Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Kristiansand

For one person, living is cheaper in Kristiansand: $2,685 a month against $2,927 in Bergen, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

141

Cost of Living Index in Bergen
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Bergen Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Kristiansand
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Kristiansand Living Index

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Bergen

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,927

/mo nomad

Kristiansand

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,685

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bergen and in Kristiansand

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 Kristiansand actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,927 in Bergen versus $2,685 in Kristiansand.

Bergen $2,927
Kristiansand $2,685

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,393 in Bergen versus $4,020 in Kristiansand.

Bergen $4,393
Kristiansand $4,020

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,858 in Bergen versus $5,355 in Kristiansand.

Bergen $5,858
Kristiansand $5,355

Living in Bergen is roughly 9% more expensive than in Kristiansand, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 116% above, Kristiansand 98% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.86 NOK 225

$28.76 NOK 271

-17.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$137 NOK 1,286

$84.8 NOK 798

61.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.17 NOK 152

$16.39 NOK 154

-1.34%

Cappuccino

$5.48 NOK 51.6

$4.84 NOK 45.59

13.22%

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

$5.34 NOK 50.3

$3.31 NOK 31.18

61.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.70 NOK 44.25

$2.34 NOK 22.02

100.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.76 NOK 120

$12.69 NOK 119

0.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.67 NOK 100

$9.24 NOK 87.0

15.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.30 NOK 21.68

$2.32 NOK 21.81

-0.86%

White Bread (500g)

$3.86 NOK 36.32

$4.19 NOK 39.43

-7.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.57 NOK 33.60

$3.98 NOK 37.46

-10.30%

Eggs

$6.30 NOK 59.3

$5.70 NOK 53.7

10.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.65 NOK 138

$12.88 NOK 121

13.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.78 NOK 167

$15.49 NOK 146

14.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$37.46 NOK 353

$43.89 NOK 413

-14.65%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 NOK 38.32

$4.41 NOK 41.52

-7.71%

Banana (1kg)

$2.79 NOK 26.28

$2.49 NOK 23.45

12.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.63 NOK 34.16

$4.02 NOK 37.80

-9.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.41 NOK 50.9

$4.65 NOK 43.77

16.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.49 NOK 23.43

$2.55 NOK 24.00

-2.35%

Onion (1kg)

$3.42 NOK 32.21

$2.43 NOK 22.85

40.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.95 NOK 27.75

$3.13 NOK 29.48

-5.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 NOK 16.83

$2.22 NOK 20.94

-19.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.71 NOK 167

$17.30 NOK 163

2.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.45 NOK 183

$15.80 NOK 149

23.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.68 NOK 34.63

$3.61 NOK 34.01

1.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 NOK 40.22

$3.99 NOK 37.54

7.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.30 NOK 49.93

$3.90 NOK 36.68

35.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.5 NOK 824

$72.2 NOK 680

21.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.39 NOK 117

$8.08 NOK 76.1

53.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.87 NOK 17.62

$1.70 NOK 15.96

10.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$72.1 NOK 679

$56.8 NOK 535

26.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.39 NOK 22.51

$2.26 NOK 21.23

5.75%

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

$49.4K NOK 465.3K

$49.0K NOK 461.1K

0.92%

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

$44.8K NOK 422.1K

$45.1K NOK 424.5K

-0.56%

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

$287 NOK 2,698

$217 NOK 2,045

31.92%

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

$34.59 NOK 326

$31.89 NOK 300

8.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$82.8 NOK 779

$61.0 NOK 574

35.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.58 NOK 429

$48.67 NOK 458

-6.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$43.31 NOK 408

$36.18 NOK 341

19.71%

Cinema Ticket

$19.31 NOK 182

$15.80 NOK 149

22.22%

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

$241 NOK 2,264

$309 NOK 2,908

-22.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K NOK 113.5K

$2,680 NOK 25.2K

350.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$110 NOK 1,033

$115 NOK 1,084

-4.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.2 NOK 510

$56.4 NOK 531

-3.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 NOK 1,107

$118 NOK 1,110

-0.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$170 NOK 1,601

$160 NOK 1,503

6.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,495 NOK 14.1K

$1,194 NOK 11.2K

25.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,137 NOK 10.7K

$1,009 NOK 9,499

12.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,323 NOK 21.9K

$1,889 NOK 17.8K

23.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,698 NOK 16.0K

$1,581 NOK 14.9K

7.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,803 NOK 73.5K

$4,916 NOK 46.3K

58.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,919 NOK 46.3K

$3,561 NOK 33.5K

38.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,675 NOK 44.0K

$4,258 NOK 40.1K

9.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.27

5.01

5.19%

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

Last update for Bergen: October 19, 2026

Last update for Kristiansand: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bergen

$1.1K 38.8%

Kristiansand

$1K 37.6% 11.2% $128

Groceries & Markets

Bergen

$538 18.4%

Kristiansand

$537 20% 0.2% $1.1

Eating Out

Bergen

$430 14.7%

Kristiansand

$442 16.5% 2.7% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bergen

$404 13.8%

Kristiansand

$310 11.6% 23.2% $94

Clothing & Footwear

Bergen

$203 6.9%

Kristiansand

$202 7.5% 0.5% $1.1

Getting Around

Bergen

$130 4.5%

Kristiansand

$104 3.9% 20% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Bergen

$84 2.9%

Kristiansand

$80 3% 4.7% $3.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,495 in Bergen and $1,194 in Kristiansand. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 10% 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: $137 in Bergen vs $85.0 in Kristiansand for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $538 vs $537 per month, with Kristiansand cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇴 Bergen

🇳🇴 Kristiansand

🕒 Local time

13:38 1:38 PM

Same time as Bergen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

292,482

117,213

💱 Currency

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 NOK = 10.62 USD

100 NOK = 9.45 EUR

100 NOK = 10.62 USD

100 NOK = 9.45 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Bergen Kristiansand 300 km

From you

Bergen
Kristiansand

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 Kristiansand: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kristiansand is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and transport. The 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 10% 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: $1,495 in Bergen versus $1,194 in Kristiansand. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $241 in Bergen versus $309 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 9% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.