Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Oslo Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Oslo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,948 in Bergen versus $3,393 in Oslo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,449 in Bergen versus $4,964 in Oslo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,950 in Bergen versus $6,535 in Oslo.

Living in Bergen costs roughly 13% less than in Oslo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 115% above, Oslo 148% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.70 NOK 233

$21.87 NOK 206

12.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$139 NOK 1,311

$127 NOK 1,200

9.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.86 NOK 149

$16.35 NOK 154

-3.00%

Cappuccino

$5.68 NOK 53.5

$6.18 NOK 58.2

-8.09%

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

$5.31 NOK 50.0

$4.10 NOK 38.67

29.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 NOK 42.69

$3.45 NOK 32.51

31.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.85 NOK 121

$11.64 NOK 110

10.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.60 NOK 99.9

$12.70 NOK 120

-16.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.33 NOK 21.95

$2.65 NOK 24.98

-12.08%

White Bread (500g)

$3.90 NOK 36.77

$4.12 NOK 38.85

-5.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.57 NOK 33.67

$4.76 NOK 44.87

-25.00%

Eggs

$6.62 NOK 62.4

$6.14 NOK 57.9

7.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.02 NOK 142

$14.66 NOK 138

2.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.61 NOK 166

$15.39 NOK 145

14.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$35.64 NOK 336

$29.69 NOK 280

20.04%

Apples (1kg)

$4.02 NOK 37.88

$3.44 NOK 32.45

16.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 NOK 26.64

$2.68 NOK 25.25

5.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.67 NOK 34.54

$3.54 NOK 33.37

3.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.50 NOK 51.8

$6.06 NOK 57.1

-9.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 NOK 23.99

$2.72 NOK 25.66

-6.25%

Onion (1kg)

$3.30 NOK 31.10

$2.88 NOK 27.18

14.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.94 NOK 27.70

$3.23 NOK 30.43

-8.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 NOK 17.95

$2.55 NOK 23.99

-25.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.18 NOK 171

$19.59 NOK 185

-7.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.23 NOK 172

$16.63 NOK 157

9.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.52 NOK 33.20

$3.48 NOK 32.75

1.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 NOK 41.32

$4.39 NOK 41.35

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.12 NOK 48.20

$5.01 NOK 47.22

2.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.2 NOK 850

$84.9 NOK 800

6.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.62 NOK 119

$12.33 NOK 116

2.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 NOK 18.43

$1.87 NOK 17.59

4.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$74.5 NOK 702

$70.1 NOK 661

6.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.37 NOK 22.33

$2.27 NOK 21.39

4.41%

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

$49.1K NOK 462.5K

$50.2K NOK 473.1K

-2.24%

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

$44.2K NOK 416.9K

$45.5K NOK 428.8K

-2.77%

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

$288 NOK 2,717

$425 NOK 4,008

-32.21%

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

$31.45 NOK 296

$33.72 NOK 318

-6.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.6 NOK 741

$57.5 NOK 542

36.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.85 NOK 432

$61.6 NOK 580

-25.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$43.68 NOK 412

$29.20 NOK 275

49.59%

Cinema Ticket

$19.64 NOK 185

$19.46 NOK 183

0.92%

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

$245 NOK 2,309

$244 NOK 2,302

0.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K NOK 115.2K

$15.7K NOK 148.0K

-22.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 NOK 1,008

$104 NOK 976

3.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 NOK 511

$61.1 NOK 576

-11.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 NOK 1,181

$135 NOK 1,273

-7.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$170 NOK 1,602

$158 NOK 1,492

7.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 NOK 14.1K

$2,026 NOK 19.1K

-26.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,104 NOK 10.4K

$1,568 NOK 14.8K

-29.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,481 NOK 23.4K

$3,062 NOK 28.9K

-18.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,780 NOK 16.8K

$2,302 NOK 21.7K

-22.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,757 NOK 73.1K

$12.0K NOK 112.8K

-35.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,967 NOK 46.8K

$6,933 NOK 65.3K

-28.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,712 NOK 44.4K

$4,691 NOK 44.2K

0.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.31

4.98

6.63%

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

Last update for Bergen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Oslo: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,496 in Bergen and $2,026 in Oslo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 0% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $139 in Bergen vs $127 in Oslo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $534 vs $516 per month, with Oslo 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 Oslo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bergen is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 15% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 0% 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: $1,496 in Bergen versus $2,026 in Oslo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $245 in Bergen versus $244 in Oslo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Oslo pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

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.

For families, Bergen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Oslo, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Bergen and Oslo 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 Bergen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Oslo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.