Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Skien Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Skien

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,650 in Bergen versus $2,347 in Skien.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,988 in Bergen versus $3,223 in Skien.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,327 in Bergen versus $4,098 in Skien.

Living in Bergen is roughly 13% more expensive than in Skien, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 98% above, Skien 76% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.72 NOK 248

$28.93 NOK 279

-11.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$103 NOK 994

$99.7 NOK 961

3.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.51 NOK 188

$13.15 NOK 127

48.37%

Cappuccino

$5.42 NOK 52.3

$4.94 NOK 47.68

9.72%

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

$3.20 NOK 30.86

$2.52 NOK 24.31

26.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 NOK 27.90

$2.23 NOK 21.50

29.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.82 NOK 114

$9.22 NOK 88.9

28.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.78 NOK 94.3

$9.88 NOK 95.2

-1.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.65 NOK 25.56

$1.94 NOK 18.68

36.60%

White Bread (500g)

$3.28 NOK 31.62

$3.41 NOK 32.91

-3.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.88 NOK 27.80

$3.33 NOK 32.11

-13.51%

Eggs

$4.90 NOK 47.29

$4.22 NOK 40.65

16.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.20 NOK 137

$11.58 NOK 112

22.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.06 NOK 155

$14.14 NOK 136

13.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.21 NOK 272

$25.44 NOK 245

10.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.94 NOK 38.03

$3.75 NOK 36.15

5.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.96 NOK 28.55

$2.26 NOK 21.76

30.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.75 NOK 36.21

$3.27 NOK 31.49

14.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.62 NOK 54.2

$4.02 NOK 38.77

39.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.73 NOK 26.32

$2.22 NOK 21.44

22.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.91 NOK 28.07

$2.12 NOK 20.42

37.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 NOK 27.03

$3.00 NOK 28.90

-6.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 NOK 20.66

$1.89 NOK 18.26

13.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.95 NOK 163

$19.24 NOK 185

-11.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.26 NOK 166

$15.31 NOK 148

12.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.30 NOK 31.84

$3.29 NOK 31.75

0.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 NOK 42.22

$3.86 NOK 37.21

13.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.47 NOK 43.12

$2.67 NOK 25.76

67.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.2 NOK 783

$43.34 NOK 418

87.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.23 NOK 147

$35.68 NOK 344

-57.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.25 NOK 21.68

$1.45 NOK 13.93

55.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$72.5 NOK 700

$100 NOK 967

-27.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 NOK 20.53

$2.18 NOK 21.01

-2.29%

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

$35.3K NOK 340.8K

$25.6K NOK 247.1K

37.92%

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

$43.1K NOK 415.5K

$35.6K NOK 343.7K

20.89%

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

$242 NOK 2,336

$98.7 NOK 951

145.58%

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

$38.51 NOK 371

$38.06 NOK 367

1.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.7 NOK 624

$38.32 NOK 370

68.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.9 NOK 520

$37.33 NOK 360

44.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.36 NOK 389

$35.73 NOK 345

12.96%

Cinema Ticket

$20.20 NOK 195

$13.95 NOK 135

44.80%

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

$286 NOK 2,756

$307 NOK 2,957

-6.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K NOK 121.1K

$10.2K NOK 98.4K

23.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.1 NOK 878

$39.71 NOK 383

129.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.5 NOK 535

$35.38 NOK 341

56.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 NOK 1,072

$90.2 NOK 869

23.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$145 NOK 1,401

$152 NOK 1,464

-4.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,284 NOK 12.4K

$971 NOK 9,366

32.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$976 NOK 9,408

$976 NOK 9,407

0.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,019 NOK 19.5K

$1,122 NOK 10.8K

80.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,558 NOK 15.0K

$914 NOK 8,817

70.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,575 NOK 73.0K

$3,335 NOK 32.2K

127.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,645 NOK 44.8K

$3,041 NOK 29.3K

52.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,344 NOK 41.9K

$4,036 NOK 38.9K

7.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.85

3.8

27.63%

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

Last update for Bergen: July 12, 2026

Last update for Skien: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,284 in Bergen and $971 in Skien. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 8% 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 $100 in Skien for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $489 vs $431 per month, with Skien 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 Skien: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Skien is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 8% 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 $971 in Skien. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $286 in Bergen versus $307 in Skien. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Bergen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,347 in Skien versus $2,650 in Bergen, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Skien but tight or insufficient in Bergen. The gap between the two cities makes Skien the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Skien 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 Skien 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 Skien gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.