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: $2,352 in Kristiansand versus $2,650 in Bergen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,543 in Kristiansand versus $3,988 in Bergen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,734 in Kristiansand versus $5,327 in Bergen.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Kristiansand 76% above, Bergen 98% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.04 NOK 241

$25.72 NOK 248

-2.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$100 NOK 965

$103 NOK 993

-2.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.28 NOK 128

$19.51 NOK 188

-31.93%

Cappuccino

$5.05 NOK 48.60

$5.42 NOK 52.2

-6.83%

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

$2.55 NOK 24.53

$3.20 NOK 30.82

-20.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 NOK 20.39

$2.89 NOK 27.87

-26.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.13 NOK 88.0

$11.82 NOK 114

-22.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.78 NOK 94.2

Milk (1 liter)

$2.21 NOK 21.28

$2.65 NOK 25.54

-16.60%

White Bread (500g)

$3.33 NOK 32.08

$3.28 NOK 31.58

1.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 NOK 30.95

$2.88 NOK 27.77

11.46%

Eggs

$4.18 NOK 40.23

$4.90 NOK 47.23

-14.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.26 NOK 108

$14.20 NOK 137

-20.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.96 NOK 135

$16.06 NOK 155

-13.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$30.90 NOK 298

$28.21 NOK 272

9.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 NOK 33.43

$3.94 NOK 37.99

-11.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 NOK 22.68

$2.96 NOK 28.52

-20.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.28 NOK 31.55

$3.75 NOK 36.17

-12.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.21 NOK 40.60

$5.62 NOK 54.2

-25.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.29 NOK 22.10

$2.73 NOK 26.29

-16.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 NOK 21.38

$2.91 NOK 28.04

-23.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.75 NOK 26.49

$2.80 NOK 27.00

-1.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 NOK 17.73

$2.14 NOK 20.64

-14.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.91 NOK 134

$16.95 NOK 163

-17.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.53 NOK 150

$17.26 NOK 166

-10.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.25 NOK 31.34

$3.30 NOK 31.80

-1.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 NOK 37.66

$4.38 NOK 42.18

-10.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.52 NOK 33.93

$4.47 NOK 43.07

-21.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.3 NOK 629

$81.2 NOK 783

-19.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.31 NOK 99.3

$15.23 NOK 147

-32.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.45 NOK 13.94

$2.25 NOK 21.66

-35.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.68 NOK 411

$72.5 NOK 699

-41.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 NOK 21.00

$2.13 NOK 20.51

2.35%

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

$35.6K NOK 343.3K

$35.3K NOK 340.4K

0.85%

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

$42.7K NOK 411.3K

$43.1K NOK 415.0K

-0.89%

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

$216 NOK 2,079

$242 NOK 2,333

-10.90%

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

$31.13 NOK 300

$38.51 NOK 371

-19.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.26 NOK 359

$64.7 NOK 623

-42.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.99 NOK 404

$53.9 NOK 520

-22.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.93 NOK 346

$40.36 NOK 389

-10.98%

Cinema Ticket

$14.86 NOK 143

$20.20 NOK 195

-26.44%

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

$273 NOK 2,631

$286 NOK 2,753

-4.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.5K NOK 139.8K

$12.6K NOK 121.0K

15.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 NOK 1,005

$91.1 NOK 878

14.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.04 NOK 453

$55.5 NOK 535

-15.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 NOK 977

$111 NOK 1,071

-8.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$153 NOK 1,471

$145 NOK 1,400

5.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,024 NOK 9,860

$1,284 NOK 12.4K

-20.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$878 NOK 8,459

$976 NOK 9,397

-9.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,738 NOK 16.7K

$2,019 NOK 19.4K

-13.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,417 NOK 13.6K

$1,558 NOK 15.0K

-9.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,761 NOK 45.9K

$7,575 NOK 73.0K

-37.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,327 NOK 32.0K

$4,645 NOK 44.7K

-28.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,092 NOK 39.4K

$4,344 NOK 41.8K

-5.78%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Bergen: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,024 in Kristiansand and $1,284 in Bergen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 6% 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 $103 in Bergen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $446 vs $489 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, salaries run 6% 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: $1,024 in Kristiansand versus $1,284 in Bergen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $273 in Kristiansand versus $286 in Bergen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Bergen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,352 in Kristiansand versus $2,650 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.