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: $2,605 in Bergen versus $2,313 in Kristiansand.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,923 in Bergen versus $3,591 in Kristiansand.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,240 in Bergen versus $4,870 in Kristiansand.

Living in Bergen is roughly 13% more expensive than Kristiansand, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 94% above, Kristiansand 73% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.78 NOK 240

$25.56 NOK 237

0.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$100 NOK 931

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.96 NOK 176

$13.48 NOK 125

40.65%

Cappuccino

$5.36 NOK 49.82

$5.05 NOK 46.88

6.14%

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

$3.21 NOK 29.86

$2.51 NOK 23.34

27.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 NOK 28.14

$2.15 NOK 19.94

40.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.53 NOK 107

$9.32 NOK 86.6

23.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.67 NOK 89.8

$9.91 NOK 92.0

-2.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.64 NOK 24.50

$2.13 NOK 19.83

23.94%

White Bread (500g)

$3.36 NOK 31.20

$3.41 NOK 31.68

-1.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.90 NOK 26.92

$3.20 NOK 29.73

-9.38%

Eggs

$5.11 NOK 47.45

$4.24 NOK 39.37

20.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 NOK 130

$11.44 NOK 106

22.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.06 NOK 149

$13.94 NOK 130

15.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.05 NOK 261

$30.99 NOK 288

-9.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.75 NOK 34.84

$3.57 NOK 33.19

5.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.94 NOK 27.29

$2.36 NOK 21.88

24.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.61 NOK 33.56

$3.39 NOK 31.50

6.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.52 NOK 51.3

$4.06 NOK 37.71

35.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 NOK 25.24

$2.26 NOK 20.98

20.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.77 NOK 25.73

$2.15 NOK 19.96

28.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 NOK 26.45

$2.85 NOK 26.49

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 NOK 19.95

$1.91 NOK 17.72

12.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.93 NOK 157

$14.22 NOK 132

19.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.39 NOK 171

$16.27 NOK 151

13.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.35 NOK 31.08

$3.31 NOK 30.79

1.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 NOK 39.68

$3.89 NOK 36.18

9.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.56 NOK 42.40

$3.49 NOK 32.39

30.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 NOK 748

$67.5 NOK 627

19.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.36 NOK 143

$10.28 NOK 95.5

49.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.28 NOK 21.15

$1.44 NOK 13.40

58.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$72.7 NOK 675

$41.61 NOK 387

74.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.16 NOK 20.11

$2.19 NOK 20.38

-1.37%

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

$35.0K NOK 325.2K

$36.7K NOK 340.6K

-4.51%

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

$43.6K NOK 404.7K

$42.7K NOK 397.1K

1.92%

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

$238 NOK 2,207

$222 NOK 2,066

6.85%

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

$38.16 NOK 355

$30.92 NOK 287

23.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.1 NOK 595

$38.43 NOK 357

66.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.2 NOK 513

$41.25 NOK 383

33.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.59 NOK 377

$35.77 NOK 332

13.47%

Cinema Ticket

$19.99 NOK 186

$14.85 NOK 138

34.61%

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

$281 NOK 2,610

$267 NOK 2,479

5.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K NOK 120.1K

$15.0K NOK 139.0K

-13.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.5 NOK 841

$104 NOK 971

-13.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.0 NOK 510

$47.84 NOK 444

14.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 NOK 1,034

$99.2 NOK 921

12.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$147 NOK 1,369

$153 NOK 1,425

-3.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 NOK 11.8K

$1,005 NOK 9,336

26.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$997 NOK 9,263

$890 NOK 8,270

12.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,004 NOK 18.6K

$1,792 NOK 16.6K

11.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,576 NOK 14.6K

$1,384 NOK 12.9K

13.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,998 NOK 74.3K

$4,911 NOK 45.6K

62.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,773 NOK 44.3K

$3,546 NOK 32.9K

34.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,646 NOK 43.2K

$4,267 NOK 39.6K

8.88%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Kristiansand: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,275 in Bergen and $1,005 in Kristiansand. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 9% 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: $100 in Bergen vs $100 in Kristiansand. Groceries flip the comparison at $490 vs $450, with Kristiansand cheaper for home cooking.

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.

Bergen pays 9% more on average, 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: $1,275 in Bergen versus $1,005 in Kristiansand. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $281 in Bergen versus $267 in Kristiansand. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Bergen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,313 in Kristiansand versus $2,605 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.