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: $2,605 in Bergen versus $2,282 in Skien.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,923 in Bergen versus $3,202 in Skien.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,240 in Bergen versus $4,122 in Skien.

Living in Bergen is roughly 14% more expensive than Skien, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 94% above, Skien 70% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.78 NOK 240

$28.96 NOK 269

-10.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$100 NOK 931

$101 NOK 935

-0.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.96 NOK 176

$13.26 NOK 123

42.99%

Cappuccino

$5.36 NOK 49.82

$4.88 NOK 45.35

9.84%

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

$3.21 NOK 29.86

$2.47 NOK 22.94

29.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 NOK 28.14

$2.19 NOK 20.38

38.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.53 NOK 107

$9.05 NOK 84.0

27.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.67 NOK 89.8

Milk (1 liter)

$2.64 NOK 24.50

$2.02 NOK 18.73

30.69%

White Bread (500g)

$3.36 NOK 31.20

$3.30 NOK 30.67

1.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.90 NOK 26.92

$3.15 NOK 29.30

-7.94%

Eggs

$5.11 NOK 47.45

$4.20 NOK 39.01

21.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 NOK 130

$11.36 NOK 106

22.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.06 NOK 149

$14.22 NOK 132

12.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.05 NOK 261

$25.44 NOK 236

10.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.75 NOK 34.84

$3.76 NOK 34.89

-0.27%

Banana (1kg)

$2.94 NOK 27.29

$2.32 NOK 21.55

26.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.61 NOK 33.56

$3.30 NOK 30.63

9.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.52 NOK 51.3

$4.02 NOK 37.36

37.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 NOK 25.24

$2.29 NOK 21.26

18.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.77 NOK 25.73

$2.16 NOK 20.07

28.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 NOK 26.45

$2.94 NOK 27.36

-3.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 NOK 19.95

$1.89 NOK 17.55

13.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.93 NOK 157

$18.86 NOK 175

-10.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.39 NOK 171

$15.87 NOK 147

15.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.35 NOK 31.08

$3.33 NOK 30.97

0.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 NOK 39.68

$3.95 NOK 36.67

8.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.56 NOK 42.40

$2.69 NOK 25.02

69.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 NOK 748

$44.33 NOK 412

81.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.36 NOK 143

$36.08 NOK 335

-57.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.28 NOK 21.15

$1.46 NOK 13.57

56.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$72.7 NOK 675

$99.7 NOK 926

-27.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.16 NOK 20.11

$2.09 NOK 19.41

3.35%

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

$35.0K NOK 325.2K

$25.7K NOK 238.9K

36.10%

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

$43.6K NOK 404.7K

$35.8K NOK 332.2K

21.82%

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

$238 NOK 2,207

$96.6 NOK 897

145.91%

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

$38.16 NOK 355

$37.34 NOK 347

2.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.1 NOK 595

$38.51 NOK 358

66.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.2 NOK 513

$38.00 NOK 353

45.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.59 NOK 377

$34.76 NOK 323

16.77%

Cinema Ticket

$19.99 NOK 186

$14.39 NOK 134

38.92%

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

$281 NOK 2,610

$312 NOK 2,900

-10.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K NOK 120.1K

$10.1K NOK 93.9K

27.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.5 NOK 841

$40.85 NOK 380

121.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.0 NOK 510

$35.21 NOK 327

56.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 NOK 1,034

$92.8 NOK 862

19.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$147 NOK 1,369

$153 NOK 1,421

-3.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 NOK 11.8K

$961 NOK 8,931

32.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$997 NOK 9,263

$1,000 NOK 9,291

-0.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,004 NOK 18.6K

$1,101 NOK 10.2K

81.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,576 NOK 14.6K

$902 NOK 8,381

74.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,998 NOK 74.3K

$3,561 NOK 33.1K

124.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,773 NOK 44.3K

$3,271 NOK 30.4K

45.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,646 NOK 43.2K

$4,269 NOK 39.7K

8.83%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Skien: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,275 in Bergen and $961 in Skien. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 9% 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: $100 in Bergen vs $101 in Skien. Groceries flip the comparison at $490 vs $432, with Skien 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 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 14% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Bergen pays 9% more on average, 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: $1,275 in Bergen versus $961 in Skien. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $281 in Bergen versus $312 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 $2,282 in Skien versus $2,605 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 14% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.