Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Sandefjord Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Sandefjord

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,650 in Bergen versus $2,465 in Sandefjord.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,988 in Bergen versus $3,546 in Sandefjord.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,327 in Bergen versus $4,627 in Sandefjord.

Living in Bergen is roughly 8% more expensive than in Sandefjord, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 98% above, Sandefjord 84% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.72 NOK 248

$18.94 NOK 183

35.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$103 NOK 994

$103 NOK 992

0.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.51 NOK 188

$13.55 NOK 131

43.99%

Cappuccino

$5.42 NOK 52.3

$4.89 NOK 47.19

10.84%

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

$3.20 NOK 30.86

$2.46 NOK 23.68

30.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 NOK 27.90

$2.16 NOK 20.78

33.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.82 NOK 114

$8.97 NOK 86.5

31.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.78 NOK 94.3

$9.87 NOK 95.2

-0.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.65 NOK 25.56

$2.19 NOK 21.09

21.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.28 NOK 31.62

$3.03 NOK 29.19

8.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.88 NOK 27.80

$2.74 NOK 26.44

5.11%

Eggs

$4.90 NOK 47.29

$3.56 NOK 34.29

37.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.20 NOK 137

$11.36 NOK 110

25.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.06 NOK 155

$16.37 NOK 158

-1.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.21 NOK 272

$34.28 NOK 331

-17.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.94 NOK 38.03

$2.86 NOK 27.58

37.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.96 NOK 28.55

$2.28 NOK 21.98

29.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.75 NOK 36.21

$2.31 NOK 22.29

62.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.62 NOK 54.2

$3.60 NOK 34.71

56.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.73 NOK 26.32

$2.07 NOK 19.98

31.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.91 NOK 28.07

$2.22 NOK 21.45

31.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 NOK 27.03

$2.63 NOK 25.36

6.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 NOK 20.66

$1.91 NOK 18.39

12.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.95 NOK 163

$14.30 NOK 138

18.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.26 NOK 166

$13.11 NOK 126

31.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.30 NOK 31.84

$3.71 NOK 35.73

-11.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 NOK 42.22

$4.11 NOK 39.66

6.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.47 NOK 43.12

$5.08 NOK 49.02

-12.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.2 NOK 783

$69.8 NOK 673

16.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.23 NOK 147

$10.15 NOK 97.9

50.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.25 NOK 21.68

$1.46 NOK 14.10

54.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$72.5 NOK 700

$62.7 NOK 604

15.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 NOK 20.53

$2.11 NOK 20.35

0.95%

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

$35.3K NOK 340.8K

$35.7K NOK 344.6K

-1.11%

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

$43.1K NOK 415.5K

$35.3K NOK 340.2K

22.12%

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

$242 NOK 2,336

$222 NOK 2,144

8.98%

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

$38.51 NOK 371

$44.21 NOK 426

-12.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.7 NOK 624

$38.50 NOK 371

67.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.9 NOK 520

$48.70 NOK 470

10.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.36 NOK 389

$35.19 NOK 339

14.69%

Cinema Ticket

$20.20 NOK 195

$12.85 NOK 124

57.20%

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

$286 NOK 2,756

$286 NOK 2,754

0.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K NOK 121.1K

$4,812 NOK 46.4K

160.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.1 NOK 878

$104 NOK 1,000

-12.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.5 NOK 535

$46.60 NOK 449

19.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 NOK 1,072

$102 NOK 987

8.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$145 NOK 1,401

$140 NOK 1,350

3.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,284 NOK 12.4K

$1,239 NOK 11.9K

3.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$976 NOK 9,408

$992 NOK 9,562

-1.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,019 NOK 19.5K

$1,483 NOK 14.3K

36.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,558 NOK 15.0K

$1,263 NOK 12.2K

23.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,575 NOK 73.0K

$6,234 NOK 60.1K

21.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,645 NOK 44.8K

$3,514 NOK 33.9K

32.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,344 NOK 41.9K

$3,850 NOK 37.1K

12.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.85

4.38

10.73%

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

Last update for Bergen: July 12, 2026

Last update for Sandefjord: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,284 in Bergen and $1,239 in Sandefjord. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 13% 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: $103 in Bergen vs $103 in Sandefjord. Groceries flip the comparison at $489 vs $448, with Sandefjord 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 Sandefjord: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sandefjord is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 13% 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 $1,239 in Sandefjord. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

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

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Bergen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,465 in Sandefjord versus $2,650 in Bergen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sandefjord but tight or insufficient in Bergen. The gap between the two cities makes Sandefjord the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sandefjord 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 Sandefjord 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 Sandefjord gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.