Cost of Living Comparison Between Kolbotn and Bergen Cost of Living Comparison Between Kolbotn and Bergen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,393 in Kolbotn versus $2,688 in Bergen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,702 in Kolbotn versus $3,981 in Bergen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,012 in Kolbotn versus $5,273 in Bergen.

Living in Kolbotn costs roughly 11% less than in Bergen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Kolbotn 79% above, Bergen 101% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.01 NOK 233

$25.64 NOK 239

-2.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 NOK 939

$102 NOK 948

-0.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.62 NOK 127

$18.93 NOK 176

-28.05%

Cappuccino

$5.06 NOK 47.16

$5.60 NOK 52.2

-9.64%

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

$2.43 NOK 22.69

$3.11 NOK 28.95

-21.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 NOK 20.19

$2.90 NOK 27.05

-25.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.03 NOK 84.1

$11.69 NOK 109

-22.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.48 NOK 88.3

$9.43 NOK 87.9

0.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 NOK 20.39

$2.75 NOK 25.64

-20.36%

White Bread (500g)

$3.28 NOK 30.54

$3.30 NOK 30.73

-0.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 NOK 30.85

$2.81 NOK 26.16

17.79%

Eggs

$4.84 NOK 45.11

$4.86 NOK 45.27

-0.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.39 NOK 106

$14.19 NOK 132

-19.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.20 NOK 132

$15.59 NOK 145

-8.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$31.33 NOK 292

$28.20 NOK 263

11.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.57 NOK 33.23

$3.87 NOK 36.11

-7.75%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 NOK 20.95

$3.06 NOK 28.54

-26.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.31 NOK 30.83

$3.61 NOK 33.64

-8.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.71 NOK 43.93

$5.57 NOK 51.9

-15.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.29 NOK 21.38

$2.70 NOK 25.18

-15.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.25 NOK 20.99

$2.86 NOK 26.65

-21.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 NOK 26.58

$2.78 NOK 25.89

2.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 NOK 17.62

$2.12 NOK 19.77

-10.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.01 NOK 131

$16.39 NOK 153

-14.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.10 NOK 178

$18.35 NOK 171

4.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.23 NOK 30.08

$3.27 NOK 30.52

-1.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.07 NOK 37.98

$4.39 NOK 40.95

-7.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.37 NOK 40.74

$4.43 NOK 41.24

-1.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 NOK 689

$81.3 NOK 758

-9.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.26 NOK 95.6

$15.40 NOK 144

-33.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.45 NOK 13.55

$2.29 NOK 21.30

-36.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.02 NOK 392

$73.1 NOK 681

-42.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.16 NOK 20.10

$2.15 NOK 20.02

0.47%

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

$36.0K NOK 335.5K

$35.0K NOK 326.4K

2.77%

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

$41.9K NOK 390.4K

$42.3K NOK 394.4K

-1.01%

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

$216 NOK 2,015

$245 NOK 2,284

-11.75%

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

$31.72 NOK 296

$38.87 NOK 362

-18.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.78 NOK 352

$64.9 NOK 605

-41.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.42 NOK 461

$55.3 NOK 515

-10.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.98 NOK 326

$39.54 NOK 369

-11.53%

Cinema Ticket

$14.79 NOK 138

$20.55 NOK 192

-28.03%

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

$267 NOK 2,484

$279 NOK 2,597

-4.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.5K NOK 135.2K

$13.0K NOK 120.8K

11.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$116 NOK 1,081

$89.8 NOK 837

29.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.17 NOK 449

$55.2 NOK 515

-12.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.1 NOK 923

$114 NOK 1,061

-12.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$151 NOK 1,412

$144 NOK 1,340

5.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,206 NOK 11.2K

$1,287 NOK 12.0K

-6.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$878 NOK 8,179

$967 NOK 9,014

-9.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,799 NOK 16.8K

$1,994 NOK 18.6K

-9.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,559 NOK 14.5K

$1,573 NOK 14.7K

-0.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,091 NOK 56.8K

$7,978 NOK 74.4K

-23.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,372 NOK 40.7K

$5,002 NOK 46.6K

-12.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,447 NOK 41.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.02

4.85

3.51%

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

Last update for Kolbotn: April 28, 2026

Last update for Bergen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,206 in Kolbotn and $1,287 in Bergen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $101 in Kolbotn vs $102 in Bergen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $462 vs $489 per month, with Kolbotn 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

Kolbotn vs Bergen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kolbotn is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,589 in Kolbotn and $4,032 in Bergen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,206 in Kolbotn versus $1,287 in Bergen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $267 in Kolbotn 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 6% higher in Bergen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Kolbotn is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Kolbotn 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, Kolbotn 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 Kolbotn gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.