Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Stavanger Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Stavanger

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,612 in Bergen versus $2,773 in Stavanger.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,989 in Bergen versus $4,172 in Stavanger.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,367 in Bergen versus $5,570 in Stavanger.

Living in Bergen costs roughly 6% less than in Stavanger, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 96% above, Stavanger 108% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.50 NOK 242

$25.16 NOK 238

1.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 NOK 953

$120 NOK 1,137

-16.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.48 NOK 184

$14.88 NOK 141

30.91%

Cappuccino

$5.59 NOK 53.0

$5.21 NOK 49.33

7.29%

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

$3.22 NOK 30.50

$3.91 NOK 37.04

-17.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 NOK 28.83

$3.35 NOK 31.75

-9.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.42 NOK 108

$10.96 NOK 104

4.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.86 NOK 93.4

$10.32 NOK 97.8

-4.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.63 NOK 24.96

$2.34 NOK 22.21

12.39%

White Bread (500g)

$3.41 NOK 32.29

$3.14 NOK 29.78

8.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.90 NOK 27.49

$4.45 NOK 42.15

-34.83%

Eggs

$4.99 NOK 47.31

$4.47 NOK 42.30

11.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.94 NOK 132

$13.02 NOK 123

7.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.90 NOK 151

$16.38 NOK 155

-2.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.89 NOK 264

$27.93 NOK 265

-0.14%

Apples (1kg)

$3.89 NOK 36.87

$3.59 NOK 34.00

8.36%

Banana (1kg)

$3.08 NOK 29.18

$2.55 NOK 24.13

20.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.62 NOK 34.34

$3.06 NOK 28.99

18.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.76 NOK 54.6

$4.74 NOK 44.89

21.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 NOK 24.99

$2.15 NOK 20.36

22.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 NOK 27.32

$2.91 NOK 27.57

-1.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 NOK 27.41

$2.53 NOK 23.96

14.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 NOK 20.31

$1.74 NOK 16.51

22.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.57 NOK 157

$14.98 NOK 142

10.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.71 NOK 168

$18.43 NOK 175

-3.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.32 NOK 31.44

$3.62 NOK 34.32

-8.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 NOK 40.00

$4.14 NOK 39.23

1.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.47 NOK 42.30

$4.45 NOK 42.11

0.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.3 NOK 751

$68.1 NOK 645

16.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.50 NOK 147

$15.31 NOK 145

1.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.23 NOK 21.12

$2.13 NOK 20.21

4.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$73.3 NOK 695

$100 NOK 951

-26.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 NOK 20.94

$2.22 NOK 21.07

-0.45%

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

$35.1K NOK 332.9K

$34.2K NOK 324.3K

2.64%

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

$43.4K NOK 411.2K

$33.3K NOK 315.6K

30.30%

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

$244 NOK 2,312

$191 NOK 1,812

27.62%

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

$38.98 NOK 369

$42.07 NOK 398

-7.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.7 NOK 612

$81.5 NOK 772

-20.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 NOK 514

$55.9 NOK 530

-3.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.42 NOK 383

$35.10 NOK 332

15.16%

Cinema Ticket

$19.90 NOK 189

$18.95 NOK 180

5.01%

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

$288 NOK 2,730

$314 NOK 2,976

-8.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K NOK 121.9K

$12.8K NOK 121.5K

0.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.3 NOK 846

$117 NOK 1,110

-23.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.2 NOK 532

$60.1 NOK 569

-6.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 NOK 1,066

$105 NOK 994

7.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$147 NOK 1,390

$156 NOK 1,480

-6.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 NOK 12.0K

$1,591 NOK 15.1K

-20.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$979 NOK 9,277

$1,148 NOK 10.9K

-14.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,054 NOK 19.5K

$2,775 NOK 26.3K

-25.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 NOK 14.7K

$1,773 NOK 16.8K

-12.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,700 NOK 72.9K

$6,070 NOK 57.5K

26.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,716 NOK 44.7K

$5,176 NOK 49.0K

-8.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,514 NOK 42.8K

$4,897 NOK 46.4K

-7.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.85

4.51

7.54%

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

Last update for Bergen: June 15, 2026

Last update for Stavanger: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,268 in Bergen and $1,591 in Stavanger. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stavanger 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: $101 in Bergen vs $120 in Stavanger. Groceries flip the comparison at $490 vs $471, with Stavanger 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 Stavanger: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bergen is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 6% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Stavanger earns 8% less. 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: $1,268 in Bergen versus $1,591 in Stavanger. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $288 in Bergen versus $314 in Stavanger. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Stavanger pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Bergen is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Bergen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Stavanger, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Bergen and Stavanger 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 Bergen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Stavanger. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.