Cost of Living Comparison Between Mandal and Bergen Cost of Living Comparison Between Mandal and Bergen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,431 in Mandal versus $2,605 in Bergen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,864 in Mandal versus $3,923 in Bergen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,296 in Mandal versus $5,240 in Bergen.

Living in Mandal costs roughly 7% less than in Bergen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mandal 81% above, Bergen 94% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.44 NOK 236

$25.78 NOK 240

-1.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$124 NOK 1,150

$100 NOK 931

23.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.44 NOK 143

$18.96 NOK 176

-18.57%

Cappuccino

$5.06 NOK 47.04

$5.36 NOK 49.82

-5.60%

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

$3.94 NOK 36.60

$3.21 NOK 29.86

22.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 NOK 30.42

$3.03 NOK 28.14

8.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.19 NOK 104

$11.53 NOK 107

-2.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.14 NOK 94.2

$9.67 NOK 89.8

4.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 NOK 20.21

$2.64 NOK 24.50

-17.42%

White Bread (500g)

$3.18 NOK 29.55

$3.36 NOK 31.20

-5.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.41 NOK 40.97

$2.90 NOK 26.92

52.07%

Eggs

$3.09 NOK 28.70

$5.11 NOK 47.45

-39.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.14 NOK 122

$13.96 NOK 130

-5.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.19 NOK 150

$16.06 NOK 149

0.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.16 NOK 252

$28.05 NOK 261

-3.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.57 NOK 33.16

$3.75 NOK 34.84

-4.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.61 NOK 24.22

$2.94 NOK 27.29

-11.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.02 NOK 28.06

$3.61 NOK 33.56

-16.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.62 NOK 42.93

$5.52 NOK 51.3

-16.30%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 NOK 20.19

$2.72 NOK 25.24

-20.22%

Onion (1kg)

$3.07 NOK 28.51

$2.77 NOK 25.73

10.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 NOK 14.45

$2.85 NOK 26.45

-45.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 NOK 17.10

$2.15 NOK 19.95

-14.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.01 NOK 139

$16.93 NOK 157

-11.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.27 NOK 179

$18.39 NOK 171

4.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.02 NOK 28.06

$3.35 NOK 31.08

-9.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 NOK 26.46

$4.27 NOK 39.68

-33.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.18 NOK 38.81

$4.56 NOK 42.40

-8.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.7 NOK 675

$80.5 NOK 748

-9.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.66 NOK 52.6

$15.36 NOK 143

-63.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 NOK 9.72

$2.28 NOK 21.15

-53.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$99.4 NOK 923

$72.7 NOK 675

36.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 NOK 19.45

$2.16 NOK 20.11

-3.24%

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

$34.7K NOK 322.6K

$35.0K NOK 325.2K

-0.80%

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

$32.3K NOK 300.2K

$43.6K NOK 404.7K

-25.83%

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

$191 NOK 1,771

$238 NOK 2,207

-19.74%

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

$32.72 NOK 304

$38.16 NOK 355

-14.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.8 NOK 750

$64.1 NOK 595

26.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.40 NOK 459

$55.2 NOK 513

-10.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.73 NOK 332

$40.59 NOK 377

-11.97%

Cinema Ticket

$19.54 NOK 182

$19.99 NOK 186

-2.25%

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

$313 NOK 2,910

$281 NOK 2,610

11.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K NOK 119.7K

$12.9K NOK 120.1K

-0.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$117 NOK 1,088

$90.5 NOK 841

29.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.6 NOK 554

$55.0 NOK 510

8.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 NOK 968

$111 NOK 1,034

-6.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$157 NOK 1,463

$147 NOK 1,369

6.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,229 NOK 11.4K

$1,275 NOK 11.8K

-3.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$911 NOK 8,459

$997 NOK 9,263

-8.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,808 NOK 16.8K

$2,004 NOK 18.6K

-9.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,530 NOK 14.2K

$1,576 NOK 14.6K

-2.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,616 NOK 52.2K

$7,998 NOK 74.3K

-29.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,514 NOK 41.9K

$4,773 NOK 44.3K

-5.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,453 NOK 41.4K

$4,646 NOK 43.2K

-4.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

4.85

-7.01%

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

Last update for Mandal: June 2, 2026

Last update for Bergen: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,229 in Mandal and $1,275 in Bergen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 4% 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: $124 in Mandal vs $100 in Bergen. Groceries flip the comparison at $454 vs $490, with Mandal cheaper for home cooking.

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

Mandal vs Bergen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mandal is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Bergen earns 4% 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: $1,229 in Mandal versus $1,275 in Bergen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $313 in Mandal 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 8% higher in Bergen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,431 in Mandal versus $2,605 in Bergen, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Mandal but tight or insufficient in Bergen. The gap between the two cities makes Mandal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Mandal 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, Mandal 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 Mandal gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.