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: $2,907 in Bergen versus $2,699 in Sandnes.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,400 in Bergen versus $4,203 in Sandnes.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,894 in Bergen versus $5,708 in Sandnes.

Living in Bergen is roughly 8% more expensive than in Sandnes, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 112% above, Sandnes 96% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.49 NOK 237

$25.98 NOK 241

-1.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$141 NOK 1,305

$97.6 NOK 906

43.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.21 NOK 150

$15.53 NOK 144

4.38%

Cappuccino

$5.63 NOK 52.3

$5.86 NOK 54.4

-3.92%

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

$5.28 NOK 49.00

$3.53 NOK 32.73

49.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 NOK 43.97

$2.94 NOK 27.29

61.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.91 NOK 120

$13.88 NOK 129

-6.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.52 NOK 97.7

$12.47 NOK 116

-15.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.48 NOK 23.00

$2.43 NOK 22.52

2.06%

White Bread (500g)

$3.83 NOK 35.57

$3.58 NOK 33.27

6.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.58 NOK 33.20

$2.55 NOK 23.66

40.39%

Eggs

$6.70 NOK 62.2

$4.80 NOK 44.59

39.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.27 NOK 142

$13.82 NOK 128

10.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.52 NOK 163

$16.35 NOK 152

7.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$35.05 NOK 325

$32.90 NOK 305

6.53%

Apples (1kg)

$4.22 NOK 39.14

$3.64 NOK 33.84

15.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.71 NOK 25.17

$2.81 NOK 26.08

-3.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.72 NOK 34.55

$3.18 NOK 29.56

16.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.61 NOK 52.1

$4.97 NOK 46.12

12.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.56 NOK 23.73

$2.53 NOK 23.52

1.19%

Onion (1kg)

$3.48 NOK 32.27

$2.34 NOK 21.74

48.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.03 NOK 28.12

$2.78 NOK 25.80

8.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 NOK 18.44

$2.41 NOK 22.34

-17.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.89 NOK 166

$16.68 NOK 155

7.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.74 NOK 174

$17.14 NOK 159

9.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.62 NOK 33.58

$3.28 NOK 30.49

10.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.24 NOK 39.39

$4.39 NOK 40.74

-3.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.17 NOK 47.97

$4.85 NOK 45.00

6.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.2 NOK 837

$86.3 NOK 801

4.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.70 NOK 118

$6.41 NOK 59.5

98.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 NOK 17.68

$1.80 NOK 16.75

5.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$73.1 NOK 679

$48.95 NOK 454

49.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 NOK 20.82

$2.25 NOK 20.85

-0.44%

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

$49.8K NOK 462.0K

$45.1K NOK 418.3K

10.43%

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

$43.8K NOK 406.7K

$39.0K NOK 361.9K

12.37%

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

$286 NOK 2,653

$256 NOK 2,378

11.57%

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

$31.94 NOK 297

$35.65 NOK 331

-10.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.6 NOK 729

$83.4 NOK 775

-5.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.64 NOK 414

$46.60 NOK 433

-4.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$43.59 NOK 405

$54.0 NOK 501

-19.23%

Cinema Ticket

$19.25 NOK 179

$19.63 NOK 182

-1.94%

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

$241 NOK 2,234

$291 NOK 2,705

-17.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K NOK 110.9K

$9,807 NOK 91.1K

21.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 NOK 991

$130 NOK 1,205

-17.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 NOK 504

$60.3 NOK 560

-10.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 NOK 1,141

$121 NOK 1,120

1.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$169 NOK 1,571

$193 NOK 1,795

-12.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,514 NOK 14.1K

$1,339 NOK 12.4K

13.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,119 NOK 10.4K

$966 NOK 8,967

15.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,489 NOK 23.1K

$2,029 NOK 18.8K

22.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,758 NOK 16.3K

$1,824 NOK 16.9K

-3.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,741 NOK 71.9K

$7,133 NOK 66.2K

8.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,935 NOK 45.8K

$4,060 NOK 37.7K

21.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,828 NOK 44.8K

$3,736 NOK 34.7K

29.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.31

5.22

1.72%

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

Last update for Bergen: August 30, 2026

Last update for Sandnes: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,514 in Bergen and $1,339 in Sandnes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 29% 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: $141 in Bergen vs $98.0 in Sandnes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $538 vs $496 per month, with Sandnes cheaper across the board.

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. The 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 29% 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: $1,514 in Bergen versus $1,339 in Sandnes. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $241 in Bergen versus $291 in Sandnes. 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 $2,500. 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 8% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.