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: $2,907 in Bergen versus $2,357 in Skien.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,400 in Bergen versus $3,341 in Skien.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,894 in Bergen versus $4,326 in Skien.

Living in Bergen is roughly 23% more expensive than in Skien, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 112% above, Skien 72% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.49 NOK 237

$21.53 NOK 200

18.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$141 NOK 1,305

$106 NOK 989

31.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.21 NOK 150

$15.84 NOK 147

2.34%

Cappuccino

$5.63 NOK 52.3

$5.47 NOK 50.8

2.93%

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

$5.28 NOK 49.00

$4.23 NOK 39.25

24.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 NOK 43.97

$3.20 NOK 29.70

48.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.91 NOK 120

$12.01 NOK 112

7.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.52 NOK 97.7

$12.63 NOK 117

-16.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.48 NOK 23.00

$2.07 NOK 19.24

19.81%

White Bread (500g)

$3.83 NOK 35.57

$3.95 NOK 36.69

-3.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.58 NOK 33.20

$4.67 NOK 43.37

-23.34%

Eggs

$6.70 NOK 62.2

$5.80 NOK 53.8

15.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.27 NOK 142

$13.58 NOK 126

12.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.52 NOK 163

$15.54 NOK 144

12.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$35.05 NOK 325

$22.90 NOK 213

53.06%

Apples (1kg)

$4.22 NOK 39.14

$3.40 NOK 31.61

24.12%

Banana (1kg)

$2.71 NOK 25.17

$2.76 NOK 25.60

-1.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.72 NOK 34.55

$3.46 NOK 32.11

7.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.61 NOK 52.1

$6.05 NOK 56.2

-7.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.56 NOK 23.73

$2.38 NOK 22.06

7.56%

Onion (1kg)

$3.48 NOK 32.27

$2.99 NOK 27.75

16.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.03 NOK 28.12

$3.06 NOK 28.42

-0.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 NOK 18.44

$2.45 NOK 22.78

-18.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.89 NOK 166

$19.12 NOK 177

-6.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.74 NOK 174

$16.30 NOK 151

14.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.62 NOK 33.58

$3.52 NOK 32.67

2.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.24 NOK 39.39

$4.44 NOK 41.20

-4.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.17 NOK 47.97

$3.47 NOK 32.20

48.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.2 NOK 837

$48.24 NOK 448

86.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.70 NOK 118

$11.14 NOK 103

14.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 NOK 17.68

$1.91 NOK 17.75

-0.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$73.1 NOK 679

$72.6 NOK 674

0.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 NOK 20.82

$2.25 NOK 20.89

-0.44%

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

$49.8K NOK 462.0K

$48.5K NOK 450.7K

2.50%

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

$43.8K NOK 406.7K

$43.9K NOK 407.8K

-0.29%

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

$286 NOK 2,653

$97.8 NOK 908

192.17%

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

$31.94 NOK 297

$33.45 NOK 311

-4.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.6 NOK 729

$58.5 NOK 543

34.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.64 NOK 414

$41.06 NOK 381

8.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$43.59 NOK 405

Cinema Ticket

$19.25 NOK 179

$15.30 NOK 142

25.82%

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

$241 NOK 2,234

$244 NOK 2,266

-1.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K NOK 110.9K

$16.0K NOK 148.8K

-25.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 NOK 991

$63.0 NOK 585

69.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 NOK 504

$60.9 NOK 565

-10.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 NOK 1,141

$90.7 NOK 842

35.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$169 NOK 1,571

$161 NOK 1,495

5.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,514 NOK 14.1K

$1,080 NOK 10.0K

40.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,119 NOK 10.4K

$987 NOK 9,168

13.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,489 NOK 23.1K

$1,050 NOK 9,751

137.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,758 NOK 16.3K

$971 NOK 9,017

81.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,741 NOK 71.9K

$3,603 NOK 33.5K

114.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,935 NOK 45.8K

$3,179 NOK 29.5K

55.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,828 NOK 44.8K

$4,293 NOK 39.9K

12.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.31

4.37

21.51%

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

Last update for Bergen: August 30, 2026

Last update for Skien: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,514 in Bergen and $1,080 in Skien. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 12% 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 $106 in Skien for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $538 vs $481 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 23% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 12% 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 $1,080 in Skien. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $241 in Bergen versus $244 in Skien. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Bergen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,357 in Skien versus $2,907 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 23% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.