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: $2,363 in Kolbotn versus $2,622 in Bergen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,735 in Kolbotn versus $3,948 in Bergen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,106 in Kolbotn versus $5,274 in Bergen.

Living in Kolbotn costs roughly 10% less than in Bergen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Kolbotn 76% above, Bergen 95% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.66 NOK 244

$25.22 NOK 239

1.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.5 NOK 944

$102 NOK 965

-2.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.57 NOK 129

$18.97 NOK 180

-28.47%

Cappuccino

$5.04 NOK 47.82

$5.55 NOK 52.6

-9.19%

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

$2.46 NOK 23.30

$3.17 NOK 30.10

-22.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 NOK 20.94

$3.01 NOK 28.56

-26.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.29 NOK 88.2

$11.86 NOK 113

-21.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.35 NOK 88.8

$9.58 NOK 90.9

-2.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 NOK 20.72

$2.69 NOK 25.50

-18.96%

White Bread (500g)

$3.33 NOK 31.60

$3.44 NOK 32.66

-3.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.15 NOK 29.92

$2.88 NOK 27.34

9.38%

Eggs

$4.76 NOK 45.23

$5.03 NOK 47.75

-5.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 NOK 108

$13.96 NOK 132

-18.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.82 NOK 131

$15.99 NOK 152

-13.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$31.29 NOK 297

$27.79 NOK 264

12.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.46 NOK 32.83

$3.79 NOK 35.95

-8.71%

Banana (1kg)

$2.26 NOK 21.44

$2.95 NOK 27.98

-23.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.41 NOK 32.41

$3.59 NOK 34.03

-5.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.72 NOK 44.80

$5.70 NOK 54.1

-17.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 NOK 21.00

$2.62 NOK 24.85

-15.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 NOK 21.57

$2.87 NOK 27.29

-20.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.01 NOK 28.59

$2.91 NOK 27.63

3.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 NOK 17.51

$2.14 NOK 20.34

-14.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.35 NOK 136

$16.78 NOK 159

-14.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.23 NOK 182

$17.96 NOK 170

7.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.29 NOK 31.20

$3.44 NOK 32.68

-4.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 NOK 36.56

$4.32 NOK 40.97

-10.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.34 NOK 41.21

$4.44 NOK 42.14

-2.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.8 NOK 701

$80.0 NOK 759

-7.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.97 NOK 94.6

$15.23 NOK 145

-34.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 NOK 13.14

$2.27 NOK 21.55

-39.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.90 NOK 398

$72.5 NOK 688

-42.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 NOK 20.86

$2.21 NOK 20.93

-0.45%

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

$36.6K NOK 346.9K

$35.9K NOK 340.3K

1.95%

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

$42.2K NOK 400.7K

$42.9K NOK 407.0K

-1.54%

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

$222 NOK 2,107

$243 NOK 2,311

-8.83%

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

$31.53 NOK 299

$38.80 NOK 368

-18.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.65 NOK 357

$65.3 NOK 620

-42.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.58 NOK 471

$54.2 NOK 514

-8.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.00 NOK 342

$39.54 NOK 375

-8.95%

Cinema Ticket

$14.81 NOK 141

$20.20 NOK 192

-26.68%

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

$274 NOK 2,604

$282 NOK 2,677

-2.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.5K NOK 137.7K

$12.6K NOK 119.9K

14.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$114 NOK 1,086

$90.9 NOK 863

25.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.17 NOK 457

$55.9 NOK 531

-13.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 NOK 962

$112 NOK 1,064

-9.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$150 NOK 1,428

$147 NOK 1,391

2.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 NOK 11.4K

$1,295 NOK 12.3K

-7.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$893 NOK 8,478

$973 NOK 9,238

-8.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,816 NOK 17.2K

$1,994 NOK 18.9K

-8.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 NOK 14.9K

$1,568 NOK 14.9K

0.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,136 NOK 58.2K

$7,844 NOK 74.4K

-21.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,844 NOK 36.5K

$4,587 NOK 43.5K

-16.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,531 NOK 43.0K

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Bergen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,197 in Kolbotn and $1,295 in Bergen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $99.0 in Kolbotn vs $102 in Bergen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $460 vs $490 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 11% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,545 in Kolbotn and $3,933 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: $1,197 in Kolbotn versus $1,295 in Bergen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $274 in Kolbotn versus $282 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 $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 11% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.