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: $2,612 in Bergen versus $2,499 in Sandvika.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,989 in Bergen versus $3,860 in Sandvika.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,367 in Bergen versus $5,221 in Sandvika.

Living in Bergen is roughly 5% more expensive than in Sandvika, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 96% above, Sandvika 87% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.50 NOK 248

$16.45 NOK 160

55.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 NOK 980

$95.6 NOK 931

5.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.48 NOK 190

$20.54 NOK 200

-5.16%

Cappuccino

$5.59 NOK 54.5

$3.91 NOK 38.09

42.97%

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

$3.22 NOK 31.36

$2.85 NOK 27.75

12.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 NOK 29.64

$2.20 NOK 21.44

38.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.42 NOK 111

$8.16 NOK 79.5

39.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.86 NOK 96.0

$9.52 NOK 92.7

3.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.63 NOK 25.66

$2.48 NOK 24.20

6.05%

White Bread (500g)

$3.41 NOK 33.20

$3.42 NOK 33.27

-0.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.90 NOK 28.27

$1.89 NOK 18.42

53.44%

Eggs

$4.99 NOK 48.65

$4.21 NOK 40.97

18.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.94 NOK 136

$18.89 NOK 184

-26.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.90 NOK 155

$26.35 NOK 257

-39.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.89 NOK 272

$23.47 NOK 229

18.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.89 NOK 37.91

$2.67 NOK 26.04

45.69%

Banana (1kg)

$3.08 NOK 30.01

$2.55 NOK 24.85

20.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.62 NOK 35.31

$3.44 NOK 33.54

5.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.76 NOK 56.1

$3.75 NOK 36.53

53.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 NOK 25.70

$2.13 NOK 20.70

23.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 NOK 28.10

$2.52 NOK 24.58

14.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 NOK 28.19

$2.31 NOK 22.50

25.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 NOK 20.89

$1.54 NOK 15.03

38.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.57 NOK 161

$15.56 NOK 152

6.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.71 NOK 172

$18.23 NOK 178

-2.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.32 NOK 32.33

$3.58 NOK 34.85

-7.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 NOK 41.13

$5.29 NOK 51.5

-20.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.47 NOK 43.50

$3.83 NOK 37.29

16.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.3 NOK 772

$91.1 NOK 888

-13.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.50 NOK 151

$8.01 NOK 78.1

93.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.23 NOK 21.72

$1.34 NOK 13.08

66.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$73.3 NOK 714

$52.0 NOK 506

41.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 NOK 21.53

$2.27 NOK 22.12

-2.64%

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

$35.1K NOK 342.3K

$41.9K NOK 408.5K

-16.21%

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

$43.4K NOK 422.9K

$42.4K NOK 413.0K

2.40%

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

$244 NOK 2,378

$239 NOK 2,331

2.02%

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

$38.98 NOK 380

$30.56 NOK 298

27.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.7 NOK 630

$62.9 NOK 612

2.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 NOK 528

$61.6 NOK 600

-12.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.42 NOK 394

$35.92 NOK 350

12.53%

Cinema Ticket

$19.90 NOK 194

$20.39 NOK 199

-2.40%

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

$288 NOK 2,808

$293 NOK 2,852

-1.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K NOK 125.3K

$10.3K NOK 99.9K

25.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.3 NOK 870

$135 NOK 1,318

-34.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.2 NOK 547

$51.0 NOK 497

10.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 NOK 1,096

$125 NOK 1,213

-9.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$147 NOK 1,430

$201 NOK 1,953

-26.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 NOK 12.4K

$1,191 NOK 11.6K

6.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$979 NOK 9,540

$896 NOK 8,723

9.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,054 NOK 20.0K

$1,854 NOK 18.1K

10.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 NOK 15.1K

$1,521 NOK 14.8K

1.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,700 NOK 75.0K

$8,252 NOK 80.4K

-6.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,716 NOK 45.9K

$4,470 NOK 43.5K

5.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,514 NOK 44.0K

$5,210 NOK 50.8K

-13.36%

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: June 15, 2026

Last update for Sandvika: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,268 in Bergen and $1,191 in Sandvika. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sandvika pays 15% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $101 in Bergen vs $96.0 in Sandvika. Groceries flip the comparison at $490 vs $508, 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 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 15% lower in Sandvika. 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: $1,268 in Bergen versus $1,191 in Sandvika. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $288 in Bergen versus $293 in Sandvika. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Bergen pay roughly 4% 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 5% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.