Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Sandvika Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Sandvika

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,688 in Bergen versus $2,512 in Sandvika.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,981 in Bergen versus $3,866 in Sandvika.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,273 in Bergen versus $5,220 in Sandvika.

Living in Bergen is roughly 7% more expensive than Sandvika, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 101% above, Sandvika 88% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.64 NOK 239

$16.28 NOK 152

57.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 NOK 948

$94.3 NOK 879

7.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.93 NOK 176

$20.76 NOK 194

-8.82%

Cappuccino

$5.60 NOK 52.2

$3.96 NOK 36.88

41.41%

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

$3.11 NOK 28.95

$2.87 NOK 26.76

8.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 NOK 27.05

$2.29 NOK 21.33

26.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.69 NOK 109

$8.06 NOK 75.1

45.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.43 NOK 87.9

$9.50 NOK 88.6

-0.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.75 NOK 25.64

$2.41 NOK 22.49

14.11%

White Bread (500g)

$3.30 NOK 30.73

$3.45 NOK 32.13

-4.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.81 NOK 26.16

$1.90 NOK 17.74

47.89%

Eggs

$4.86 NOK 45.27

$4.20 NOK 39.17

15.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.19 NOK 132

$18.62 NOK 174

-23.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.59 NOK 145

$25.89 NOK 241

-39.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.20 NOK 263

$23.46 NOK 219

20.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.87 NOK 36.11

$2.69 NOK 25.06

43.87%

Banana (1kg)

$3.06 NOK 28.54

$2.41 NOK 22.45

26.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.61 NOK 33.64

$3.55 NOK 33.06

1.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.57 NOK 51.9

$3.64 NOK 33.89

53.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.70 NOK 25.18

$2.16 NOK 20.18

25.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.86 NOK 26.65

$2.42 NOK 22.59

18.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 NOK 25.89

$2.26 NOK 21.04

23.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 NOK 19.77

$1.51 NOK 14.04

40.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.39 NOK 153

$15.21 NOK 142

7.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.35 NOK 171

$19.25 NOK 179

-4.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.27 NOK 30.52

$3.61 NOK 33.63

-9.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 NOK 40.95

$5.29 NOK 49.30

-17.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.43 NOK 41.24

$3.77 NOK 35.17

17.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.3 NOK 758

$89.8 NOK 837

-9.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.40 NOK 144

$7.99 NOK 74.5

92.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.29 NOK 21.30

$1.36 NOK 12.66

68.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$73.1 NOK 681

$52.0 NOK 484

40.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 NOK 20.02

$2.29 NOK 21.36

-6.11%

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

$35.0K NOK 326.4K

$42.0K NOK 391.0K

-16.52%

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

$42.3K NOK 394.4K

$41.6K NOK 387.5K

1.77%

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

$245 NOK 2,284

$243 NOK 2,265

0.83%

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

$38.87 NOK 362

$29.89 NOK 279

30.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.9 NOK 605

$63.9 NOK 595

1.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.3 NOK 515

$60.8 NOK 566

-9.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.54 NOK 369

$35.14 NOK 327

12.52%

Cinema Ticket

$20.55 NOK 192

$20.09 NOK 187

2.29%

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

$279 NOK 2,597

$297 NOK 2,772

-6.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K NOK 120.8K

$10.2K NOK 94.9K

27.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.8 NOK 837

$135 NOK 1,255

-33.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.2 NOK 515

$49.70 NOK 463

11.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 NOK 1,061

$126 NOK 1,175

-9.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 NOK 1,340

$200 NOK 1,868

-28.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 NOK 12.0K

$1,219 NOK 11.4K

5.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$967 NOK 9,014

$905 NOK 8,436

6.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,994 NOK 18.6K

$1,806 NOK 16.8K

10.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 NOK 14.7K

$1,560 NOK 14.5K

0.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,978 NOK 74.4K

$8,382 NOK 78.1K

-4.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 NOK 46.6K

$4,525 NOK 42.2K

10.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,447 NOK 41.4K

$5,337 NOK 49.7K

-16.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.85

4.8

1.04%

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

Last update for Bergen: April 25, 2026

Last update for Sandvika: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,287 in Bergen and $1,219 in Sandvika. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sandvika pays 20% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $102 in Bergen vs $94.0 in Sandvika. Groceries flip the comparison at $489 vs $505, with Bergen 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 Sandvika: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sandvika is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Sandvika earns 20% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,287 in Bergen versus $1,219 in Sandvika. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $279 in Bergen versus $297 in Sandvika. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Bergen pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Sandvika is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Sandvika 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 Sandvika 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 Sandvika gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.