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: $2,605 in Bergen versus $3,141 in Oslo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,923 in Bergen versus $4,597 in Oslo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,240 in Bergen versus $6,053 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 94% above, Oslo 134% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.78 NOK 241

$25.53 NOK 238

0.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$100 NOK 935

$123 NOK 1,144

-18.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.96 NOK 177

$15.15 NOK 141

25.15%

Cappuccino

$5.36 NOK 50.1

$4.86 NOK 45.41

10.29%

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

$3.21 NOK 30.01

$4.08 NOK 38.14

-21.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 NOK 28.28

$3.19 NOK 29.79

-5.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.53 NOK 108

$12.02 NOK 112

-4.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.67 NOK 90.3

$11.22 NOK 105

-13.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.64 NOK 24.62

$2.39 NOK 22.35

10.46%

White Bread (500g)

$3.36 NOK 31.36

$4.09 NOK 38.17

-17.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.90 NOK 27.05

$3.66 NOK 34.19

-20.77%

Eggs

$5.11 NOK 47.68

$5.03 NOK 47.00

1.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 NOK 130

$13.46 NOK 126

3.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.06 NOK 150

$16.04 NOK 150

0.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.05 NOK 262

$30.76 NOK 287

-8.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.75 NOK 35.01

$3.49 NOK 32.63

7.45%

Banana (1kg)

$2.94 NOK 27.43

$2.63 NOK 24.53

11.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.61 NOK 33.73

$3.35 NOK 31.32

7.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.52 NOK 51.5

$5.16 NOK 48.20

6.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 NOK 25.37

$2.43 NOK 22.69

11.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.77 NOK 25.85

$2.71 NOK 25.33

2.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 NOK 26.58

$2.85 NOK 26.61

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 NOK 20.05

$2.34 NOK 21.84

-8.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.93 NOK 158

$17.19 NOK 160

-1.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.39 NOK 172

$18.93 NOK 177

-2.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.35 NOK 31.24

$3.35 NOK 31.28

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 NOK 39.87

$4.38 NOK 40.87

-2.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.56 NOK 42.61

$4.31 NOK 40.20

5.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 NOK 752

$77.9 NOK 727

3.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.36 NOK 143

$10.04 NOK 93.8

52.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.28 NOK 21.25

$1.38 NOK 12.93

65.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$72.7 NOK 679

$42.24 NOK 394

72.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.16 NOK 20.21

$2.18 NOK 20.34

-0.92%

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

$35.0K NOK 326.8K

$36.5K NOK 340.5K

-4.02%

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

$43.6K NOK 406.8K

$42.7K NOK 398.5K

2.08%

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

$238 NOK 2,218

$304 NOK 2,834

-21.75%

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

$38.16 NOK 356

$31.63 NOK 295

20.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.1 NOK 598

$57.0 NOK 532

12.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.2 NOK 516

$57.8 NOK 539

-4.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.59 NOK 379

$28.64 NOK 267

41.72%

Cinema Ticket

$19.99 NOK 187

$18.01 NOK 168

10.99%

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

$281 NOK 2,623

$274 NOK 2,556

2.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K NOK 120.7K

$14.5K NOK 135.8K

-11.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.5 NOK 845

$106 NOK 987

-14.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.0 NOK 513

$65.4 NOK 611

-15.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 NOK 1,039

$124 NOK 1,158

-10.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$147 NOK 1,376

$168 NOK 1,572

-12.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 NOK 11.9K

$1,671 NOK 15.6K

-23.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$997 NOK 9,309

$1,446 NOK 13.5K

-31.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,004 NOK 18.7K

$2,749 NOK 25.7K

-27.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,576 NOK 14.7K

$2,165 NOK 20.2K

-27.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,998 NOK 74.7K

$12.0K NOK 112.2K

-33.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,773 NOK 44.6K

$7,295 NOK 68.1K

-34.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,646 NOK 43.4K

$4,411 NOK 41.2K

5.34%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Oslo: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,275 in Bergen and $1,671 in Oslo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 5% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $100 in Bergen vs $122 in Oslo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $490 vs $500 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.

Bergen pays 5% 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 $1,671 in Oslo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $281 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 2% 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.