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: $2,490 in Karmøy versus $2,605 in Bergen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,838 in Karmøy versus $3,923 in Bergen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,185 in Karmøy versus $5,240 in Bergen.

Living in Karmøy costs roughly 4% less than in Bergen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.81 NOK 235

$25.78 NOK 244

-3.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.6 NOK 941

$100 NOK 947

-0.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.60 NOK 129

$18.96 NOK 179

-28.27%

Cappuccino

$4.83 NOK 45.66

$5.36 NOK 50.7

-9.89%

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

$3.19 NOK 30.20

$3.21 NOK 30.39

-0.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 NOK 27.76

$3.03 NOK 28.63

-2.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.93 NOK 93.9

$11.53 NOK 109

-13.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.38 NOK 88.7

$9.67 NOK 91.4

-3.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 NOK 21.30

$2.64 NOK 24.93

-14.77%

White Bread (500g)

$3.32 NOK 31.41

$3.36 NOK 31.75

-1.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.33 NOK 31.49

$2.90 NOK 27.39

14.83%

Eggs

$4.42 NOK 41.83

$5.11 NOK 48.28

-13.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.17 NOK 115

$13.96 NOK 132

-12.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.81 NOK 140

$16.06 NOK 152

-7.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.09 NOK 266

$28.05 NOK 265

0.14%

Apples (1kg)

$3.53 NOK 33.35

$3.75 NOK 35.46

-5.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.50 NOK 23.61

$2.94 NOK 27.77

-14.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.37 NOK 31.89

$3.61 NOK 34.15

-6.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.50 NOK 42.53

$5.52 NOK 52.2

-18.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.48 NOK 23.44

$2.72 NOK 25.69

-8.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.50 NOK 23.59

$2.77 NOK 26.18

-9.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.76 NOK 26.14

$2.85 NOK 26.91

-3.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 NOK 18.16

$2.15 NOK 20.30

-10.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.83 NOK 131

$16.93 NOK 160

-18.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.34 NOK 173

$18.39 NOK 174

-0.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.26 NOK 30.83

$3.35 NOK 31.63

-2.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 NOK 38.61

$4.27 NOK 40.38

-4.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.31 NOK 40.74

$4.56 NOK 43.15

-5.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.7 NOK 687

$80.5 NOK 761

-9.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.02 NOK 94.7

$15.36 NOK 145

-34.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.45 NOK 13.69

$2.28 NOK 21.52

-36.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$46.91 NOK 443

$72.7 NOK 687

-35.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 NOK 19.67

$2.16 NOK 20.46

-3.70%

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

$35.1K NOK 331.8K

$35.0K NOK 330.9K

0.28%

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

$39.2K NOK 371.0K

$43.6K NOK 411.9K

-9.93%

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

$244 NOK 2,306

$238 NOK 2,246

2.68%

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

$37.96 NOK 359

$38.16 NOK 361

-0.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.4 NOK 523

$64.1 NOK 606

-13.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.25 NOK 466

$55.2 NOK 522

-10.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.82 NOK 329

$40.59 NOK 384

-14.22%

Cinema Ticket

$16.76 NOK 158

$19.99 NOK 189

-16.16%

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

$282 NOK 2,668

$281 NOK 2,656

0.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K NOK 97.0K

$12.9K NOK 122.2K

-20.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.9 NOK 906

$90.5 NOK 856

5.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.7 NOK 488

$55.0 NOK 519

-5.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 NOK 1,009

$111 NOK 1,053

-4.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$154 NOK 1,451

$147 NOK 1,394

4.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,219 NOK 11.5K

$1,275 NOK 12.1K

-4.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$877 NOK 8,293

$997 NOK 9,427

-12.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,789 NOK 16.9K

$2,004 NOK 18.9K

-10.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,532 NOK 14.5K

$1,576 NOK 14.9K

-2.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,260 NOK 59.2K

$7,998 NOK 75.6K

-21.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,632 NOK 43.8K

$4,773 NOK 45.1K

-2.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,169 NOK 39.4K

$4,646 NOK 43.9K

-10.28%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Bergen: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,219 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: $100 in Karmøy vs $100 in Bergen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $458 vs $490 per month, with Karmøy cheaper across the board.

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 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Bergen earns 11% 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: $1,219 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 $281 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 $2,490 in Karmøy versus $2,605 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 5% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.