Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Oslo

For one person, living is cheaper in Bergen: $3,093 a month against $3,538 in Oslo, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Oslo outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Bergen, Norway
Oslo, Norway
Bergen
🇳🇴 Norway
$3,093
/mo nomad
Oslo
🇳🇴 Norway
$3,538
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bergen and in Oslo

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,093 in Bergen versus $3,538 in Oslo.

  • Bergen $3,093
  • Oslo $3,538

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,619 in Bergen versus $5,096 in Oslo.

  • Bergen $4,619
  • Oslo $5,096

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,145 in Bergen versus $6,653 in Oslo.

  • Bergen $6,145
  • Oslo $6,653

Living in Bergen costs roughly 13% less than in Oslo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 127% above, Oslo 160% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bergen
Oslo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$23.85 NOK 219
$21.75 NOK 200
9.66%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$141 NOK 1,298
$130 NOK 1,193
8.87%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$16.30 NOK 150
$16.04 NOK 147
1.62%
Cappuccino
$5.62 NOK 51.6
$5.84 NOK 53.7
-3.77%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.19 NOK 47.69
$4.38 NOK 40.21
18.49%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.57 NOK 42.00
$3.35 NOK 30.75
36.42%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$12.92 NOK 119
$11.65 NOK 107
10.90%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$10.71 NOK 98.4
$12.81 NOK 118
-16.39%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bergen
Oslo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.35 NOK 21.55
$2.61 NOK 24.00
-9.96%
White Bread (500g)
$3.83 NOK 35.21
$4.38 NOK 40.27
-12.56%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.45 NOK 31.66
$4.70 NOK 43.19
-26.60%
Eggs
$6.67 NOK 61.3
$6.25 NOK 57.4
6.72%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.89 NOK 137
$15.48 NOK 142
-3.81%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$17.88 NOK 164
$15.84 NOK 146
12.88%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$37.65 NOK 346
$32.30 NOK 297
16.56%
Apples (1kg)
$4.10 NOK 37.68
$3.36 NOK 30.83
22.02%
Banana (1kg)
$2.80 NOK 25.74
$2.72 NOK 25.03
2.94%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.70 NOK 34.00
$3.65 NOK 33.54
1.37%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.54 NOK 50.9
$5.96 NOK 54.8
-7.05%
Potato (1kg)
$2.46 NOK 22.64
$2.69 NOK 24.75
-8.55%
Onion (1kg)
$3.41 NOK 31.32
$2.85 NOK 26.18
19.65%
Lettuce (1 head)
$3.08 NOK 28.28
$3.26 NOK 29.96
-5.52%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.83 NOK 16.83
$2.50 NOK 22.96
-26.80%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$17.65 NOK 162
$19.21 NOK 176
-8.12%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.73 NOK 181
$16.64 NOK 153
18.57%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.83 NOK 35.17
$3.60 NOK 33.08
6.39%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.44 NOK 40.78
$4.23 NOK 38.82
4.96%
🚌 Getting Around
Bergen
Oslo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$5.32 NOK 48.92
$5.02 NOK 46.13
5.98%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$89.0 NOK 817
$83.5 NOK 767
6.63%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$12.82 NOK 118
$12.39 NOK 114
3.47%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.95 NOK 17.94
$1.84 NOK 16.93
5.98%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$74.9 NOK 688
$70.8 NOK 651
5.75%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.41 NOK 22.11
$2.48 NOK 22.79
-2.82%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$50.1K NOK 460.0K
$49.9K NOK 458.4K
0.34%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$44.8K NOK 411.3K
$44.7K NOK 410.5K
0.18%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bergen
Oslo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$292 NOK 2,679
$433 NOK 3,983
-32.73%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$33.90 NOK 311
$34.50 NOK 317
-1.74%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$85.1 NOK 782
$55.7 NOK 512
52.80%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bergen
Oslo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$48.43 NOK 445
$58.1 NOK 534
-16.63%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$44.06 NOK 405
$29.79 NOK 274
47.90%
Cinema Ticket
$19.28 NOK 177
$20.78 NOK 191
-7.22%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bergen
Oslo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$251 NOK 2,305
$240 NOK 2,201
4.73%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.0K NOK 110.0K
$16.2K NOK 148.5K
-25.92%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bergen
Oslo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$108 NOK 989
$104 NOK 958
3.20%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$56.1 NOK 515
$61.8 NOK 567
-9.20%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$120 NOK 1,103
$135 NOK 1,239
-10.98%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$166 NOK 1,524
$160 NOK 1,470
3.64%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bergen
Oslo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,627 NOK 15.0K
$2,133 NOK 19.6K
-23.72%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,283 NOK 11.8K
$1,645 NOK 15.1K
-21.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,668 NOK 24.5K
$3,270 NOK 30.0K
-18.41%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,928 NOK 17.7K
$2,466 NOK 22.7K
-21.82%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$8,228 NOK 75.6K
$12.4K NOK 113.6K
-33.47%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,382 NOK 49.4K
$7,462 NOK 68.6K
-27.88%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bergen
Oslo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,732 NOK 43.5K
$4,703 NOK 43.2K
0.61%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.27
4.94
6.68%

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

Last update for Bergen: October 26, 2026

Last update for Oslo: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Bergen
$1.3K
Oslo
$1.6K 28.2% $362
Groceries & Markets
Bergen
$545
Oslo
$530 2.7% $15
Eating Out
Bergen
$432
Oslo
$407 5.8% $25
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bergen
$411
Oslo
$524 27.5% $113
Clothing & Footwear
Bergen
$202
Oslo
$207 2.5% $5.1
Getting Around
Bergen
$133
Oslo
$125 5.8% $7.7
Sport & Entertainment
Bergen
$87
Oslo
$100 14.6% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,627 in Bergen and $2,133 in Oslo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $141 in Bergen vs $130 in Oslo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $545 vs $530 per month, with Oslo cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇳🇴 Bergen
🇳🇴 Oslo
🕒 Local time
13:35 1:35 PM
13:35 1:35 PM
Same time as Bergen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
292,482
1,098,061 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to NOK – Norwegian Krone Converter

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 9.19 NOK (1 NOK = 0.109 USD). 1 EUR = 10.26 NOK (100 NOK = 9.75 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Bergen Oslo 300 km
From you
  • Bergen
  • Oslo

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 Oslo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bergen cheaper than Oslo?
Bergen is about 13% cheaper overall, especially in leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $4,640 in Bergen and $5,307 in Oslo to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the rent difference between Bergen and Oslo?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,627 in Bergen versus $2,133 in Oslo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $251 in Bergen versus $240 in Oslo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Bergen and in Oslo?
Shoppers in Oslo pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Is $2,500 enough to cover costs in Bergen or in Oslo?
Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Bergen is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
Is it better to live in Bergen or in Oslo?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Which city is safer, Bergen or Oslo?
Safety-wise, Bergen and Oslo are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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