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: $2,605 in Bergen versus $2,431 in Mandal.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,923 in Bergen versus $3,864 in Mandal.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,240 in Bergen versus $5,296 in Mandal.

Living in Bergen is roughly 7% more expensive than Mandal, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 94% above, Mandal 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.78 NOK 240

$25.44 NOK 236

1.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$100 NOK 931

$124 NOK 1,150

-19.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.96 NOK 176

$15.44 NOK 143

22.80%

Cappuccino

$5.36 NOK 49.82

$5.06 NOK 47.04

5.93%

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

$3.21 NOK 29.86

$3.94 NOK 36.60

-18.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 NOK 28.14

$3.28 NOK 30.42

-7.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.53 NOK 107

$11.19 NOK 104

3.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.67 NOK 89.8

$10.14 NOK 94.2

-4.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.64 NOK 24.50

$2.18 NOK 20.21

21.10%

White Bread (500g)

$3.36 NOK 31.20

$3.18 NOK 29.55

5.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.90 NOK 26.92

$4.41 NOK 40.97

-34.24%

Eggs

$5.11 NOK 47.45

$3.09 NOK 28.70

65.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 NOK 130

$13.14 NOK 122

6.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.06 NOK 149

$16.19 NOK 150

-0.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.05 NOK 261

$27.16 NOK 252

3.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.75 NOK 34.84

$3.57 NOK 33.16

5.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.94 NOK 27.29

$2.61 NOK 24.22

12.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.61 NOK 33.56

$3.02 NOK 28.06

19.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.52 NOK 51.3

$4.62 NOK 42.93

19.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 NOK 25.24

$2.17 NOK 20.19

25.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.77 NOK 25.73

$3.07 NOK 28.51

-9.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 NOK 26.45

$1.56 NOK 14.45

82.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 NOK 19.95

$1.84 NOK 17.10

16.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.93 NOK 157

$15.01 NOK 139

12.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.39 NOK 171

$19.27 NOK 179

-4.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.35 NOK 31.08

$3.02 NOK 28.06

10.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 NOK 39.68

$2.85 NOK 26.46

49.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.56 NOK 42.40

$4.18 NOK 38.81

9.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 NOK 748

$72.7 NOK 675

10.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.36 NOK 143

$5.66 NOK 52.6

171.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.28 NOK 21.15

$1.05 NOK 9.72

117.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$72.7 NOK 675

$99.4 NOK 923

-26.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.16 NOK 20.11

$2.09 NOK 19.45

3.35%

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

$35.0K NOK 325.2K

$34.7K NOK 322.6K

0.80%

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

$43.6K NOK 404.7K

$32.3K NOK 300.2K

34.83%

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

$238 NOK 2,207

$191 NOK 1,771

24.60%

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

$38.16 NOK 355

$32.72 NOK 304

16.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.1 NOK 595

$80.8 NOK 750

-20.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.2 NOK 513

$49.40 NOK 459

11.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.59 NOK 377

$35.73 NOK 332

13.60%

Cinema Ticket

$19.99 NOK 186

$19.54 NOK 182

2.30%

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

$281 NOK 2,610

$313 NOK 2,910

-10.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K NOK 120.1K

$12.9K NOK 119.7K

0.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.5 NOK 841

$117 NOK 1,088

-22.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.0 NOK 510

$59.6 NOK 554

-7.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 NOK 1,034

$104 NOK 968

6.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$147 NOK 1,369

$157 NOK 1,463

-6.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 NOK 11.8K

$1,229 NOK 11.4K

3.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$997 NOK 9,263

$911 NOK 8,459

9.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,004 NOK 18.6K

$1,808 NOK 16.8K

10.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,576 NOK 14.6K

$1,530 NOK 14.2K

3.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,998 NOK 74.3K

$5,616 NOK 52.2K

42.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,773 NOK 44.3K

$4,514 NOK 41.9K

5.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,646 NOK 43.2K

$4,453 NOK 41.4K

4.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.85

4.51

7.54%

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

Last update for Bergen: June 1, 2026

Last update for Mandal: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,275 in Bergen and $1,229 in Mandal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 4% 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 $124 in Mandal. Groceries flip the comparison at $490 vs $454, with Mandal 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 Mandal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mandal is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Bergen pays 4% 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 $1,229 in Mandal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $281 in Bergen versus $313 in Mandal. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Bergen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,431 in Mandal versus $2,605 in Bergen, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Mandal but tight or insufficient in Bergen. The gap between the two cities makes Mandal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.