Cost of Living Comparison Between Kristiansand and Bergen Cost of Living Comparison Between Kristiansand and Bergen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,313 in Kristiansand versus $2,605 in Bergen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,591 in Kristiansand versus $3,923 in Bergen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,870 in Kristiansand versus $5,240 in Bergen.

Living in Kristiansand costs roughly 11% less than in Bergen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Kristiansand 73% above, Bergen 94% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.56 NOK 237

$25.78 NOK 240

-0.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$100 NOK 931

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.48 NOK 125

$18.96 NOK 176

-28.90%

Cappuccino

$5.05 NOK 46.88

$5.36 NOK 49.82

-5.78%

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

$2.51 NOK 23.34

$3.21 NOK 29.86

-21.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 NOK 19.94

$3.03 NOK 28.14

-29.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.32 NOK 86.6

$11.53 NOK 107

-19.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.91 NOK 92.0

$9.67 NOK 89.8

2.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.13 NOK 19.83

$2.64 NOK 24.50

-19.32%

White Bread (500g)

$3.41 NOK 31.68

$3.36 NOK 31.20

1.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.20 NOK 29.73

$2.90 NOK 26.92

10.34%

Eggs

$4.24 NOK 39.37

$5.11 NOK 47.45

-17.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.44 NOK 106

$13.96 NOK 130

-18.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.94 NOK 130

$16.06 NOK 149

-13.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$30.99 NOK 288

$28.05 NOK 261

10.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.57 NOK 33.19

$3.75 NOK 34.84

-4.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 NOK 21.88

$2.94 NOK 27.29

-19.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.39 NOK 31.50

$3.61 NOK 33.56

-6.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.06 NOK 37.71

$5.52 NOK 51.3

-26.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 NOK 20.98

$2.72 NOK 25.24

-16.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 NOK 19.96

$2.77 NOK 25.73

-22.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 NOK 26.49

$2.85 NOK 26.45

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 NOK 17.72

$2.15 NOK 19.95

-11.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.22 NOK 132

$16.93 NOK 157

-16.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.27 NOK 151

$18.39 NOK 171

-11.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.31 NOK 30.79

$3.35 NOK 31.08

-1.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.89 NOK 36.18

$4.27 NOK 39.68

-8.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.49 NOK 32.39

$4.56 NOK 42.40

-23.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.5 NOK 627

$80.5 NOK 748

-16.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.28 NOK 95.5

$15.36 NOK 143

-33.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 NOK 13.40

$2.28 NOK 21.15

-36.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.61 NOK 387

$72.7 NOK 675

-42.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 NOK 20.38

$2.16 NOK 20.11

1.39%

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

$36.7K NOK 340.6K

$35.0K NOK 325.2K

4.73%

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

$42.7K NOK 397.1K

$43.6K NOK 404.7K

-1.88%

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

$222 NOK 2,066

$238 NOK 2,207

-6.41%

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

$30.92 NOK 287

$38.16 NOK 355

-18.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.43 NOK 357

$64.1 NOK 595

-40.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.25 NOK 383

$55.2 NOK 513

-25.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.77 NOK 332

$40.59 NOK 377

-11.87%

Cinema Ticket

$14.85 NOK 138

$19.99 NOK 186

-25.71%

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

$267 NOK 2,479

$281 NOK 2,610

-5.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K NOK 139.0K

$12.9K NOK 120.1K

15.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 NOK 971

$90.5 NOK 841

15.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.84 NOK 444

$55.0 NOK 510

-12.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.2 NOK 921

$111 NOK 1,034

-10.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$153 NOK 1,425

$147 NOK 1,369

4.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,005 NOK 9,336

$1,275 NOK 11.8K

-21.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$890 NOK 8,270

$997 NOK 9,263

-10.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,792 NOK 16.6K

$2,004 NOK 18.6K

-10.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,384 NOK 12.9K

$1,576 NOK 14.6K

-12.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,911 NOK 45.6K

$7,998 NOK 74.3K

-38.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,546 NOK 32.9K

$4,773 NOK 44.3K

-25.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,267 NOK 39.6K

$4,646 NOK 43.2K

-8.16%

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 Kristiansand: June 1, 2026

Last update for Bergen: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,005 in Kristiansand and $1,275 in Bergen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 9% 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 Kristiansand vs $100 in Bergen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $450 vs $490 per month, with Kristiansand 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

Kristiansand vs Bergen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kristiansand is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Bergen earns 9% 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: $1,005 in Kristiansand versus $1,275 in Bergen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $267 in Kristiansand 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 9% higher in Bergen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,313 in Kristiansand versus $2,605 in Bergen, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Kristiansand but tight or insufficient in Bergen. The gap between the two cities makes Kristiansand the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 13% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.