Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Sandnes Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Sandnes

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,605 in Bergen versus $2,496 in Sandnes.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,923 in Bergen versus $3,891 in Sandnes.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,240 in Bergen versus $5,286 in Sandnes.

Living in Bergen is roughly 4% more expensive than Sandnes, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 94% above, Sandnes 86% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.78 NOK 240

$28.26 NOK 263

-8.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$100 NOK 931

$120 NOK 1,115

-16.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.96 NOK 176

$13.28 NOK 123

42.77%

Cappuccino

$5.36 NOK 49.82

$5.23 NOK 48.55

2.49%

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

$3.21 NOK 29.86

$3.60 NOK 33.41

-10.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 NOK 28.14

$2.85 NOK 26.48

6.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.53 NOK 107

$10.07 NOK 93.5

14.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.67 NOK 89.8

$9.93 NOK 92.3

-2.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.64 NOK 24.50

$2.16 NOK 20.11

22.22%

White Bread (500g)

$3.36 NOK 31.20

$3.29 NOK 30.56

2.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.90 NOK 26.92

$3.22 NOK 29.94

-9.94%

Eggs

$5.11 NOK 47.45

$4.26 NOK 39.59

19.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 NOK 130

$12.43 NOK 115

12.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.06 NOK 149

$14.26 NOK 132

12.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.05 NOK 261

$35.26 NOK 328

-20.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.75 NOK 34.84

$3.50 NOK 32.48

7.14%

Banana (1kg)

$2.94 NOK 27.29

$2.60 NOK 24.19

13.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.61 NOK 33.56

$2.95 NOK 27.44

22.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.52 NOK 51.3

$4.80 NOK 44.58

15.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 NOK 25.24

$2.23 NOK 20.71

21.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.77 NOK 25.73

$2.29 NOK 21.31

20.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 NOK 26.45

$2.78 NOK 25.87

2.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 NOK 19.95

$1.90 NOK 17.61

13.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.93 NOK 157

$14.93 NOK 139

13.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.39 NOK 171

$17.10 NOK 159

7.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.35 NOK 31.08

$3.26 NOK 30.29

2.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 NOK 39.68

$4.16 NOK 38.62

2.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.56 NOK 42.40

$4.20 NOK 39.00

8.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 NOK 748

$71.6 NOK 665

12.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.36 NOK 143

$15.17 NOK 141

1.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.28 NOK 21.15

$2.08 NOK 19.29

9.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$72.7 NOK 675

$47.21 NOK 439

53.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.16 NOK 20.11

$2.12 NOK 19.74

1.89%

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

$35.0K NOK 325.2K

$34.1K NOK 316.8K

2.65%

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

$43.6K NOK 404.7K

$33.4K NOK 310.5K

30.34%

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

$238 NOK 2,207

$216 NOK 2,004

10.10%

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

$38.16 NOK 355

$44.16 NOK 410

-13.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.1 NOK 595

$78.4 NOK 728

-18.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.2 NOK 513

$49.79 NOK 463

10.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.59 NOK 377

$50.1 NOK 465

-18.98%

Cinema Ticket

$19.99 NOK 186

$18.17 NOK 169

10.02%

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

$281 NOK 2,610

$319 NOK 2,966

-12.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K NOK 120.1K

$8,931 NOK 83.0K

44.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.5 NOK 841

$118 NOK 1,093

-23.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.0 NOK 510

$58.0 NOK 538

-5.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 NOK 1,034

$104 NOK 964

7.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$147 NOK 1,369

$158 NOK 1,468

-6.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 NOK 11.8K

$1,273 NOK 11.8K

0.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$997 NOK 9,263

$880 NOK 8,171

13.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,004 NOK 18.6K

$1,683 NOK 15.6K

19.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,576 NOK 14.6K

$1,469 NOK 13.6K

7.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,998 NOK 74.3K

$7,183 NOK 66.7K

11.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,773 NOK 44.3K

$4,139 NOK 38.4K

15.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,646 NOK 43.2K

$3,827 NOK 35.5K

21.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.85

4.4

10.23%

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

Last update for Bergen: June 1, 2026

Last update for Sandnes: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,275 in Bergen and $1,273 in Sandnes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 21% 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 $120 in Sandnes. Groceries flip the comparison at $490 vs $472, with Sandnes 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 Sandnes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sandnes is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 4% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Bergen pays 21% 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 $1,273 in Sandnes. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $281 in Bergen versus $319 in Sandnes. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Bergen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Sandnes is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Sandnes 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 Sandnes 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 Sandnes gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.