45.6K

58.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,935 NOK 46.0K

$3,581 NOK 33.4K

37.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,828 NOK 45.0K

$4,268 NOK 39.8K

13.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.31

5.01

5.99%

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

Last update for Bergen: August 30, 2026

Last update for Kristiansand: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,514 in Bergen and $1,193 in Kristiansand. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 13% 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: $141 in Bergen vs $85.0 in Kristiansand for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $538 vs $535 per month, with Kristiansand 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 Kristiansand: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kristiansand is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 13% 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: $1,514 in Bergen versus $1,193 in Kristiansand. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $241 in Bergen versus $306 in Kristiansand. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 0% higher in Bergen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Kristiansand is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Kristiansand 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 Kristiansand 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 Kristiansand gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.