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: $2,650 in Bergen versus $2,352 in Kristiansand.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,988 in Bergen versus $3,543 in Kristiansand.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,327 in Bergen versus $4,734 in Kristiansand.

Living in Bergen is roughly 13% more expensive than in Kristiansand, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 98% above, Kristiansand 76% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.72 NOK 248

$25.04 NOK 242

2.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$103 NOK 994

$100 NOK 966

2.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.51 NOK 188

$13.28 NOK 128

46.91%

Cappuccino

$5.42 NOK 52.3

$5.05 NOK 48.65

7.33%

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

$3.20 NOK 30.86

$2.55 NOK 24.56

25.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 NOK 27.90

$2.12 NOK 20.41

36.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.82 NOK 114

$9.13 NOK 88.1

29.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.78 NOK 94.3

Milk (1 liter)

$2.65 NOK 25.56

$2.21 NOK 21.30

19.91%

White Bread (500g)

$3.28 NOK 31.62

$3.33 NOK 32.12

-1.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.88 NOK 27.80

$3.21 NOK 30.99

-10.28%

Eggs

$4.90 NOK 47.29

$4.18 NOK 40.27

17.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.20 NOK 137

$11.26 NOK 109

26.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.06 NOK 155

$13.96 NOK 135

15.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.21 NOK 272

$30.90 NOK 298

-8.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.94 NOK 38.03

$3.47 NOK 33.47

13.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.96 NOK 28.55

$2.35 NOK 22.71

25.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.75 NOK 36.21

$3.28 NOK 31.59

14.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.62 NOK 54.2

$4.21 NOK 40.64

33.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.73 NOK 26.32

$2.29 NOK 22.12

19.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.91 NOK 28.07

$2.22 NOK 21.40

31.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 NOK 27.03

$2.75 NOK 26.52

1.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 NOK 20.66

$1.84 NOK 17.75

16.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.95 NOK 163

$13.91 NOK 134

21.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.26 NOK 166

$15.53 NOK 150

11.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.30 NOK 31.84

$3.25 NOK 31.37

1.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 NOK 42.22

$3.91 NOK 37.70

12.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.47 NOK 43.12

$3.52 NOK 33.97

26.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.2 NOK 783

$65.3 NOK 630

24.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.23 NOK 147

$10.31 NOK 99.4

47.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.25 NOK 21.68

$1.45 NOK 13.96

55.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$72.5 NOK 700

$42.68 NOK 412

69.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 NOK 20.53

$2.18 NOK 21.03

-2.29%

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

$35.3K NOK 340.8K

$35.6K NOK 343.7K

-0.84%

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

$43.1K NOK 415.5K

$42.7K NOK 411.8K

0.90%

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

$242 NOK 2,336

$216 NOK 2,082

12.23%

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

$38.51 NOK 371

$31.13 NOK 300

23.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.7 NOK 624

$37.26 NOK 359

73.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.9 NOK 520

$41.99 NOK 405

28.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.36 NOK 389

$35.93 NOK 347

12.33%

Cinema Ticket

$20.20 NOK 195

$14.86 NOK 143

35.94%

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

$286 NOK 2,756

$273 NOK 2,634

4.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K NOK 121.1K

$14.5K NOK 139.9K

-13.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.1 NOK 878

$104 NOK 1,006

-12.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.5 NOK 535

$47.04 NOK 454

18.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 NOK 1,072

$101 NOK 978

9.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$145 NOK 1,401

$153 NOK 1,472

-4.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,284 NOK 12.4K

$1,024 NOK 9,871

25.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$976 NOK 9,408

$878 NOK 8,469

11.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,019 NOK 19.5K

$1,738 NOK 16.8K

16.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,558 NOK 15.0K

$1,417 NOK 13.7K

9.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,575 NOK 73.0K

$4,761 NOK 45.9K

59.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,645 NOK 44.8K

$3,327 NOK 32.1K

39.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,344 NOK 41.9K

$4,092 NOK 39.5K

6.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.85

4.38

10.73%

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

Last update for Bergen: July 12, 2026

Last update for Kristiansand: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,284 in Bergen and $1,024 in Kristiansand. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 6% 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: $103 in Bergen vs $100 in Kristiansand for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $489 vs $446 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 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 6% 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: $1,284 in Bergen versus $1,024 in Kristiansand. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $286 in Bergen versus $273 in Kristiansand. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Bergen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,352 in Kristiansand versus $2,650 in Bergen, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Kristiansand but tight or insufficient in Bergen. The gap between the two cities makes Kristiansand the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 13% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.