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: $2,605 in Bergen versus $2,498 in Tonsberg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,923 in Bergen versus $3,682 in Tonsberg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,240 in Bergen versus $4,866 in Tonsberg.

Living in Bergen is roughly 4% more expensive than Tonsberg, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 94% above, Tonsberg 86% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.78 NOK 244

$25.57 NOK 242

0.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$100 NOK 947

$101 NOK 955

-0.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.96 NOK 179

$13.53 NOK 128

40.13%

Cappuccino

$5.36 NOK 50.7

$4.83 NOK 45.65

10.97%

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

$3.21 NOK 30.39

$5.42 NOK 51.2

-40.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 NOK 28.63

$4.97 NOK 46.94

-39.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.53 NOK 109

$10.21 NOK 96.5

12.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.67 NOK 91.4

$9.46 NOK 89.5

2.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.64 NOK 24.93

$2.22 NOK 20.96

18.92%

White Bread (500g)

$3.36 NOK 31.75

$3.30 NOK 31.24

1.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.90 NOK 27.39

$3.18 NOK 30.10

-8.81%

Eggs

$5.11 NOK 48.28

$4.27 NOK 40.36

19.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 NOK 132

$11.82 NOK 112

18.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.06 NOK 152

$14.84 NOK 140

8.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.05 NOK 265

$28.32 NOK 268

-0.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.75 NOK 35.46

$3.42 NOK 32.36

9.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.94 NOK 27.77

$2.39 NOK 22.58

23.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.61 NOK 34.15

$3.43 NOK 32.41

5.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.52 NOK 52.2

$4.52 NOK 42.77

22.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 NOK 25.69

$2.47 NOK 23.33

10.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.77 NOK 26.18

$2.57 NOK 24.30

7.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 NOK 26.91

$2.80 NOK 26.43

1.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 NOK 20.30

$1.83 NOK 17.32

17.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.93 NOK 160

$14.98 NOK 142

13.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.39 NOK 174

$17.98 NOK 170

2.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.35 NOK 31.63

$3.45 NOK 32.66

-2.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 NOK 40.38

$4.08 NOK 38.56

4.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.56 NOK 43.15

$4.16 NOK 39.34

9.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 NOK 761

$72.2 NOK 683

11.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.36 NOK 145

$10.26 NOK 97.0

49.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.28 NOK 21.52

$1.44 NOK 13.64

58.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$72.7 NOK 687

$46.58 NOK 440

56.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.16 NOK 20.46

$2.09 NOK 19.79

3.35%

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

$35.0K NOK 330.9K

$36.1K NOK 341.6K

-3.12%

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

$43.6K NOK 411.9K

$37.9K NOK 358.5K

14.90%

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

$238 NOK 2,246

$243 NOK 2,295

-2.12%

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

$38.16 NOK 361

$39.09 NOK 370

-2.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.1 NOK 606

$55.2 NOK 522

16.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.2 NOK 522

$49.50 NOK 468

11.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.59 NOK 384

$36.01 NOK 340

12.72%

Cinema Ticket

$19.99 NOK 189

$16.61 NOK 157

20.35%

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

$281 NOK 2,656

$283 NOK 2,678

-0.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K NOK 122.2K

$10.0K NOK 94.8K

28.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.5 NOK 856

$95.5 NOK 903

-5.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.0 NOK 519

$51.4 NOK 486

6.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 NOK 1,053

$106 NOK 1,005

4.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$147 NOK 1,394

$151 NOK 1,430

-2.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 NOK 12.1K

$1,219 NOK 11.5K

4.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$997 NOK 9,427

$954 NOK 9,015

4.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,004 NOK 18.9K

$1,443 NOK 13.6K

38.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,576 NOK 14.9K

$1,222 NOK 11.6K

28.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,998 NOK 75.6K

$5,966 NOK 56.4K

34.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,773 NOK 45.1K

$4,341 NOK 41.0K

9.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,646 NOK 43.9K

$4,692 NOK 44.4K

-0.98%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Tonsberg: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,275 in Bergen and $1,219 in Tonsberg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tonsberg pays 1% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $100 in Bergen vs $101 in Tonsberg. Groceries flip the comparison at $490 vs $455, 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 4% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Tonsberg earns 1% 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: $1,275 in Bergen versus $1,219 in Tonsberg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $281 in Bergen versus $283 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 4% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.