Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kristiansand and Bergen

For one person, living is cheaper in Kristiansand: $2,685 a month against $2,927 in Bergen, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Kristiansand
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Kristiansand Living Index
141

Cost of Living Index in Bergen
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Bergen Living Index

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Kristiansand

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,685

/mo nomad

Bergen

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,927

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kristiansand and in Bergen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Kristiansand and in Bergen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,685 in Kristiansand versus $2,927 in Bergen.

Kristiansand $2,685
Bergen $2,927

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,020 in Kristiansand versus $4,393 in Bergen.

Kristiansand $4,020
Bergen $4,393

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,355 in Kristiansand versus $5,858 in Bergen.

Kristiansand $5,355
Bergen $5,858

Living in Kristiansand costs roughly 8% less than in Bergen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Kristiansand 98% above, Bergen 116% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.76 NOK 271

$23.86 NOK 225

20.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.8 NOK 798

$137 NOK 1,286

-37.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.39 NOK 154

$16.17 NOK 152

1.36%

Cappuccino

$4.84 NOK 45.59

$5.48 NOK 51.6

-11.68%

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

$3.31 NOK 31.18

$5.34 NOK 50.3

-38.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 NOK 22.02

$4.70 NOK 44.25

-50.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.69 NOK 119

$12.76 NOK 120

-0.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.24 NOK 87.0

$10.67 NOK 100

-13.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 NOK 21.81

$2.30 NOK 21.68

0.87%

White Bread (500g)

$4.19 NOK 39.43

$3.86 NOK 36.32

8.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.98 NOK 37.46

$3.57 NOK 33.60

11.48%

Eggs

$5.70 NOK 53.7

$6.30 NOK 59.3

-9.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.88 NOK 121

$14.65 NOK 138

-12.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.49 NOK 146

$17.78 NOK 167

-12.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$43.89 NOK 413

$37.46 NOK 353

17.16%

Apples (1kg)

$4.41 NOK 41.52

$4.07 NOK 38.32

8.35%

Banana (1kg)

$2.49 NOK 23.45

$2.79 NOK 26.28

-10.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.02 NOK 37.80

$3.63 NOK 34.16

10.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.65 NOK 43.77

$5.41 NOK 50.9

-14.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 NOK 24.00

$2.49 NOK 23.43

2.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.43 NOK 22.85

$3.42 NOK 32.21

-28.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.13 NOK 29.48

$2.95 NOK 27.75

6.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 NOK 20.94

$1.79 NOK 16.83

24.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.30 NOK 163

$17.71 NOK 167

-2.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.80 NOK 149

$19.45 NOK 183

-18.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.61 NOK 34.01

$3.68 NOK 34.63

-1.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.99 NOK 37.54

$4.27 NOK 40.22

-6.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.90 NOK 36.68

$5.30 NOK 49.93

-26.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.2 NOK 680

$87.5 NOK 824

-17.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.08 NOK 76.1

$12.39 NOK 117

-34.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 NOK 15.96

$1.87 NOK 17.62

-9.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$56.8 NOK 535

$72.1 NOK 679

-21.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.26 NOK 21.23

$2.39 NOK 22.51

-5.44%

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

$49.0K NOK 461.1K

$49.4K NOK 465.3K

-0.91%

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

$45.1K NOK 424.5K

$44.8K NOK 422.1K

0.57%

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

$217 NOK 2,045

$287 NOK 2,698

-24.20%

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

$31.89 NOK 300

$34.59 NOK 326

-7.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.0 NOK 574

$82.8 NOK 779

-26.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.67 NOK 458

$45.58 NOK 429

6.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.18 NOK 341

$43.31 NOK 408

-16.46%

Cinema Ticket

$15.80 NOK 149

$19.31 NOK 182

-18.18%

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

$309 NOK 2,908

$241 NOK 2,264

28.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,680 NOK 25.2K

$12.1K NOK 113.5K

-77.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$115 NOK 1,084

$110 NOK 1,033

4.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.4 NOK 531

$54.2 NOK 510

4.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 NOK 1,110

$118 NOK 1,107

0.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$160 NOK 1,503

$170 NOK 1,601

-6.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,194 NOK 11.2K

$1,495 NOK 14.1K

-20.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,009 NOK 9,499

$1,137 NOK 10.7K

-11.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,889 NOK 17.8K

$2,323 NOK 21.9K

-18.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,581 NOK 14.9K

$1,698 NOK 16.0K

-6.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,916 NOK 46.3K

$7,803 NOK 73.5K

-37.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,561 NOK 33.5K

$4,919 NOK 46.3K

-27.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,258 NOK 40.1K

$4,675 NOK 44.0K

-8.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.01

5.27

-4.93%

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

Last update for Kristiansand: October 20, 2026

Last update for Bergen: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Kristiansand

$1K 37.6%

Bergen

$1.1K 38.8% 12.6% $128

Groceries & Markets

Kristiansand

$537 20%

Bergen

$538 18.4% 0.2% $1.1

Eating Out

Kristiansand

$442 16.5%

Bergen

$430 14.7% 2.6% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kristiansand

$310 11.6%

Bergen

$404 13.8% 30.2% $94

Clothing & Footwear

Kristiansand

$202 7.5%

Bergen

$203 6.9% 0.5% $1.1

Getting Around

Kristiansand

$104 3.9%

Bergen

$130 4.5% 25% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Kristiansand

$80 3%

Bergen

$84 2.9% 4.9% $3.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,194 in Kristiansand and $1,495 in Bergen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 10% 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: $85.0 in Kristiansand vs $137 in Bergen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $537 vs $538 per month, with Kristiansand cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇴 Kristiansand

🇳🇴 Bergen

🕒 Local time

12:51 12:51 PM

Same time as Kristiansand

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

117,213

292,482

💱 Currency

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 NOK = 10.62 USD

100 NOK = 9.45 EUR

100 NOK = 10.62 USD

100 NOK = 9.45 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Kristiansand Bergen 300 km

From you

Kristiansand
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Kristiansand vs Bergen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kristiansand is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and transport. The 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 10% 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: $1,194 in Kristiansand versus $1,495 in Bergen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $309 in Kristiansand versus $241 in Bergen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 0% higher in Bergen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Kristiansand is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Kristiansand 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, Kristiansand 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 Kristiansand gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.