Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Porsgrunn Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Porsgrunn

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,650 in Bergen versus $2,299 in Porsgrunn.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,988 in Bergen versus $3,541 in Porsgrunn.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,327 in Bergen versus $4,783 in Porsgrunn.

Living in Bergen is roughly 15% more expensive than in Porsgrunn, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 98% above, Porsgrunn 72% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.72 NOK 248

$28.55 NOK 275

-9.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$103 NOK 994

$101 NOK 977

1.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.51 NOK 188

$13.18 NOK 127

48.03%

Cappuccino

$5.42 NOK 52.3

$4.95 NOK 47.72

9.49%

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

$3.20 NOK 30.86

$2.00 NOK 19.27

60.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 NOK 27.90

$2.06 NOK 19.85

40.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.82 NOK 114

$8.98 NOK 86.6

31.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.78 NOK 94.3

$9.67 NOK 93.3

1.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.65 NOK 25.56

$2.05 NOK 19.72

29.27%

White Bread (500g)

$3.28 NOK 31.62

$3.42 NOK 32.98

-4.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.88 NOK 27.80

$3.32 NOK 32.04

-13.25%

Eggs

$4.90 NOK 47.29

$2.47 NOK 23.80

98.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.20 NOK 137

$10.29 NOK 99.2

38.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.06 NOK 155

$10.07 NOK 97.1

59.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.21 NOK 272

$34.84 NOK 336

-19.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.94 NOK 38.03

$2.00 NOK 19.29

97.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.96 NOK 28.55

$1.67 NOK 16.09

77.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.75 NOK 36.21

$2.49 NOK 23.99

50.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.62 NOK 54.2

$2.80 NOK 27.01

100.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.73 NOK 26.32

$1.03 NOK 9.91

165.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.91 NOK 28.07

$2.13 NOK 20.51

36.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 NOK 27.03

$2.35 NOK 22.70

19.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 NOK 20.66

$1.90 NOK 18.30

12.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.95 NOK 163

$14.21 NOK 137

19.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.26 NOK 166

$18.13 NOK 175

-4.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.30 NOK 31.84

$2.99 NOK 28.79

10.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 NOK 42.22

$4.00 NOK 38.59

9.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.47 NOK 43.12

$3.37 NOK 32.47

32.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.2 NOK 783

$72.9 NOK 703

11.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.23 NOK 147

$10.05 NOK 97.0

51.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.25 NOK 21.68

$1.46 NOK 14.04

54.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$72.5 NOK 700

$99.3 NOK 958

-26.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 NOK 20.53

$1.99 NOK 19.17

7.04%

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

$35.3K NOK 340.8K

$35.6K NOK 343.5K

-0.79%

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

$43.1K NOK 415.5K

$38.6K NOK 371.9K

11.71%

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

$242 NOK 2,336

$220 NOK 2,117

10.36%

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

$38.51 NOK 371

$44.23 NOK 426

-12.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.7 NOK 624

$37.49 NOK 362

72.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.9 NOK 520

$48.48 NOK 467

11.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.36 NOK 389

$35.12 NOK 339

14.92%

Cinema Ticket

$20.20 NOK 195

$14.71 NOK 142

37.32%

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

$286 NOK 2,756

$312 NOK 3,010

-8.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K NOK 121.1K

$10.1K NOK 97.0K

24.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.1 NOK 878

$51.5 NOK 496

77.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.5 NOK 535

$29.93 NOK 289

85.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 NOK 1,072

$69.5 NOK 671

59.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$145 NOK 1,401

$103 NOK 994

41.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,284 NOK 12.4K

$1,228 NOK 11.8K

4.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$976 NOK 9,408

$884 NOK 8,529

10.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,019 NOK 19.5K

$1,856 NOK 17.9K

8.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,558 NOK 15.0K

$1,516 NOK 14.6K

2.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,575 NOK 73.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,645 NOK 44.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,344 NOK 41.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.85

3.8

27.63%

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

Last update for Bergen: July 12, 2026

Last update for Porsgrunn: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,284 in Bergen and $1,228 in Porsgrunn. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $103 in Bergen vs $101 in Porsgrunn for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $489 vs $406 per month, with Porsgrunn 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 Porsgrunn: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Porsgrunn is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 15% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,975 in Bergen and $3,448 in Porsgrunn 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,284 in Bergen versus $1,228 in Porsgrunn. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $286 in Bergen versus $312 in Porsgrunn. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Bergen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,299 in Porsgrunn versus $2,650 in Bergen, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Porsgrunn but tight or insufficient in Bergen. The gap between the two cities makes Porsgrunn the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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