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: $2,542 in Kolbotn versus $2,942 in Bergen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,962 in Kolbotn versus $4,473 in Bergen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,382 in Kolbotn versus $6,004 in Bergen.

Living in Kolbotn costs roughly 14% less than in Bergen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Kolbotn 84% above, Bergen 113% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.50 NOK 199

$24.62 NOK 228

-12.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$129 NOK 1,197

$140 NOK 1,294

-7.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.35 NOK 152

$16.47 NOK 153

-0.73%

Cappuccino

$5.87 NOK 54.5

$5.92 NOK 54.9

-0.84%

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

$4.31 NOK 39.96

$5.17 NOK 48.00

-16.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 NOK 31.43

$4.63 NOK 42.96

-26.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.87 NOK 110

$12.94 NOK 120

-8.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.61 NOK 117

$10.70 NOK 99.3

17.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.08 NOK 19.30

$2.48 NOK 22.99

-16.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 NOK 23.41

$3.82 NOK 35.42

-34.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 NOK 20.86

$3.47 NOK 32.20

-35.16%

Eggs

$5.05 NOK 46.85

$6.75 NOK 62.6

-25.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.60 NOK 135

$15.20 NOK 141

-3.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.73 NOK 146

$17.60 NOK 163

-10.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$30.70 NOK 285

$35.27 NOK 327

-12.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 NOK 27.35

$4.13 NOK 38.35

-28.57%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 NOK 18.57

$2.86 NOK 26.52

-30.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.52 NOK 32.66

$3.60 NOK 33.43

-2.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.17 NOK 47.99

$5.80 NOK 53.8

-10.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 NOK 19.49

$2.52 NOK 23.33

-16.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 NOK 21.80

$3.34 NOK 31.01

-29.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.24 NOK 30.06

$2.93 NOK 27.19

10.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 NOK 14.41

$2.06 NOK 19.07

-24.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.43 NOK 180

$18.04 NOK 167

7.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.58 NOK 154

$18.63 NOK 173

-11.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.58 NOK 33.23

$3.56 NOK 33.06

0.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 NOK 41.31

$4.27 NOK 39.64

4.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.80 NOK 44.51

$5.21 NOK 48.37

-7.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.4 NOK 792

$89.0 NOK 826

-4.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.07 NOK 112

$12.91 NOK 120

-6.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 NOK 17.69

$1.90 NOK 17.66

0.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$69.9 NOK 648

$75.3 NOK 698

-7.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 NOK 20.51

$2.36 NOK 21.94

-6.36%

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

$48.5K NOK 449.8K

$49.9K NOK 463.0K

-2.85%

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

$45.7K NOK 423.9K

$44.8K NOK 415.9K

1.91%

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

$111 NOK 1,026

$296 NOK 2,747

-62.66%

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

$21.54 NOK 200

$31.98 NOK 297

-32.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.3 NOK 532

$78.9 NOK 732

-27.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 NOK 473

$45.57 NOK 423

11.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.95 NOK 343

$44.44 NOK 412

-16.85%

Cinema Ticket

$15.54 NOK 144

$19.31 NOK 179

-19.52%

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

$250 NOK 2,323

-0.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K NOK 146.6K

$12.3K NOK 114.1K

28.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 NOK 948

$109 NOK 1,013

-6.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.4 NOK 560

$55.7 NOK 516

8.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 NOK 1,257

$122 NOK 1,128

11.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 NOK 1,499

$171 NOK 1,588

-5.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 NOK 11.5K

$1,542 NOK 14.3K

-19.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,021 NOK 9,475

$1,118 NOK 10.4K

-8.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,069 NOK 19.2K

$2,485 NOK 23.1K

-16.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,738 NOK 16.1K

$1,767 NOK 16.4K

-1.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,389 NOK 59.3K

$7,803 NOK 72.4K

-18.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,210 NOK 39.1K

$4,910 NOK 45.5K

-14.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,848 NOK 45.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.96

5.31

-6.59%

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

Last update for Kolbotn: September 8, 2026

Last update for Bergen: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,238 in Kolbotn and $1,542 in Bergen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $129 in Kolbotn vs $140 in Bergen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $459 vs $539 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 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,812 in Kolbotn and $4,412 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: $1,238 in Kolbotn versus $1,542 in Bergen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $250 in Kolbotn versus $250 in Bergen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% 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 16% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.