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: $2,605 in Bergen versus $2,274 in Porsgrunn.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,923 in Bergen versus $3,550 in Porsgrunn.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,240 in Bergen versus $4,827 in Porsgrunn.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 94% above, Porsgrunn 70% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.78 NOK 240

$28.72 NOK 267

-10.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$100 NOK 931

$102 NOK 944

-1.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.96 NOK 176

$13.57 NOK 126

39.72%

Cappuccino

$5.36 NOK 49.82

$4.83 NOK 44.89

10.97%

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

$3.21 NOK 29.86

$2.05 NOK 19.06

56.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 NOK 28.14

$2.06 NOK 19.10

47.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.53 NOK 107

$8.86 NOK 82.3

30.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.67 NOK 89.8

$9.68 NOK 89.9

-0.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.64 NOK 24.50

$2.06 NOK 19.17

28.16%

White Bread (500g)

$3.36 NOK 31.20

$3.43 NOK 31.86

-2.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.90 NOK 26.92

$3.20 NOK 29.76

-9.38%

Eggs

$5.11 NOK 47.45

$2.48 NOK 23.02

106.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 NOK 130

$10.29 NOK 95.6

35.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.06 NOK 149

$10.20 NOK 94.7

57.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.05 NOK 261

$35.45 NOK 329

-20.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.75 NOK 34.84

$2.01 NOK 18.67

86.57%

Banana (1kg)

$2.94 NOK 27.29

$1.65 NOK 15.36

78.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.61 NOK 33.56

$2.45 NOK 22.80

47.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.52 NOK 51.3

$2.86 NOK 26.57

93.01%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 NOK 25.24

$1.03 NOK 9.60

164.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.77 NOK 25.73

$2.22 NOK 20.61

24.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 NOK 26.45

$2.31 NOK 21.42

23.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 NOK 19.95

$1.83 NOK 16.98

17.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.93 NOK 157

$14.31 NOK 133

18.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.39 NOK 171

$19.06 NOK 177

-3.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.35 NOK 31.08

$2.96 NOK 27.46

13.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 NOK 39.68

$3.96 NOK 36.74

7.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.56 NOK 42.40

$3.39 NOK 31.47

34.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 NOK 748

$72.6 NOK 674

10.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.36 NOK 143

$10.04 NOK 93.3

52.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.28 NOK 21.15

$1.45 NOK 13.51

57.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$72.7 NOK 675

$101 NOK 941

-28.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.16 NOK 20.11

$2.00 NOK 18.56

8.00%

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

$35.0K NOK 325.2K

$35.8K NOK 332.4K

-2.15%

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

$43.6K NOK 404.7K

$38.0K NOK 352.7K

14.76%

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

$238 NOK 2,207

$223 NOK 2,068

6.73%

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

$38.16 NOK 355

$43.15 NOK 401

-11.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.1 NOK 595

$38.10 NOK 354

68.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.2 NOK 513

$49.78 NOK 462

10.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.59 NOK 377

$35.51 NOK 330

14.31%

Cinema Ticket

$19.99 NOK 186

$14.80 NOK 137

35.07%

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

$281 NOK 2,610

$312 NOK 2,898

-9.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K NOK 120.1K

$10.3K NOK 95.3K

26.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.5 NOK 841

$50.3 NOK 467

80.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.0 NOK 510

$29.87 NOK 277

83.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 NOK 1,034

$69.7 NOK 647

59.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$147 NOK 1,369

$102 NOK 949

44.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 NOK 11.8K

$1,219 NOK 11.3K

4.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$997 NOK 9,263

$909 NOK 8,449

9.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,004 NOK 18.6K

$1,840 NOK 17.1K

8.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,576 NOK 14.6K

$1,546 NOK 14.4K

1.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,998 NOK 74.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,773 NOK 44.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,646 NOK 43.2K

$3,571 NOK 33.2K

30.10%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Porsgrunn: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,275 in Bergen and $1,219 in Porsgrunn. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 30% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $100 in Bergen vs $102 in Porsgrunn. Groceries flip the comparison at $490 vs $409, with Porsgrunn cheaper for home cooking.

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.

Bergen pays 30% 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 $1,219 in Porsgrunn. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $281 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 $2,274 in Porsgrunn versus $2,605 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.