Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Tonsberg Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Tonsberg

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,594 in Bergen versus $2,542 in Tonsberg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,948 in Bergen versus $3,649 in Tonsberg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,302 in Bergen versus $4,756 in Tonsberg.

Living in Bergen is roughly 2% more expensive than Tonsberg, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 94% above, Tonsberg 90% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.44 NOK 237

$25.74 NOK 239

-1.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 NOK 940

-0.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.61 NOK 182

$13.93 NOK 130

40.78%

Cappuccino

$5.50 NOK 51.2

$4.88 NOK 45.42

12.70%

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

$3.13 NOK 29.10

$5.42 NOK 50.4

-42.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 NOK 28.17

$4.99 NOK 46.45

-39.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.80 NOK 110

$10.14 NOK 94.3

16.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.60 NOK 89.3

$9.39 NOK 87.4

2.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.65 NOK 24.65

$2.28 NOK 21.18

16.23%

White Bread (500g)

$3.31 NOK 30.83

$3.26 NOK 30.33

1.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.91 NOK 27.11

$3.30 NOK 30.71

-11.82%

Eggs

$4.83 NOK 44.96

$4.27 NOK 39.74

13.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 NOK 130

$12.26 NOK 114

13.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.71 NOK 146

$14.50 NOK 135

8.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.27 NOK 263

$28.42 NOK 264

-0.53%

Apples (1kg)

$3.78 NOK 35.17

$3.61 NOK 33.55

4.71%

Banana (1kg)

$3.09 NOK 28.72

$2.45 NOK 22.83

26.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.61 NOK 33.55

$3.28 NOK 30.46

10.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.57 NOK 51.8

$4.43 NOK 41.20

25.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.71 NOK 25.24

$2.39 NOK 22.21

13.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.75 NOK 25.59

$2.55 NOK 23.69

7.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 NOK 26.07

$2.88 NOK 26.75

-2.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 NOK 19.60

$1.86 NOK 17.28

13.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.40 NOK 153

$15.24 NOK 142

7.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.27 NOK 170

$16.36 NOK 152

11.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.31 NOK 30.80

$3.35 NOK 31.15

-1.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 NOK 40.14

$4.16 NOK 38.65

3.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.51 NOK 41.91

$4.29 NOK 39.88

5.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.4 NOK 757

$73.0 NOK 679

11.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.23 NOK 142

$10.28 NOK 95.6

48.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.23 NOK 20.75

$1.40 NOK 12.97

59.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$73.6 NOK 684

$47.03 NOK 437

56.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 NOK 19.90

$1.98 NOK 18.41

8.08%

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

$34.9K NOK 324.7K

$35.1K NOK 326.8K

-0.65%

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

$43.1K NOK 400.6K

$38.4K NOK 356.7K

12.29%

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

$240 NOK 2,227

$239 NOK 2,226

0.06%

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

$38.14 NOK 355

$38.05 NOK 354

0.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.2 NOK 606

$55.8 NOK 519

16.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.7 NOK 509

$49.84 NOK 464

9.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.54 NOK 368

$35.95 NOK 334

9.99%

Cinema Ticket

$20.28 NOK 189

$16.68 NOK 155

21.58%

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

$280 NOK 2,606

$286 NOK 2,659

-2.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K NOK 118.2K

$9,999 NOK 93.0K

27.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.3 NOK 849

$94.9 NOK 882

-3.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.5 NOK 516

$52.7 NOK 490

5.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 NOK 1,037

$108 NOK 1,005

3.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$146 NOK 1,358

$152 NOK 1,413

-3.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,308 NOK 12.2K

$1,210 NOK 11.3K

8.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$971 NOK 9,034

$924 NOK 8,595

5.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 NOK 19.0K

$1,426 NOK 13.3K

43.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 NOK 14.3K

$1,224 NOK 11.4K

25.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,924 NOK 73.7K

$5,488 NOK 51.0K

44.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,854 NOK 45.1K

$4,639 NOK 43.1K

4.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,333 NOK 40.3K

$4,643 NOK 43.2K

-6.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.85

4.38

10.73%

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

Last update for Bergen: April 21, 2026

Last update for Tonsberg: April 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,308 in Bergen and $1,210 in Tonsberg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tonsberg pays 7% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $101 in Bergen vs $101 in Tonsberg. Groceries flip the comparison at $487 vs $452, with Tonsberg 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 Tonsberg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tonsberg is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Tonsberg earns 7% 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: $1,308 in Bergen versus $1,210 in Tonsberg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $280 in Bergen versus $286 in Tonsberg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Bergen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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

For families, Tonsberg 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 Tonsberg 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 Tonsberg gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.