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: $2,948 in Bergen versus $3,202 in Stavanger.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,449 in Bergen versus $4,642 in Stavanger.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,950 in Bergen versus $6,082 in Stavanger.

Living in Bergen costs roughly 8% less than in Stavanger, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 115% above, Stavanger 134% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.70 NOK 233

$25.74 NOK 243

-4.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$139 NOK 1,311

$97.4 NOK 917

42.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.86 NOK 149

$16.15 NOK 152

-1.80%

Cappuccino

$5.68 NOK 53.5

$6.37 NOK 60.0

-10.83%

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

$5.31 NOK 50.0

$5.34 NOK 50.3

-0.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 NOK 42.69

$4.43 NOK 41.75

2.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.85 NOK 121

$13.88 NOK 131

-7.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.60 NOK 99.9

$12.16 NOK 115

-12.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.33 NOK 21.95

$2.50 NOK 23.55

-6.80%

White Bread (500g)

$3.90 NOK 36.77

$3.60 NOK 33.96

8.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.57 NOK 33.67

$3.96 NOK 37.33

-9.85%

Eggs

$6.62 NOK 62.4

$5.05 NOK 47.55

31.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.02 NOK 142

$15.10 NOK 142

-0.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.61 NOK 166

$17.22 NOK 162

2.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$35.64 NOK 336

$35.93 NOK 339

-0.81%

Apples (1kg)

$4.02 NOK 37.88

$3.71 NOK 34.97

8.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 NOK 26.64

$2.78 NOK 26.20

1.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.67 NOK 34.54

$3.49 NOK 32.84

5.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.50 NOK 51.8

$5.04 NOK 47.53

9.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 NOK 23.99

$2.51 NOK 23.69

1.59%

Onion (1kg)

$3.30 NOK 31.10

$3.12 NOK 29.43

5.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.94 NOK 27.70

$2.91 NOK 27.45

1.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 NOK 17.95

$2.42 NOK 22.84

-21.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.18 NOK 171

$17.89 NOK 169

1.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.23 NOK 172

$18.83 NOK 177

-3.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.52 NOK 33.20

$3.94 NOK 37.16

-10.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 NOK 41.32

$4.51 NOK 42.46

-2.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.12 NOK 48.20

$4.82 NOK 45.41

6.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.2 NOK 850

$87.4 NOK 824

3.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.62 NOK 119

$6.37 NOK 60.0

98.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 NOK 18.43

$1.72 NOK 16.18

13.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$74.5 NOK 702

$106 NOK 1,003

-30.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.37 NOK 22.33

$2.25 NOK 21.21

5.33%

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

$49.1K NOK 462.5K

$49.6K NOK 467.6K

-1.09%

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

$44.2K NOK 416.9K

$42.3K NOK 398.5K

4.61%

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

$288 NOK 2,717

$251 NOK 2,362

15.01%

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

$31.45 NOK 296

$35.70 NOK 336

-11.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.6 NOK 741

$83.6 NOK 788

-5.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.85 NOK 432

$52.5 NOK 495

-12.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$43.68 NOK 412

$37.19 NOK 350

17.45%

Cinema Ticket

$19.64 NOK 185

$22.57 NOK 213

-12.98%

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

$245 NOK 2,309

$330 NOK 3,112

-25.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K NOK 115.2K

$14.5K NOK 136.6K

-15.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 NOK 1,008

$131 NOK 1,230

-18.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 NOK 511

$60.9 NOK 574

-10.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 NOK 1,181

$158 NOK 1,492

-20.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$170 NOK 1,602

$210 NOK 1,978

-19.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 NOK 14.1K

$1,708 NOK 16.1K

-12.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,104 NOK 10.4K

$1,391 NOK 13.1K

-20.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,481 NOK 23.4K

$2,794 NOK 26.3K

-11.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,780 NOK 16.8K

$2,084 NOK 19.6K

-14.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,757 NOK 73.1K

$6,179 NOK 58.2K

25.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,967 NOK 46.8K

$5,479 NOK 51.6K

-9.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,712 NOK 44.4K

$5,006 NOK 47.2K

-5.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.31

5.27

0.76%

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

Last update for Bergen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Stavanger: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,496 in Bergen and $1,708 in Stavanger. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stavanger pays 6% 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: $139 in Bergen vs $97.0 in Stavanger for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $534 vs $532 per month, with Stavanger 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 Stavanger: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bergen is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 6% lower in Stavanger. 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: $1,496 in Bergen versus $1,708 in Stavanger. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $245 in Bergen versus $330 in Stavanger. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Stavanger pay roughly 0% 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 9% less than in Stavanger. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.