Cost of Living Comparison Between Karmøy and Bergen Cost of Living Comparison Between Karmøy and Bergen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,422 in Karmøy versus $2,594 in Bergen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,792 in Karmøy versus $3,948 in Bergen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,161 in Karmøy versus $5,302 in Bergen.

Living in Karmøy costs roughly 7% less than in Bergen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Karmøy 81% above, Bergen 94% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.28 NOK 235

$25.44 NOK 237

-0.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 NOK 945

$101 NOK 940

0.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.41 NOK 125

$19.61 NOK 182

-31.62%

Cappuccino

$4.88 NOK 45.36

$5.50 NOK 51.2

-11.27%

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

$3.12 NOK 29.04

$3.13 NOK 29.10

-0.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 NOK 26.51

$3.03 NOK 28.17

-5.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.03 NOK 93.2

$11.80 NOK 110

-15.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.37 NOK 87.1

$9.60 NOK 89.3

-2.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 NOK 20.38

$2.65 NOK 24.65

-17.36%

White Bread (500g)

$3.37 NOK 31.37

$3.31 NOK 30.83

1.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.20 NOK 29.75

$2.91 NOK 27.11

9.97%

Eggs

$4.32 NOK 40.17

$4.83 NOK 44.96

-10.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.83 NOK 110

$13.96 NOK 130

-15.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.67 NOK 136

$15.71 NOK 146

-6.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.42 NOK 264

$28.27 NOK 263

0.53%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 NOK 32.25

$3.78 NOK 35.17

-8.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.46 NOK 22.85

$3.09 NOK 28.72

-20.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.25 NOK 30.20

$3.61 NOK 33.55

-9.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 NOK 40.36

$5.57 NOK 51.8

-22.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.44 NOK 22.73

$2.71 NOK 25.24

-9.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.58 NOK 24.01

$2.75 NOK 25.59

-6.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.79 NOK 25.93

$2.80 NOK 26.07

-0.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 NOK 17.52

$2.11 NOK 19.60

-10.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.77 NOK 128

$16.40 NOK 153

-16.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.22 NOK 169

$18.27 NOK 170

-0.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.35 NOK 31.12

$3.31 NOK 30.80

1.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.93 NOK 36.57

$4.32 NOK 40.14

-9.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.28 NOK 39.80

$4.51 NOK 41.91

-5.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.7 NOK 686

$81.4 NOK 757

-9.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.28 NOK 95.6

$15.23 NOK 142

-32.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 NOK 13.06

$2.23 NOK 20.75

-37.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$47.28 NOK 440

$73.6 NOK 684

-35.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 NOK 18.57

$2.14 NOK 19.90

-6.54%

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

$34.8K NOK 323.6K

$34.9K NOK 324.7K

-0.33%

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

$38.2K NOK 355.1K

$43.1K NOK 400.6K

-11.35%

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

$238 NOK 2,210

$240 NOK 2,227

-0.79%

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

$37.95 NOK 353

$38.14 NOK 355

-0.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.9 NOK 510

$65.2 NOK 606

-15.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 NOK 467

$54.7 NOK 509

-8.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.73 NOK 323

$39.54 NOK 368

-12.16%

Cinema Ticket

$16.37 NOK 152

$20.28 NOK 189

-19.28%

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

$287 NOK 2,674

$280 NOK 2,606

2.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.0K NOK 93.2K

$12.7K NOK 118.2K

-21.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.6 NOK 889

$91.3 NOK 849

4.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.9 NOK 483

$55.5 NOK 516

-6.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 NOK 1,011

$112 NOK 1,037

-2.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$151 NOK 1,401

$146 NOK 1,358

3.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,206 NOK 11.2K

$1,308 NOK 12.2K

-7.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$903 NOK 8,396

$971 NOK 9,034

-7.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,792 NOK 16.7K

$2,048 NOK 19.0K

-12.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 NOK 14.4K

$1,534 NOK 14.3K

0.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,458 NOK 50.8K

$7,924 NOK 73.7K

-31.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,019 NOK 37.4K

$4,854 NOK 45.1K

-17.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,995 NOK 37.2K

$4,333 NOK 40.3K

-7.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.38

4.85

-9.69%

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

Last update for Karmøy: April 20, 2026

Last update for Bergen: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,206 in Karmøy and $1,308 in Bergen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 8% 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: $102 in Karmøy vs $101 in Bergen. Groceries flip the comparison at $454 vs $487, with Karmøy 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

Karmøy vs Bergen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Karmøy is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Bergen earns 8% 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: $1,206 in Karmøy versus $1,308 in Bergen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $287 in Karmøy versus $280 in Bergen. 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 $3,000. Karmøy is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Karmøy 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, Karmøy and Bergen 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 Karmøy gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.