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: $2,418 in Mandal versus $2,650 in Bergen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,777 in Mandal versus $3,988 in Bergen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,136 in Mandal versus $5,327 in Bergen.

Living in Mandal costs roughly 9% less than in Bergen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mandal 81% above, Bergen 98% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.65 NOK 247

$25.72 NOK 248

-0.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 NOK 1,176

$103 NOK 993

18.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.34 NOK 148

$19.51 NOK 188

-21.37%

Cappuccino

$5.21 NOK 50.2

$5.42 NOK 52.2

-3.87%

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

$4.03 NOK 38.80

$3.20 NOK 30.82

25.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 NOK 32.70

$2.89 NOK 27.87

17.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.32 NOK 109

$11.82 NOK 114

-4.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.02 NOK 96.5

$9.78 NOK 94.2

2.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.12 NOK 20.42

$2.65 NOK 25.54

-20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.00 NOK 28.92

$3.28 NOK 31.58

-8.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.52 NOK 43.49

$2.88 NOK 27.77

56.94%

Eggs

$2.97 NOK 28.62

$4.90 NOK 47.23

-39.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 NOK 128

$14.20 NOK 137

-6.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.19 NOK 156

$16.06 NOK 155

0.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.05 NOK 261

$28.21 NOK 272

-4.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.44 NOK 33.15

$3.94 NOK 37.99

-12.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.56 NOK 24.66

$2.96 NOK 28.52

-13.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.12 NOK 30.05

$3.75 NOK 36.17

-16.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.79 NOK 46.14

$5.62 NOK 54.2

-14.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 NOK 19.89

$2.73 NOK 26.29

-24.54%

Onion (1kg)

$3.06 NOK 29.49

$2.91 NOK 28.04

5.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 NOK 14.75

$2.80 NOK 27.00

-45.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 NOK 17.05

$2.14 NOK 20.64

-17.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.41 NOK 148

$16.95 NOK 163

-9.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.86 NOK 172

$17.26 NOK 166

3.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 NOK 28.72

$3.30 NOK 31.80

-9.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 NOK 27.27

$4.38 NOK 42.18

-35.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.34 NOK 41.79

$4.47 NOK 43.07

-2.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.8 NOK 710

$81.2 NOK 783

-9.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.51 NOK 53.0

$15.23 NOK 147

-63.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 NOK 9.71

$2.25 NOK 21.66

-55.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$99.6 NOK 960

$72.5 NOK 699

37.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 NOK 20.75

$2.13 NOK 20.51

0.94%

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

$34.3K NOK 330.5K

$35.3K NOK 340.4K

-2.91%

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

$33.4K NOK 321.3K

$43.1K NOK 415.0K

-22.58%

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

$193 NOK 1,863

$242 NOK 2,333

-20.18%

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

$33.83 NOK 326

$38.51 NOK 371

-12.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$83.2 NOK 802

$64.7 NOK 623

28.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.80 NOK 470

$53.9 NOK 520

-9.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.86 NOK 345

$40.36 NOK 389

-11.15%

Cinema Ticket

$19.04 NOK 183

$20.20 NOK 195

-5.74%

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

$319 NOK 3,072

$286 NOK 2,753

11.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K NOK 123.3K

$12.6K NOK 121.0K

1.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 NOK 1,156

$91.1 NOK 878

31.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.7 NOK 575

$55.5 NOK 535

7.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 NOK 995

$111 NOK 1,071

-7.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 NOK 1,536

$145 NOK 1,400

9.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 NOK 11.8K

$1,284 NOK 12.4K

-4.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$882 NOK 8,500

$976 NOK 9,397

-9.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,839 NOK 17.7K

$2,019 NOK 19.4K

-8.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,525 NOK 14.7K

$1,558 NOK 15.0K

-2.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,630 NOK 63.9K

$7,575 NOK 73.0K

-12.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,911 NOK 37.7K

$4,645 NOK 44.7K

-15.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,139 NOK 39.9K

$4,344 NOK 41.8K

-4.70%

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: July 11, 2026

Last update for Bergen: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,221 in Mandal and $1,284 in Bergen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 5% 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: $122 in Mandal vs $103 in Bergen. Groceries flip the comparison at $448 vs $489, 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 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 5% 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: $1,221 in Mandal versus $1,284 in Bergen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $319 in Mandal 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 9% 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. Mandal is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 10% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.