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: $2,650 in Bergen versus $2,418 in Mandal.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,988 in Bergen versus $3,777 in Mandal.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,327 in Bergen versus $5,136 in Mandal.

Living in Bergen is roughly 10% more expensive than in Mandal, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 98% above, Mandal 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.72 NOK 248

$25.65 NOK 247

0.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$103 NOK 993

$122 NOK 1,176

-15.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.51 NOK 188

$15.34 NOK 148

27.18%

Cappuccino

$5.42 NOK 52.2

$5.21 NOK 50.2

4.03%

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

$3.20 NOK 30.82

$4.03 NOK 38.80

-20.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 NOK 27.87

$3.39 NOK 32.70

-14.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.82 NOK 114

$11.32 NOK 109

4.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.78 NOK 94.2

$10.02 NOK 96.5

-2.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.65 NOK 25.54

$2.12 NOK 20.42

25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.28 NOK 31.58

$3.00 NOK 28.92

9.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.88 NOK 27.77

$4.52 NOK 43.49

-36.28%

Eggs

$4.90 NOK 47.23

$2.97 NOK 28.62

64.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.20 NOK 137

$13.25 NOK 128

7.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.06 NOK 155

$16.19 NOK 156

-0.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.21 NOK 272

$27.05 NOK 261

4.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.94 NOK 37.99

$3.44 NOK 33.15

14.53%

Banana (1kg)

$2.96 NOK 28.52

$2.56 NOK 24.66

15.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.75 NOK 36.17

$3.12 NOK 30.05

20.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.62 NOK 54.2

$4.79 NOK 46.14

17.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.73 NOK 26.29

$2.06 NOK 19.89

32.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.91 NOK 28.04

$3.06 NOK 29.49

-4.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 NOK 27.00

$1.53 NOK 14.75

83.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 NOK 20.64

$1.77 NOK 17.05

20.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.95 NOK 163

$15.41 NOK 148

9.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.26 NOK 166

$17.86 NOK 172

-3.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.30 NOK 31.80

$2.98 NOK 28.72

10.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 NOK 42.18

$2.83 NOK 27.27

54.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.47 NOK 43.07

$4.34 NOK 41.79

3.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.2 NOK 783

$73.8 NOK 710

10.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.23 NOK 147

$5.51 NOK 53.0

176.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.25 NOK 21.66

$1.01 NOK 9.71

122.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$72.5 NOK 699

$99.6 NOK 960

-27.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 NOK 20.51

$2.15 NOK 20.75

-0.93%

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

$35.3K NOK 340.4K

$34.3K NOK 330.5K

2.99%

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

$43.1K NOK 415.0K

$33.4K NOK 321.3K

29.16%

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

$242 NOK 2,333

$193 NOK 1,863

25.28%

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

$38.51 NOK 371

$33.83 NOK 326

13.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.7 NOK 623

$83.2 NOK 802

-22.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.9 NOK 520

$48.80 NOK 470

10.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.36 NOK 389

$35.86 NOK 345

12.55%

Cinema Ticket

$20.20 NOK 195

$19.04 NOK 183

6.09%

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

$286 NOK 2,753

$319 NOK 3,072

-10.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K NOK 121.0K

$12.8K NOK 123.3K

-1.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.1 NOK 878

$120 NOK 1,156

-24.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.5 NOK 535

$59.7 NOK 575

-6.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 NOK 1,071

$103 NOK 995

7.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$145 NOK 1,400

$159 NOK 1,536

-8.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,284 NOK 12.4K

$1,221 NOK 11.8K

5.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$976 NOK 9,397

$882 NOK 8,500

10.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,019 NOK 19.4K

$1,839 NOK 17.7K

9.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,558 NOK 15.0K

$1,525 NOK 14.7K

2.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,575 NOK 73.0K

$6,630 NOK 63.9K

14.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,645 NOK 44.7K

$3,911 NOK 37.7K

18.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,344 NOK 41.8K

$4,139 NOK 39.9K

4.93%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Mandal: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,284 in Bergen and $1,221 in Mandal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 5% 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: $103 in Bergen vs $122 in Mandal. Groceries flip the comparison at $489 vs $448, 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 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 5% 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: $1,284 in Bergen versus $1,221 in Mandal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $286 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 10% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.