Cost of Living Comparison Between Oslo and Bergen Cost of Living Comparison Between Oslo and Bergen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,141 in Oslo versus $2,605 in Bergen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,597 in Oslo versus $3,923 in Bergen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,053 in Oslo versus $5,240 in Bergen.

Living in Oslo is roughly 21% more expensive than Bergen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Oslo 134% above, Bergen 94% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.53 NOK 238

$25.78 NOK 241

-0.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$123 NOK 1,144

$100 NOK 935

22.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.15 NOK 141

$18.96 NOK 177

-20.09%

Cappuccino

$4.86 NOK 45.41

$5.36 NOK 50.1

-9.33%

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

$4.08 NOK 38.14

$3.21 NOK 30.01

27.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 NOK 29.79

$3.03 NOK 28.28

5.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.02 NOK 112

$11.53 NOK 108

4.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.22 NOK 105

$9.67 NOK 90.3

16.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 NOK 22.35

$2.64 NOK 24.62

-9.47%

White Bread (500g)

$4.09 NOK 38.17

$3.36 NOK 31.36

21.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.66 NOK 34.19

$2.90 NOK 27.05

26.21%

Eggs

$5.03 NOK 47.00

$5.11 NOK 47.68

-1.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.46 NOK 126

$13.96 NOK 130

-3.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.04 NOK 150

$16.06 NOK 150

-0.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$30.76 NOK 287

$28.05 NOK 262

9.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.49 NOK 32.63

$3.75 NOK 35.01

-6.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.63 NOK 24.53

$2.94 NOK 27.43

-10.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.35 NOK 31.32

$3.61 NOK 33.73

-7.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.16 NOK 48.20

$5.52 NOK 51.5

-6.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.43 NOK 22.69

$2.72 NOK 25.37

-10.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.71 NOK 25.33

$2.77 NOK 25.85

-2.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 NOK 26.61

$2.85 NOK 26.58

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 NOK 21.84

$2.15 NOK 20.05

8.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.19 NOK 160

$16.93 NOK 158

1.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.93 NOK 177

$18.39 NOK 172

2.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.35 NOK 31.28

$3.35 NOK 31.24

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 NOK 40.87

$4.27 NOK 39.87

2.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.31 NOK 40.20

$4.56 NOK 42.61

-5.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 NOK 727

$80.5 NOK 752

-3.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.04 NOK 93.8

$15.36 NOK 143

-34.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 NOK 12.93

$2.28 NOK 21.25

-39.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.24 NOK 394

$72.7 NOK 679

-41.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 NOK 20.34

$2.16 NOK 20.21

0.93%

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

$36.5K NOK 340.5K

$35.0K NOK 326.8K

4.19%

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

$42.7K NOK 398.5K

$43.6K NOK 406.8K

-2.04%

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

$304 NOK 2,834

$238 NOK 2,218

27.80%

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

$31.63 NOK 295

$38.16 NOK 356

-17.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.0 NOK 532

$64.1 NOK 598

-10.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.8 NOK 539

$55.2 NOK 516

4.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.64 NOK 267

$40.59 NOK 379

-29.44%

Cinema Ticket

$18.01 NOK 168

$19.99 NOK 187

-9.90%

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

$274 NOK 2,556

$281 NOK 2,623

-2.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.5K NOK 135.8K

$12.9K NOK 120.7K

12.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 NOK 987

$90.5 NOK 845

16.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.4 NOK 611

$55.0 NOK 513

19.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 NOK 1,158

$111 NOK 1,039

11.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$168 NOK 1,572

$147 NOK 1,376

14.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,671 NOK 15.6K

$1,275 NOK 11.9K

31.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,446 NOK 13.5K

$997 NOK 9,309

44.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,749 NOK 25.7K

$2,004 NOK 18.7K

37.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,165 NOK 20.2K

$1,576 NOK 14.7K

37.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.0K NOK 112.2K

$7,998 NOK 74.7K

50.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,295 NOK 68.1K

$4,773 NOK 44.6K

52.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,411 NOK 41.2K

$4,646 NOK 43.4K

-5.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.08

4.85

4.74%

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

Last update for Oslo: May 31, 2026

Last update for Bergen: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,671 in Oslo and $1,275 in Bergen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 5% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $122 in Oslo vs $100 in Bergen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $500 vs $490 per month, with Bergen 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

Oslo vs Bergen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bergen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear. The 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Bergen earns 5% 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: $1,671 in Oslo versus $1,275 in Bergen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $274 in Oslo 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 2% higher in Oslo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Bergen is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Bergen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Oslo, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Oslo 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 Bergen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Oslo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.