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: $2,650 in Bergen versus $3,203 in Oslo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,988 in Bergen versus $4,686 in Oslo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,327 in Bergen versus $6,170 in Oslo.

Living in Bergen costs roughly 17% less than in Oslo, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 98% above, Oslo 140% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.72 NOK 249

$25.37 NOK 245

1.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$103 NOK 997

$120 NOK 1,164

-14.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.51 NOK 189

$14.96 NOK 145

30.41%

Cappuccino

$5.42 NOK 52.4

$5.08 NOK 49.07

6.69%

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

$3.20 NOK 30.94

$4.10 NOK 39.66

-21.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 NOK 27.97

$3.19 NOK 30.85

-9.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.82 NOK 114

$12.37 NOK 120

-4.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.78 NOK 94.6

$11.03 NOK 107

-11.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.65 NOK 25.63

$2.40 NOK 23.24

10.42%

White Bread (500g)

$3.28 NOK 31.70

$4.03 NOK 39.00

-18.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.88 NOK 27.87

$3.67 NOK 35.50

-21.53%

Eggs

$4.90 NOK 47.40

$4.95 NOK 47.82

-1.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.20 NOK 137

$13.66 NOK 132

3.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.06 NOK 155

$16.41 NOK 159

-2.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.21 NOK 273

$31.39 NOK 303

-10.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.94 NOK 38.13

$3.60 NOK 34.85

9.44%

Banana (1kg)

$2.96 NOK 28.62

$2.63 NOK 25.44

12.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.75 NOK 36.30

$3.45 NOK 33.39

8.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.62 NOK 54.4

$5.07 NOK 48.98

10.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.73 NOK 26.38

$2.51 NOK 24.22

8.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.91 NOK 28.14

$2.71 NOK 26.22

7.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 NOK 27.10

$2.78 NOK 26.83

0.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 NOK 20.72

$2.41 NOK 23.25

-11.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.95 NOK 164

$17.46 NOK 169

-2.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.26 NOK 167

$18.64 NOK 180

-7.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.30 NOK 31.92

$3.41 NOK 33.00

-3.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 NOK 42.33

$4.35 NOK 42.06

0.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.47 NOK 43.23

$4.18 NOK 40.44

6.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.2 NOK 785

$79.6 NOK 769

2.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.23 NOK 147

$10.20 NOK 98.6

49.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.25 NOK 21.74

$1.41 NOK 13.60

59.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$72.5 NOK 701

$41.75 NOK 404

73.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 NOK 20.59

$2.27 NOK 21.96

-6.17%

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

$35.3K NOK 341.6K

$36.7K NOK 354.3K

-3.58%

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

$43.1K NOK 416.5K

$42.3K NOK 409.3K

1.76%

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

$242 NOK 2,342

$296 NOK 2,863

-18.19%

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

$38.51 NOK 372

$31.29 NOK 302

23.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.7 NOK 625

$55.5 NOK 536

16.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.9 NOK 521

$57.4 NOK 554

-5.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.36 NOK 390

$28.40 NOK 275

42.11%

Cinema Ticket

$20.20 NOK 195

$18.01 NOK 174

12.16%

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

$286 NOK 2,763

$274 NOK 2,653

4.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K NOK 121.4K

$14.7K NOK 141.9K

-14.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.1 NOK 881

$103 NOK 999

-11.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.5 NOK 537

$64.5 NOK 623

-13.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 NOK 1,075

$121 NOK 1,169

-8.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$145 NOK 1,405

$168 NOK 1,620

-13.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,284 NOK 12.4K

$1,700 NOK 16.4K

-24.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$976 NOK 9,431

$1,441 NOK 13.9K

-32.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,019 NOK 19.5K

$2,677 NOK 25.9K

-24.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,558 NOK 15.1K

$2,180 NOK 21.1K

-28.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,575 NOK 73.2K

$11.5K NOK 111.3K

-34.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,645 NOK 44.9K

$6,961 NOK 67.3K

-33.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,344 NOK 42.0K

$4,256 NOK 41.1K

2.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.85

5.08

-4.53%

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

Last update for Bergen: July 12, 2026

Last update for Oslo: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,284 in Bergen and $1,700 in Oslo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 2% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $103 in Bergen vs $120 in Oslo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $489 vs $505 per month, with Bergen 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 Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear. The 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 2% 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 $1,700 in Oslo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $286 in Bergen versus $274 in Oslo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Oslo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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 21% less than in Oslo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.