Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Kristiansund Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Kristiansund

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,605 in Bergen versus $2,229 in Kristiansund.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,923 in Bergen versus $3,436 in Kristiansund.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,240 in Bergen versus $4,642 in Kristiansund.

Living in Bergen is roughly 17% more expensive than Kristiansund, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 94% above, Kristiansund 66% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.78 NOK 240

$25.42 NOK 236

1.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$100 NOK 931

$101 NOK 942

-1.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.96 NOK 176

$13.63 NOK 127

39.10%

Cappuccino

$5.36 NOK 49.82

$4.88 NOK 45.38

9.84%

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

$3.21 NOK 29.86

$3.17 NOK 29.48

1.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 NOK 28.14

$2.79 NOK 25.94

8.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.53 NOK 107

$10.00 NOK 92.9

15.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.67 NOK 89.8

$9.36 NOK 86.9

3.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.64 NOK 24.50

$2.41 NOK 22.36

9.54%

White Bread (500g)

$3.36 NOK 31.20

$3.37 NOK 31.35

-0.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.90 NOK 26.92

$3.25 NOK 30.19

-10.77%

Eggs

$5.11 NOK 47.45

$4.47 NOK 41.53

14.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 NOK 130

$11.82 NOK 110

18.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.06 NOK 149

$14.56 NOK 135

10.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.05 NOK 261

$27.60 NOK 256

1.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.75 NOK 34.84

$3.42 NOK 31.76

9.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.94 NOK 27.29

$2.45 NOK 22.79

20.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.61 NOK 33.56

$3.39 NOK 31.46

6.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.52 NOK 51.3

$4.58 NOK 42.53

20.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 NOK 25.24

$2.44 NOK 22.67

11.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.77 NOK 25.73

$2.56 NOK 23.74

8.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 NOK 26.45

$2.87 NOK 26.70

-0.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 NOK 19.95

$1.92 NOK 17.80

11.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.93 NOK 157

$15.47 NOK 144

9.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.39 NOK 171

$18.43 NOK 171

-0.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.35 NOK 31.08

$3.31 NOK 30.78

1.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 NOK 39.68

$4.02 NOK 37.30

6.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.56 NOK 42.40

$4.28 NOK 39.75

6.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 NOK 748

$72.6 NOK 675

10.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.36 NOK 143

$10.30 NOK 95.7

49.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.28 NOK 21.15

$1.41 NOK 13.08

61.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$72.7 NOK 675

$47.30 NOK 439

53.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.16 NOK 20.11

$2.10 NOK 19.48

2.86%

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

$35.0K NOK 325.2K

$35.3K NOK 328.2K

-0.92%

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

$43.6K NOK 404.7K

$38.1K NOK 354.4K

14.22%

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

$238 NOK 2,207

$244 NOK 2,267

-2.63%

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

$38.16 NOK 355

$37.75 NOK 351

1.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.1 NOK 595

$54.7 NOK 508

17.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.2 NOK 513

$49.19 NOK 457

12.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.59 NOK 377

$35.12 NOK 326

15.58%

Cinema Ticket

$19.99 NOK 186

$16.36 NOK 152

22.19%

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

$281 NOK 2,610

$282 NOK 2,620

-0.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K NOK 120.1K

$10.1K NOK 93.6K

28.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.5 NOK 841

$97.4 NOK 905

-7.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.0 NOK 510

$51.4 NOK 477

6.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 NOK 1,034

$110 NOK 1,017

1.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$147 NOK 1,369

$151 NOK 1,403

-2.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 NOK 11.8K

$765 NOK 7,109

66.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$997 NOK 9,263

$685 NOK 6,364

45.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,004 NOK 18.6K

$1,213 NOK 11.3K

65.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,576 NOK 14.6K

$1,026 NOK 9,531

53.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,998 NOK 74.3K

$6,072 NOK 56.4K

31.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,773 NOK 44.3K

$4,539 NOK 42.2K

5.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,646 NOK 43.2K

$3,816 NOK 35.5K

21.74%

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 Kristiansund: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,275 in Bergen and $765 in Kristiansund. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 22% 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 $101 in Kristiansund. Groceries flip the comparison at $490 vs $456, with Kristiansund 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 Kristiansund: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kristiansund is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 17% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Bergen pays 22% 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 $765 in Kristiansund. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $281 in Bergen versus $282 in Kristiansund. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Bergen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,229 in Kristiansund versus $2,605 in Bergen, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Kristiansund but tight or insufficient in Bergen. The gap between the two cities makes Kristiansund the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Kristiansund 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 Kristiansund 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 Kristiansund gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.