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: $2,658 in Bergen versus $2,519 in Sandvika.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,013 in Bergen versus $3,857 in Sandvika.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,368 in Bergen versus $5,196 in Sandvika.

Living in Bergen is roughly 6% more expensive than in Sandvika, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 100% above, Sandvika 89% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.18 NOK 239

$16.02 NOK 152

57.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 NOK 970

$95.4 NOK 904

7.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.35 NOK 183

$20.65 NOK 196

-6.30%

Cappuccino

$5.34 NOK 50.7

$3.95 NOK 37.43

35.19%

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

$3.24 NOK 30.68

$2.72 NOK 25.83

19.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 NOK 27.47

$2.17 NOK 20.59

33.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.61 NOK 110

$8.14 NOK 77.2

42.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.63 NOK 91.3

$9.76 NOK 92.6

-1.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.71 NOK 25.70

$2.48 NOK 23.48

9.27%

White Bread (500g)

$3.44 NOK 32.64

$3.37 NOK 31.95

2.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.79 NOK 26.44

$1.91 NOK 18.07

46.07%

Eggs

$5.03 NOK 47.68

$4.34 NOK 41.19

15.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.95 NOK 132

$18.78 NOK 178

-25.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.55 NOK 147

$26.09 NOK 247

-40.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.87 NOK 264

$23.55 NOK 223

18.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.81 NOK 36.09

$2.77 NOK 26.26

37.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.96 NOK 28.07

$2.43 NOK 23.08

21.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.58 NOK 33.98

$3.52 NOK 33.41

1.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.51 NOK 52.3

$3.70 NOK 35.10

48.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.60 NOK 24.70

$2.23 NOK 21.13

16.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.75 NOK 26.09

$2.53 NOK 24.01

8.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.77 NOK 26.26

$2.30 NOK 21.84

20.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 NOK 20.02

$1.56 NOK 14.75

35.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.74 NOK 159

$15.43 NOK 146

8.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.70 NOK 168

$18.03 NOK 171

-1.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.39 NOK 32.11

$3.68 NOK 34.85

-7.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 NOK 40.77

$5.03 NOK 47.73

-14.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.37 NOK 41.45

$3.91 NOK 37.07

11.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.8 NOK 757

$92.2 NOK 874

-13.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.20 NOK 144

$7.81 NOK 74.0

94.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 NOK 20.87

$1.42 NOK 13.42

54.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$72.6 NOK 689

$52.3 NOK 496

38.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 NOK 20.98

$2.34 NOK 22.23

-5.56%

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

$35.8K NOK 339.6K

$41.5K NOK 393.7K

-13.75%

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

$43.7K NOK 414.2K

$42.3K NOK 401.0K

3.29%

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

$244 NOK 2,314

$240 NOK 2,278

1.58%

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

$38.05 NOK 361

$29.72 NOK 282

28.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.4 NOK 620

$62.2 NOK 590

5.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 NOK 513

$59.7 NOK 566

-9.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.77 NOK 377

$35.10 NOK 333

13.30%

Cinema Ticket

$19.90 NOK 189

$19.92 NOK 189

-0.10%

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

$284 NOK 2,692

$296 NOK 2,806

-4.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K NOK 122.2K

$10.0K NOK 95.2K

28.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.5 NOK 877

$138 NOK 1,304

-32.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.7 NOK 528

$51.5 NOK 488

8.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 NOK 1,067

$128 NOK 1,210

-11.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 NOK 1,360

$196 NOK 1,863

-26.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 NOK 12.4K

$1,191 NOK 11.3K

9.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$997 NOK 9,455

$888 NOK 8,419

12.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,032 NOK 19.3K

$1,829 NOK 17.3K

11.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 NOK 15.1K

$1,523 NOK 14.4K

4.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,558 NOK 71.7K

$8,119 NOK 77.0K

-6.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,679 NOK 44.4K

$4,411 NOK 41.8K

6.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,385 NOK 41.6K

$5,292 NOK 50.2K

-17.15%

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: July 28, 2026

Last update for Sandvika: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,304 in Bergen and $1,191 in Sandvika. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sandvika pays 21% 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 $95.0 in Sandvika. Groceries flip the comparison at $485 vs $506, 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 6% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 21% 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: $1,304 in Bergen versus $1,191 in Sandvika. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $284 in Bergen versus $296 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 6% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.