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: $2,605 in Bergen versus $2,391 in Sandefjord.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,923 in Bergen versus $3,522 in Sandefjord.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,240 in Bergen versus $4,654 in Sandefjord.

Living in Bergen is roughly 9% more expensive than Sandefjord, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 94% above, Sandefjord 78% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.78 NOK 240

$19.02 NOK 177

35.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$100 NOK 933

$103 NOK 955

-2.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.96 NOK 176

$13.53 NOK 126

40.13%

Cappuccino

$5.36 NOK 49.93

$5.03 NOK 46.80

6.56%

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

$3.21 NOK 29.92

$2.47 NOK 23.01

29.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 NOK 28.20

$2.13 NOK 19.87

42.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.53 NOK 107

$9.37 NOK 87.2

23.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.67 NOK 90.0

$10.15 NOK 94.5

-4.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.64 NOK 24.55

$2.20 NOK 20.45

20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.36 NOK 31.27

$3.02 NOK 28.12

11.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.90 NOK 26.97

$2.80 NOK 26.08

3.57%

Eggs

$5.11 NOK 47.55

$3.69 NOK 34.38

38.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 NOK 130

$11.51 NOK 107

21.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.06 NOK 150

$16.60 NOK 155

-3.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.05 NOK 261

$35.29 NOK 328

-20.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.75 NOK 34.91

$2.71 NOK 25.21

38.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.94 NOK 27.35

$2.23 NOK 20.73

31.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.61 NOK 33.63

$2.35 NOK 21.85

53.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.52 NOK 51.4

$3.67 NOK 34.18

50.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 NOK 25.30

$2.11 NOK 19.61

28.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.77 NOK 25.78

$2.22 NOK 20.67

24.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 NOK 26.50

$2.64 NOK 24.61

7.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 NOK 19.99

$1.90 NOK 17.65

13.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.93 NOK 158

$14.49 NOK 135

16.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.39 NOK 171

$13.56 NOK 126

35.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.35 NOK 31.15

$3.70 NOK 34.48

-9.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 NOK 39.76

$4.23 NOK 39.42

0.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.56 NOK 42.49

$4.95 NOK 46.05

-7.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 NOK 750

$71.8 NOK 668

12.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.36 NOK 143

$10.06 NOK 93.7

52.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.28 NOK 21.19

$1.40 NOK 13.04

62.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$72.7 NOK 677

$63.4 NOK 590

14.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.16 NOK 20.15

$2.21 NOK 20.53

-2.26%

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

$35.0K NOK 325.9K

$35.6K NOK 331.6K

-1.73%

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

$43.6K NOK 405.6K

$35.8K NOK 333.1K

21.76%

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

$238 NOK 2,212

$220 NOK 2,044

8.22%

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

$38.16 NOK 355

$42.75 NOK 398

-10.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.1 NOK 596

$38.61 NOK 359

65.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.2 NOK 514

$47.95 NOK 446

15.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.59 NOK 378

$35.33 NOK 329

14.89%

Cinema Ticket

$19.99 NOK 186

$12.87 NOK 120

55.32%

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

$281 NOK 2,615

$287 NOK 2,667

-1.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K NOK 120.3K

$4,768 NOK 44.4K

171.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.5 NOK 843

$103 NOK 956

-11.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.0 NOK 512

$46.87 NOK 436

17.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 NOK 1,037

$99.9 NOK 930

11.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$147 NOK 1,372

$140 NOK 1,308

4.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 NOK 11.9K

$1,205 NOK 11.2K

5.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$997 NOK 9,283

$970 NOK 9,030

2.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,004 NOK 18.7K

$1,447 NOK 13.5K

38.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,576 NOK 14.7K

$1,256 NOK 11.7K

25.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,998 NOK 74.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,773 NOK 44.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,646 NOK 43.3K

$4,123 NOK 38.4K

12.69%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Sandefjord: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,275 in Bergen and $1,205 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: $100 in Bergen vs $103 in Sandefjord. Groceries flip the comparison at $490 vs $454, 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 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Bergen pays 13% 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 $1,205 in Sandefjord. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $281 in Bergen versus $287 in Sandefjord. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Bergen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Sandefjord is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 9% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.