Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Mandal Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Mandal

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,907 in Bergen versus $2,864 in Mandal.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,400 in Bergen versus $4,253 in Mandal.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,894 in Bergen versus $5,642 in Mandal.

Living in Bergen is roughly 2% more expensive than in Mandal, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 112% above, Mandal 108% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.49 NOK 237

$26.02 NOK 242

-2.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$141 NOK 1,305

$97.5 NOK 906

44.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.21 NOK 150

$15.79 NOK 147

2.66%

Cappuccino

$5.63 NOK 52.3

$6.58 NOK 61.1

-14.44%

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

$5.28 NOK 49.00

$5.54 NOK 51.4

-4.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 NOK 43.97

$4.41 NOK 40.94

7.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.91 NOK 120

$13.96 NOK 130

-7.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.52 NOK 97.7

$12.33 NOK 114

-14.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.48 NOK 23.00

$2.29 NOK 21.23

8.30%

White Bread (500g)

$3.83 NOK 35.57

$3.74 NOK 34.75

2.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.58 NOK 33.20

$3.92 NOK 36.42

-8.67%

Eggs

$6.70 NOK 62.2

$3.30 NOK 30.66

103.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.27 NOK 142

$14.06 NOK 131

8.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.52 NOK 163

$16.95 NOK 157

3.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$35.05 NOK 325

$35.88 NOK 333

-2.31%

Apples (1kg)

$4.22 NOK 39.14

$3.72 NOK 34.57

13.44%

Banana (1kg)

$2.71 NOK 25.17

$2.91 NOK 26.99

-6.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.72 NOK 34.55

$3.57 NOK 33.19

4.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.61 NOK 52.1

$4.96 NOK 46.08

13.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.56 NOK 23.73

$2.55 NOK 23.66

0.39%

Onion (1kg)

$3.48 NOK 32.27

$3.21 NOK 29.80

8.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.03 NOK 28.12

$1.58 NOK 14.67

91.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 NOK 18.44

$2.30 NOK 21.38

-13.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.89 NOK 166

$18.16 NOK 169

-1.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.74 NOK 174

$18.57 NOK 172

0.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.62 NOK 33.58

$3.11 NOK 28.92

16.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.24 NOK 39.39

$3.11 NOK 28.87

36.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.17 NOK 47.97

$4.91 NOK 45.60

5.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.2 NOK 837

$80.7 NOK 749

11.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.70 NOK 118

$5.91 NOK 54.9

114.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 NOK 17.68

$1.26 NOK 11.69

50.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$73.1 NOK 679

$105 NOK 979

-30.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 NOK 20.82

$2.20 NOK 20.44

1.82%

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

$49.8K NOK 462.0K

$49.4K NOK 459.0K

0.66%

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

$43.8K NOK 406.7K

$42.4K NOK 393.6K

3.32%

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

$286 NOK 2,653

$247 NOK 2,292

15.73%

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

$31.94 NOK 297

$34.96 NOK 325

-8.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.6 NOK 729

$82.7 NOK 768

-5.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.64 NOK 414

$50.7 NOK 471

-11.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$43.59 NOK 405

$34.96 NOK 325

24.69%

Cinema Ticket

$19.25 NOK 179

$21.98 NOK 204

-12.42%

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

$241 NOK 2,234

$329 NOK 3,055

-26.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K NOK 110.9K

$14.5K NOK 134.3K

-17.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 NOK 991

$130 NOK 1,212

-18.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 NOK 504

$60.7 NOK 563

-10.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 NOK 1,141

$155 NOK 1,443

-20.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$169 NOK 1,571

$202 NOK 1,877

-16.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,514 NOK 14.1K

$1,284 NOK 11.9K

17.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,119 NOK 10.4K

$1,123 NOK 10.4K

-0.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,489 NOK 23.1K

$2,207 NOK 20.5K

12.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,758 NOK 16.3K

$1,744 NOK 16.2K

0.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,741 NOK 71.9K

$6,510 NOK 60.4K

18.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,935 NOK 45.8K

$4,359 NOK 40.5K

13.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,828 NOK 44.8K

$4,421 NOK 41.0K

9.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.31

5.27

0.76%

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

Last update for Bergen: August 30, 2026

Last update for Mandal: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,514 in Bergen and $1,284 in Mandal. 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: $141 in Bergen vs $98.0 in Mandal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $538 vs $506 per month, with Mandal 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 Mandal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mandal is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Getting Around. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 9% 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 $1,284 in Mandal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $241 in Bergen versus $329 in Mandal. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% 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. Mandal is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Mandal 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 Mandal 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 Mandal gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.