Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Tonsberg

For one person, living is cheaper in Tonsberg: $2,630 a month against $2,927 in Bergen, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

141

Cost of Living Index in Bergen
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Bergen Living Index
127

Cost of Living Index in Tonsberg
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Tonsberg Living Index

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Bergen

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,927

/mo nomad

Tonsberg

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,630

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bergen and in Tonsberg

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Bergen and in Tonsberg actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,927 in Bergen versus $2,630 in Tonsberg.

Bergen $2,927
Tonsberg $2,630

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,393 in Bergen versus $3,815 in Tonsberg.

Bergen $4,393
Tonsberg $3,815

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,858 in Bergen versus $5,000 in Tonsberg.

Bergen $5,858
Tonsberg $5,000

Living in Bergen is roughly 11% more expensive than in Tonsberg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 116% above, Tonsberg 94% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.86 NOK 225

$20.94 NOK 197

13.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$137 NOK 1,286

$105 NOK 991

29.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.17 NOK 152

$15.53 NOK 146

4.12%

Cappuccino

$5.48 NOK 51.6

$5.45 NOK 51.3

0.55%

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

$5.34 NOK 50.3

$5.61 NOK 52.8

-4.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.70 NOK 44.25

$5.37 NOK 50.6

-12.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.76 NOK 120

$11.46 NOK 108

11.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.67 NOK 100

$10.27 NOK 96.7

3.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.30 NOK 21.68

$2.47 NOK 23.28

-6.88%

White Bread (500g)

$3.86 NOK 36.32

$3.72 NOK 35.01

3.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.57 NOK 33.60

$3.85 NOK 36.24

-7.27%

Eggs

$6.30 NOK 59.3

$4.86 NOK 45.78

29.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.65 NOK 138

$12.96 NOK 122

13.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.78 NOK 167

$15.73 NOK 148

13.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$37.46 NOK 353

$31.41 NOK 296

19.26%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 NOK 38.32

$3.22 NOK 30.33

26.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.79 NOK 26.28

$2.57 NOK 24.20

8.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.63 NOK 34.16

$3.38 NOK 31.79

7.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.41 NOK 50.9

$4.78 NOK 45.04

13.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.49 NOK 23.43

$2.52 NOK 23.75

-1.19%

Onion (1kg)

$3.42 NOK 32.21

$2.79 NOK 26.26

22.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.95 NOK 27.75

$2.93 NOK 27.54

0.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 NOK 16.83

$2.35 NOK 22.15

-23.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.71 NOK 167

$17.24 NOK 162

2.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.45 NOK 183

$16.69 NOK 157

16.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.68 NOK 34.63

$3.49 NOK 32.82

5.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 NOK 40.22

$4.14 NOK 38.94

3.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.30 NOK 49.93

$4.55 NOK 42.80

16.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.5 NOK 824

$84.5 NOK 795

3.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.39 NOK 117

$11.70 NOK 110

5.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.87 NOK 17.62

$1.78 NOK 16.77

5.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$72.1 NOK 679

$70.5 NOK 664

2.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.39 NOK 22.51

$2.35 NOK 22.13

1.70%

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

$49.4K NOK 465.3K

$47.7K NOK 448.8K

3.68%

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

$44.8K NOK 422.1K

$43.9K NOK 413.4K

2.10%

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

$287 NOK 2,698

$267 NOK 2,513

7.36%

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

$34.59 NOK 326

$33.09 NOK 312

4.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$82.8 NOK 779

$53.8 NOK 506

53.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.58 NOK 429

$49.11 NOK 462

-7.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$43.31 NOK 408

$37.03 NOK 349

16.96%

Cinema Ticket

$19.31 NOK 182

$17.21 NOK 162

12.20%

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

$241 NOK 2,264

$238 NOK 2,236

1.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K NOK 113.5K

$12.8K NOK 120.8K

-6.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$110 NOK 1,033

$99.7 NOK 938

10.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.2 NOK 510

$55.8 NOK 525

-2.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 NOK 1,107

$123 NOK 1,159

-4.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$170 NOK 1,601

$156 NOK 1,469

8.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,495 NOK 14.1K

$1,187 NOK 11.2K

25.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,137 NOK 10.7K

$983 NOK 9,254

15.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,323 NOK 21.9K

$1,474 NOK 13.9K

57.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,698 NOK 16.0K

$1,277 NOK 12.0K

32.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,803 NOK 73.5K

$6,073 NOK 57.2K

28.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,919 NOK 46.3K

$4,046 NOK 38.1K

21.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,675 NOK 44.0K

$4,435 NOK 41.7K

5.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.27

4.94

6.68%

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

Last update for Bergen: October 19, 2026

Last update for Tonsberg: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Bergen

$1.1K 38.8%

Tonsberg

$983 37.4% 13.5% $154

Groceries & Markets

Bergen

$538 18.4%

Tonsberg

$490 18.6% 9% $49

Eating Out

Bergen

$430 14.7%

Tonsberg

$401 15.3% 6.8% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bergen

$404 13.8%

Tonsberg

$354 13.5% 12.4% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Bergen

$203 6.9%

Tonsberg

$196 7.4% 3.8% $7.7

Getting Around

Bergen

$130 4.5%

Tonsberg

$123 4.7% 5.5% $7.2

Sport & Entertainment

Bergen

$84 2.9%

Tonsberg

$84 3.2% 0.8% $0.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,495 in Bergen and $1,187 in Tonsberg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 5% 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: $137 in Bergen vs $105 in Tonsberg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $538 vs $490 per month, with Tonsberg cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇴 Bergen

🇳🇴 Tonsberg

🕒 Local time

03:11 3:11 AM

Same time as Bergen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

292,482

59,237

💱 Currency

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 NOK = 10.62 USD

100 NOK = 9.45 EUR

100 NOK = 10.62 USD

100 NOK = 9.45 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Bergen Tonsberg 300 km

From you

Bergen
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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, eating out, and clothing. The 11% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 5% 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: $1,495 in Bergen versus $1,187 in Tonsberg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $241 in Bergen versus $238 in Tonsberg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% 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 11% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.