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: $2,626 in Bergen versus $2,478 in Tonsberg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,929 in Bergen versus $3,681 in Tonsberg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,232 in Bergen versus $4,885 in Tonsberg.

Living in Bergen is roughly 6% more expensive than in Tonsberg, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 97% above, Tonsberg 85% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.09 NOK 241

$25.36 NOK 243

-1.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$100 NOK 963

$102 NOK 980

-1.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.30 NOK 185

$13.89 NOK 133

38.95%

Cappuccino

$5.38 NOK 51.6

$4.79 NOK 45.97

12.32%

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

$3.19 NOK 30.57

$5.15 NOK 49.42

-38.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 NOK 28.61

$4.94 NOK 47.35

-39.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.57 NOK 111

$9.96 NOK 95.5

16.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.48 NOK 90.9

$9.66 NOK 92.6

-1.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.75 NOK 26.42

$2.21 NOK 21.15

24.43%

White Bread (500g)

$3.43 NOK 32.87

$3.39 NOK 32.51

1.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.87 NOK 27.48

$3.20 NOK 30.70

-10.31%

Eggs

$5.06 NOK 48.53

$4.33 NOK 41.49

16.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.90 NOK 133

$11.95 NOK 115

16.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.64 NOK 150

$14.90 NOK 143

4.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.47 NOK 263

$27.98 NOK 268

-1.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.95 NOK 37.88

$3.52 NOK 33.80

12.22%

Banana (1kg)

$3.06 NOK 29.36

$2.41 NOK 23.09

26.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.76 NOK 36.07

$3.25 NOK 31.20

15.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.74 NOK 55.1

$4.41 NOK 42.26

30.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.62 NOK 25.08

$2.45 NOK 23.46

6.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.89 NOK 27.75

$2.47 NOK 23.66

17.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 NOK 27.31

$2.74 NOK 26.24

4.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 NOK 19.86

$1.91 NOK 18.33

8.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.42 NOK 157

$14.95 NOK 143

9.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.97 NOK 172

$19.33 NOK 185

-7.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.35 NOK 32.10

$3.41 NOK 32.66

-1.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.29 NOK 41.13

$4.13 NOK 39.62

3.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.47 NOK 42.82

$4.18 NOK 40.06

6.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.6 NOK 763

$72.3 NOK 694

10.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.53 NOK 149

$10.16 NOK 97.5

52.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.25 NOK 21.56

$1.40 NOK 13.42

60.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$73.1 NOK 701

$47.45 NOK 455

53.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 NOK 21.53

$2.10 NOK 20.14

7.14%

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

$36.1K NOK 346.2K

$34.8K NOK 334.2K

3.57%

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

$43.1K NOK 413.5K

$38.7K NOK 371.6K

11.28%

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

$237 NOK 2,271

$237 NOK 2,272

-0.06%

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

$39.26 NOK 376

$37.87 NOK 363

3.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.8 NOK 612

$54.3 NOK 521

17.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 NOK 519

$49.98 NOK 479

8.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.70 NOK 390

$35.76 NOK 343

13.81%

Cinema Ticket

$20.31 NOK 195

$16.26 NOK 156

24.91%

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

$279 NOK 2,675

$285 NOK 2,734

-2.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K NOK 120.1K

$10.0K NOK 96.1K

24.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.7 NOK 889

$96.0 NOK 921

-3.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 NOK 531

$51.9 NOK 498

6.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 NOK 1,102

$110 NOK 1,052

4.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$146 NOK 1,402

$152 NOK 1,462

-4.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 NOK 12.2K

$1,226 NOK 11.8K

4.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$993 NOK 9,522

$935 NOK 8,966

6.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,042 NOK 19.6K

$1,438 NOK 13.8K

41.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 NOK 15.3K

$1,203 NOK 11.5K

32.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,553 NOK 72.4K

$5,119 NOK 49.1K

47.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,856 NOK 46.6K

$4,108 NOK 39.4K

18.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,481 NOK 43.0K

$4,407 NOK 42.3K

1.68%

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: July 20, 2026

Last update for Tonsberg: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,275 in Bergen and $1,226 in Tonsberg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 2% 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 $102 in Tonsberg. Groceries flip the comparison at $489 vs $458, 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 6% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 2% 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: $1,275 in Bergen versus $1,226 in Tonsberg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $279 in Bergen versus $285 in Tonsberg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% 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 6% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.