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: $2,650 in Bergen versus $2,541 in Sandnes.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,988 in Bergen versus $3,940 in Sandnes.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,327 in Bergen versus $5,340 in Sandnes.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 98% above, Sandnes 90% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.72 NOK 248

$28.47 NOK 274

-9.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$103 NOK 993

$122 NOK 1,177

-15.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.51 NOK 188

$13.21 NOK 127

47.69%

Cappuccino

$5.42 NOK 52.2

$5.23 NOK 50.4

3.63%

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

$3.20 NOK 30.82

$3.50 NOK 33.71

-8.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 NOK 27.87

$2.95 NOK 28.39

-2.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.82 NOK 114

$10.20 NOK 98.2

15.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.78 NOK 94.2

$10.03 NOK 96.6

-2.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.65 NOK 25.54

$2.11 NOK 20.29

25.59%

White Bread (500g)

$3.28 NOK 31.58

$3.42 NOK 32.96

-4.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.88 NOK 27.77

$3.21 NOK 30.93

-10.28%

Eggs

$4.90 NOK 47.23

$4.26 NOK 41.07

15.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.20 NOK 137

$12.53 NOK 121

13.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.06 NOK 155

$13.98 NOK 135

14.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.21 NOK 272

$36.26 NOK 349

-22.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.94 NOK 37.99

$3.61 NOK 34.78

9.14%

Banana (1kg)

$2.96 NOK 28.52

$2.56 NOK 24.70

15.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.75 NOK 36.17

$3.06 NOK 29.47

22.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.62 NOK 54.2

$4.72 NOK 45.47

19.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.73 NOK 26.29

$2.19 NOK 21.13

24.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.91 NOK 28.04

$2.26 NOK 21.78

28.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 NOK 27.00

$2.80 NOK 26.94

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 NOK 20.64

$1.89 NOK 18.24

13.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.95 NOK 163

$15.08 NOK 145

12.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.26 NOK 166

$16.15 NOK 156

6.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.30 NOK 31.80

$3.19 NOK 30.74

3.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 NOK 42.18

$4.01 NOK 38.60

9.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.47 NOK 43.07

$4.19 NOK 40.36

6.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.2 NOK 783

$69.8 NOK 672

16.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.23 NOK 147

$14.93 NOK 144

2.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.25 NOK 21.66

$2.05 NOK 19.77

9.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$72.5 NOK 699

$46.06 NOK 444

57.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 NOK 20.51

$2.11 NOK 20.33

0.95%

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

$35.3K NOK 340.4K

$35.0K NOK 337.4K

0.88%

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

$43.1K NOK 415.0K

$32.3K NOK 311.4K

33.26%

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

$242 NOK 2,333

$223 NOK 2,145

8.77%

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

$38.51 NOK 371

$43.73 NOK 421

-11.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.7 NOK 623

$78.8 NOK 759

-17.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.9 NOK 520

$50.2 NOK 483

7.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.36 NOK 389

$50.8 NOK 489

-20.47%

Cinema Ticket

$20.20 NOK 195

$18.46 NOK 178

9.43%

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

$286 NOK 2,753

$322 NOK 3,100

-11.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K NOK 121.0K

$9,185 NOK 88.5K

36.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.1 NOK 878

$120 NOK 1,156

-24.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.5 NOK 535

$59.8 NOK 576

-7.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 NOK 1,071

$104 NOK 1,001

7.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$145 NOK 1,400

$158 NOK 1,520

-7.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,284 NOK 12.4K

$1,260 NOK 12.1K

1.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$976 NOK 9,397

$852 NOK 8,202

14.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,019 NOK 19.4K

$1,690 NOK 16.3K

19.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,558 NOK 15.0K

$1,465 NOK 14.1K

6.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,575 NOK 73.0K

$6,886 NOK 66.3K

10.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,645 NOK 44.7K

$3,934 NOK 37.9K

18.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,344 NOK 41.8K

$3,554 NOK 34.2K

22.20%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Sandnes: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,284 in Bergen and $1,260 in Sandnes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 22% 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 $122 in Sandnes. Groceries flip the comparison at $489 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.

Average pay runs 22% 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 $1,260 in Sandnes. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $286 in Bergen versus $322 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.