Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Skien

For one person, living is cheaper in Skien: $2,336 a month against $2,869 in Bergen, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

140

Cost of Living Index in Bergen
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Bergen Living Index
113

Cost of Living Index in Skien
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Skien Living Index

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Bergen

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,869

/mo nomad

Skien

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,336

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bergen and in Skien

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Bergen and in Skien actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,869 in Bergen versus $2,336 in Skien.

Bergen $2,869
Skien $2,336

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,330 in Bergen versus $3,267 in Skien.

Bergen $4,330
Skien $3,267

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,790 in Bergen versus $4,197 in Skien.

Bergen $5,790
Skien $4,197

Living in Bergen is roughly 23% more expensive than in Skien, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 113% above, Skien 73% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.37 NOK 220

$21.21 NOK 200

10.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$134 NOK 1,263

$103 NOK 971

30.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.56 NOK 147

$15.47 NOK 146

0.58%

Cappuccino

$5.30 NOK 49.86

$5.11 NOK 48.11

3.72%

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

$5.07 NOK 47.70

$4.36 NOK 41.01

16.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 NOK 42.48

$2.97 NOK 27.96

51.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.55 NOK 118

$11.89 NOK 112

5.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.56 NOK 99.4

$12.33 NOK 116

-14.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 NOK 20.66

$2.11 NOK 19.84

3.79%

White Bread (500g)

$3.92 NOK 36.88

$3.92 NOK 36.90

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.42 NOK 32.20

$4.57 NOK 42.98

-25.16%

Eggs

$6.34 NOK 59.7

$5.66 NOK 53.3

12.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.80 NOK 139

$13.16 NOK 124

12.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.41 NOK 164

$15.17 NOK 143

14.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$36.51 NOK 344

$21.79 NOK 205

67.55%

Apples (1kg)

$4.12 NOK 38.83

$3.35 NOK 31.49

22.99%

Banana (1kg)

$2.68 NOK 25.22

$2.70 NOK 25.42

-0.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.48 NOK 32.77

$3.49 NOK 32.86

-0.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.46 NOK 51.4

$5.95 NOK 56.0

-8.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.51 NOK 23.59

$2.24 NOK 21.04

12.05%

Onion (1kg)

$3.38 NOK 31.78

$2.78 NOK 26.12

21.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.83 NOK 26.68

$3.04 NOK 28.63

-6.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 NOK 16.84

$2.48 NOK 23.33

-27.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.41 NOK 164

$19.02 NOK 179

-8.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.96 NOK 178

$15.76 NOK 148

20.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.58 NOK 33.66

$3.35 NOK 31.58

6.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 NOK 39.70

$4.33 NOK 40.76

-2.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.05 NOK 47.54

$3.26 NOK 30.64

54.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.0 NOK 800

$47.91 NOK 451

77.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.36 NOK 116

$11.13 NOK 105

11.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 NOK 18.05

$1.81 NOK 17.02

6.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$71.5 NOK 673

$70.8 NOK 667

1.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.44 NOK 22.96

$2.27 NOK 21.39

7.49%

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

$48.7K NOK 458.5K

$47.5K NOK 447.3K

2.51%

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

$43.0K NOK 405.0K

$43.4K NOK 408.1K

-0.77%

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

$281 NOK 2,641

$93.9 NOK 884

198.88%

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

$32.84 NOK 309

$33.89 NOK 319

-3.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$81.5 NOK 767

$53.6 NOK 504

52.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.18 NOK 425

$43.10 NOK 406

4.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.91 NOK 404

Cinema Ticket

$18.56 NOK 175

$15.29 NOK 144

21.39%

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

$239 NOK 2,251

$239 NOK 2,247

0.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K NOK 109.6K

$15.7K NOK 148.1K

-25.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 NOK 1,003

$63.7 NOK 600

67.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.3 NOK 502

$60.4 NOK 568

-11.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 NOK 1,116

$87.9 NOK 827

34.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 NOK 1,534

$153 NOK 1,442

6.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,483 NOK 14.0K

$1,042 NOK 9,811

42.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,117 NOK 10.5K

$975 NOK 9,183

14.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,327 NOK 21.9K

$1,035 NOK 9,746

124.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,714 NOK 16.1K

$939 NOK 8,841

82.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,835 NOK 73.8K

$3,395 NOK 32.0K

130.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,754 NOK 44.8K

$3,149 NOK 29.6K

50.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,567 NOK 43.0K

$4,236 NOK 39.9K

7.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.27

4.37

20.59%

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

Last update for Bergen: October 12, 2026

Last update for Skien: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Bergen

$1.1K 38.9%

Skien

$975 41.8% 12.6% $141

Groceries & Markets

Bergen

$530 18.5%

Skien

$470 20.1% 11.5% $61

Eating Out

Bergen

$419 14.6%

Skien

$391 16.7% 6.8% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bergen

$395 13.8%

Skien

$181 7.8% 54.1% $214

Clothing & Footwear

Bergen

$199 6.9%

Skien

$164 7% 17.3% $34

Getting Around

Bergen

$127 4.4%

Skien

$81 3.5% 36.2% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Bergen

$82 2.9%

Skien

$74 3.2% 10.5% $8.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,483 in Bergen and $1,042 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: $134 in Bergen vs $103 in Skien for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $530 vs $470 per month, with Skien cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇴 Bergen

🇳🇴 Skien

🕒 Local time

17:45 5:45 PM

Same time as Bergen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

292,482

56,769

💱 Currency

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 NOK = 10.62 USD

100 NOK = 9.45 EUR

100 NOK = 10.62 USD

100 NOK = 9.45 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

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Between locations

Bergen Skien 270 km

From you

Bergen
Skien

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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, eating out, and clothing. The 23% 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: $1,483 in Bergen versus $1,042 in Skien. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $239 in Bergen versus $239 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 $2,336 in Skien versus $2,869 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.