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: $2,436 in Karmøy versus $2,626 in Bergen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,783 in Karmøy versus $3,929 in Bergen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,130 in Karmøy versus $5,232 in Bergen.

Living in Karmøy costs roughly 7% less than in Bergen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Karmøy 82% above, Bergen 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.53 NOK 245

$25.09 NOK 241

1.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 NOK 971

$100 NOK 963

0.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.68 NOK 131

$19.30 NOK 185

-29.12%

Cappuccino

$5.01 NOK 48.06

$5.38 NOK 51.6

-6.88%

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

$3.18 NOK 30.52

$3.19 NOK 30.57

-0.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 NOK 26.92

$2.98 NOK 28.61

-5.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.17 NOK 97.6

$11.57 NOK 111

-12.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.45 NOK 90.7

$9.48 NOK 90.9

-0.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 NOK 21.03

$2.75 NOK 26.42

-20.36%

White Bread (500g)

$3.41 NOK 32.74

$3.43 NOK 32.87

-0.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 NOK 31.74

$2.87 NOK 27.48

15.33%

Eggs

$4.32 NOK 41.41

$5.06 NOK 48.53

-14.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.23 NOK 117

$13.90 NOK 133

-12.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.75 NOK 141

$15.64 NOK 150

-5.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.84 NOK 267

$27.47 NOK 263

1.35%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 NOK 33.25

$3.95 NOK 37.88

-12.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.49 NOK 23.88

$3.06 NOK 29.36

-18.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.33 NOK 31.90

$3.76 NOK 36.07

-11.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.49 NOK 43.04

$5.74 NOK 55.1

-21.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.40 NOK 23.07

$2.62 NOK 25.08

-8.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.45 NOK 23.53

$2.89 NOK 27.75

-15.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.82 NOK 27.08

$2.85 NOK 27.31

-1.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 NOK 17.73

$2.07 NOK 19.86

-10.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.12 NOK 135

$16.42 NOK 157

-14.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.83 NOK 171

$17.97 NOK 172

-0.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 NOK 33.11

$3.35 NOK 32.10

2.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.11 NOK 39.38

$4.29 NOK 41.13

-4.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.16 NOK 39.91

$4.47 NOK 42.82

-6.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.5 NOK 696

$79.6 NOK 763

-8.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.09 NOK 96.8

$15.53 NOK 149

-35.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 NOK 13.36

$2.25 NOK 21.56

-38.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$45.94 NOK 441

$73.1 NOK 701

-37.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 NOK 20.07

$2.25 NOK 21.53

-7.11%

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

$35.7K NOK 342.0K

$36.1K NOK 346.2K

-1.19%

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

$38.7K NOK 371.3K

$43.1K NOK 413.5K

-10.19%

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

$240 NOK 2,301

$237 NOK 2,271

1.32%

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

$37.78 NOK 362

$39.26 NOK 376

-3.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.0 NOK 528

$63.8 NOK 612

-13.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.1 NOK 480

$54.1 NOK 519

-7.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.57 NOK 341

$40.70 NOK 390

-12.60%

Cinema Ticket

$16.74 NOK 161

$20.31 NOK 195

-17.58%

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

$282 NOK 2,708

$279 NOK 2,675

1.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.2K NOK 97.8K

$12.5K NOK 120.1K

-18.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.1 NOK 922

$92.7 NOK 889

3.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.7 NOK 506

$55.4 NOK 531

-4.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 NOK 1,028

$115 NOK 1,102

-6.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$150 NOK 1,440

$146 NOK 1,402

2.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,192 NOK 11.4K

$1,275 NOK 12.2K

-6.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$900 NOK 8,634

$993 NOK 9,522

-9.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,823 NOK 17.5K

$2,042 NOK 19.6K

-10.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,555 NOK 14.9K

$1,594 NOK 15.3K

-2.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,139 NOK 49.3K

$7,553 NOK 72.4K

-31.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,582 NOK 34.3K

$4,856 NOK 46.6K

-26.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,029 NOK 38.6K

$4,481 NOK 43.0K

-10.07%

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: July 20, 2026

Last update for Bergen: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,192 in Karmøy and $1,275 in Bergen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 11% 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: $101 in Karmøy vs $100 in Bergen. Groceries flip the comparison at $455 vs $489, 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, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 11% lower in Bergen. 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: $1,192 in Karmøy versus $1,275 in Bergen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $282 in Karmøy versus $279 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.

At $2,436 in Karmøy versus $2,626 in Bergen, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Karmøy but tight or insufficient in Bergen. The gap between the two cities makes Karmøy the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 8% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.