Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mandal and Bergen

For one person, living is cheaper in Mandal: $2,746 a month against $2,927 in Bergen, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Bergen outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

133

Cost of Living Index in Mandal
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Mandal Living Index
141

Cost of Living Index in Bergen
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Bergen Living Index

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Mandal

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,746

/mo nomad

Bergen

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,927

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mandal 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 Mandal and in Bergen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,746 in Mandal versus $2,927 in Bergen.

Mandal $2,746
Bergen $2,927

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,159 in Mandal versus $4,393 in Bergen.

Mandal $4,159
Bergen $4,393

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,572 in Mandal versus $5,858 in Bergen.

Mandal $5,572
Bergen $5,858

Living in Mandal costs roughly 6% less than in Bergen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mandal 103% above, Bergen 116% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.98 NOK 235

$23.86 NOK 225

4.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.4 NOK 917

$137 NOK 1,286

-28.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.46 NOK 146

$16.17 NOK 152

-4.39%

Cappuccino

$6.31 NOK 59.4

$5.48 NOK 51.6

15.15%

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

$5.45 NOK 51.3

$5.34 NOK 50.3

2.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.23 NOK 39.80

$4.70 NOK 44.25

-10.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.41 NOK 126

$12.76 NOK 120

5.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.21 NOK 115

$10.67 NOK 100

14.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 NOK 20.54

$2.30 NOK 21.68

-5.22%

White Bread (500g)

$3.62 NOK 34.08

$3.86 NOK 36.32

-6.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.89 NOK 36.58

$3.57 NOK 33.60

8.96%

Eggs

$3.05 NOK 28.73

$6.30 NOK 59.3

-51.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.77 NOK 130

$14.65 NOK 138

-6.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.46 NOK 155

$17.78 NOK 167

-7.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$35.09 NOK 330

$37.46 NOK 353

-6.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.46 NOK 32.60

$4.07 NOK 38.32

-14.99%

Banana (1kg)

$2.69 NOK 25.34

$2.79 NOK 26.28

-3.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.52 NOK 33.10

$3.63 NOK 34.16

-3.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.91 NOK 46.23

$5.41 NOK 50.9

-9.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.51 NOK 23.62

$2.49 NOK 23.43

0.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.98 NOK 28.06

$3.42 NOK 32.21

-12.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 NOK 14.68

$2.95 NOK 27.75

-47.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.37 NOK 22.27

$1.79 NOK 16.83

32.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.25 NOK 162

$17.71 NOK 167

-2.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.28 NOK 172

$19.45 NOK 183

-6.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.11 NOK 29.31

$3.68 NOK 34.63

-15.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 NOK 27.15

$4.27 NOK 40.22

-32.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.51 NOK 42.47

$5.30 NOK 49.93

-14.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.3 NOK 812

$87.5 NOK 824

-1.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.70 NOK 53.7

$12.39 NOK 117

-54.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.18 NOK 11.12

$1.87 NOK 17.62

-36.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$104 NOK 982

$72.1 NOK 679

44.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.16 NOK 20.31

$2.39 NOK 22.51

-9.62%

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

$47.8K NOK 450.4K

$49.4K NOK 465.3K

-3.22%

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

$40.9K NOK 385.2K

$44.8K NOK 422.1K

-8.76%

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

$239 NOK 2,246

$287 NOK 2,698

-16.77%

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

$34.04 NOK 320

$34.59 NOK 326

-1.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$82.6 NOK 778

$82.8 NOK 779

-0.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.1 NOK 471

$45.58 NOK 429

9.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.05 NOK 339

$43.31 NOK 408

-16.76%

Cinema Ticket

$21.25 NOK 200

$19.31 NOK 182

10.05%

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

$319 NOK 3,000

$241 NOK 2,264

32.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.2K NOK 133.9K

$12.1K NOK 113.5K

17.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$124 NOK 1,169

$110 NOK 1,033

13.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.0 NOK 565

$54.2 NOK 510

10.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$153 NOK 1,437

$118 NOK 1,107

29.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$197 NOK 1,850

$170 NOK 1,601

15.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 NOK 11.4K

$1,495 NOK 14.1K

-19.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$997 NOK 9,389

$1,137 NOK 10.7K

-12.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,971 NOK 18.6K

$2,323 NOK 21.9K

-15.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,667 NOK 15.7K

$1,698 NOK 16.0K

-1.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,165 NOK 58.0K

$7,803 NOK 73.5K

-20.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,019 NOK 37.8K

$4,919 NOK 46.3K

-18.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,319 NOK 40.7K

$4,675 NOK 44.0K

-7.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.27

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

Last update for Mandal: 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

Mandal

$997 36.3%

Bergen

$1.1K 38.8% 14% $139

Groceries & Markets

Mandal

$493 17.9%

Bergen

$538 18.4% 9.3% $46

Eating Out

Mandal

$452 16.5%

Bergen

$430 14.7% 4.8% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mandal

$355 12.9%

Bergen

$404 13.8% 13.7% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Mandal

$240 8.7%

Bergen

$203 6.9% 15.3% $37

Getting Around

Mandal

$116 4.2%

Bergen

$130 4.5% 12.5% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Mandal

$93 3.4%

Bergen

$84 2.9% 9% $8.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,207 in Mandal and $1,495 in Bergen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 8% 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: $97.0 in Mandal vs $137 in Bergen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $493 vs $538 per month, with Mandal cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇴 Mandal

🇳🇴 Bergen

🕒 Local time

12:48 12:48 PM

Same time as Mandal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,477

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

Mandal Bergen 290 km

From you

Mandal
Bergen

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

Mandal vs Bergen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mandal is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, utilities, and transport. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 8% 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: $1,207 in Mandal versus $1,495 in Bergen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $319 in Mandal 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 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 7% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.