Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Mandal

For one person, living is cheaper in Mandal: $2,746 a month against $2,927 in Bergen, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Bergen outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

141

Cost of Living Index in Bergen
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Bergen Living Index
133

Cost of Living Index in Mandal
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Mandal Living Index

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Bergen

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,927

/mo nomad

Mandal

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,746

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bergen and in Mandal

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,927 in Bergen versus $2,746 in Mandal.

Bergen $2,927
Mandal $2,746

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,393 in Bergen versus $4,159 in Mandal.

Bergen $4,393
Mandal $4,159

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,858 in Bergen versus $5,572 in Mandal.

Bergen $5,858
Mandal $5,572

Living in Bergen is roughly 7% more expensive than in Mandal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 116% above, Mandal 103% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.86 NOK 225

$24.98 NOK 235

-4.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$137 NOK 1,286

$97.4 NOK 917

40.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.17 NOK 152

$15.46 NOK 146

4.59%

Cappuccino

$5.48 NOK 51.6

$6.31 NOK 59.4

-13.15%

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

$5.34 NOK 50.3

$5.45 NOK 51.3

-2.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.70 NOK 44.25

$4.23 NOK 39.80

11.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.76 NOK 120

$13.41 NOK 126

-4.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.67 NOK 100

$12.21 NOK 115

-12.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.30 NOK 21.68

$2.18 NOK 20.54

5.50%

White Bread (500g)

$3.86 NOK 36.32

$3.62 NOK 34.08

6.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.57 NOK 33.60

$3.89 NOK 36.58

-8.23%

Eggs

$6.30 NOK 59.3

$3.05 NOK 28.73

106.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.65 NOK 138

$13.77 NOK 130

6.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.78 NOK 167

$16.46 NOK 155

8.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$37.46 NOK 353

$35.09 NOK 330

6.75%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 NOK 38.32

$3.46 NOK 32.60

17.63%

Banana (1kg)

$2.79 NOK 26.28

$2.69 NOK 25.34

3.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.63 NOK 34.16

$3.52 NOK 33.10

3.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.41 NOK 50.9

$4.91 NOK 46.23

10.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.49 NOK 23.43

$2.51 NOK 23.62

-0.80%

Onion (1kg)

$3.42 NOK 32.21

$2.98 NOK 28.06

14.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.95 NOK 27.75

$1.56 NOK 14.68

89.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 NOK 16.83

$2.37 NOK 22.27

-24.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.71 NOK 167

$17.25 NOK 162

2.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.45 NOK 183

$18.28 NOK 172

6.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.68 NOK 34.63

$3.11 NOK 29.31

18.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 NOK 40.22

$2.88 NOK 27.15

48.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.30 NOK 49.93

$4.51 NOK 42.47

17.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.5 NOK 824

$86.3 NOK 812

1.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.39 NOK 117

$5.70 NOK 53.7

117.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.87 NOK 17.62

$1.18 NOK 11.12

58.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$72.1 NOK 679

$104 NOK 982

-30.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.39 NOK 22.51

$2.16 NOK 20.31

10.65%

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

$49.4K NOK 465.3K

$47.8K NOK 450.4K

3.33%

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

$44.8K NOK 422.1K

$40.9K NOK 385.2K

9.60%

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

$287 NOK 2,698

$239 NOK 2,246

20.14%

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

$34.59 NOK 326

$34.04 NOK 320

1.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$82.8 NOK 779

$82.6 NOK 778

0.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.58 NOK 429

$50.1 NOK 471

-8.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$43.31 NOK 408

$36.05 NOK 339

20.14%

Cinema Ticket

$19.31 NOK 182

$21.25 NOK 200

-9.13%

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

$241 NOK 2,264

$319 NOK 3,000

-24.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K NOK 113.5K

$14.2K NOK 133.9K

-15.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$110 NOK 1,033

$124 NOK 1,169

-11.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.2 NOK 510

$60.0 NOK 565

-9.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 NOK 1,107

$153 NOK 1,437

-22.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$170 NOK 1,601

$197 NOK 1,850

-13.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,495 NOK 14.1K

$1,207 NOK 11.4K

23.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,137 NOK 10.7K

$997 NOK 9,389

13.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,323 NOK 21.9K

$1,971 NOK 18.6K

17.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,698 NOK 16.0K

$1,667 NOK 15.7K

1.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,803 NOK 73.5K

$6,165 NOK 58.0K

26.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,919 NOK 46.3K

$4,019 NOK 37.8K

22.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,675 NOK 44.0K

$4,319 NOK 40.7K

8.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.27

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

Last update for Bergen: October 19, 2026

Last update for Mandal: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bergen

$1.1K 38.8%

Mandal

$997 36.3% 12.3% $139

Groceries & Markets

Bergen

$538 18.4%

Mandal

$493 17.9% 8.5% $46

Eating Out

Bergen

$430 14.7%

Mandal

$452 16.5% 5% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bergen

$404 13.8%

Mandal

$355 12.9% 12.1% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Bergen

$203 6.9%

Mandal

$240 8.7% 18.1% $37

Getting Around

Bergen

$130 4.5%

Mandal

$116 4.2% 11.1% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Bergen

$84 2.9%

Mandal

$93 3.4% 9.9% $8.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,495 in Bergen and $1,207 in Mandal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 8% 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 $97.0 in Mandal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $538 vs $493 per month, with Mandal cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇴 Bergen

🇳🇴 Mandal

🕒 Local time

15:18 3:18 PM

Same time as Bergen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

292,482

11,477

💱 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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Between locations

Bergen Mandal 290 km

From you

Bergen
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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 Mandal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mandal is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and utilities. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 8% 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 $1,207 in Mandal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $241 in Bergen versus $319 in Mandal. 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.

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 7% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.