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: $3,203 in Oslo versus $2,650 in Bergen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,686 in Oslo versus $3,988 in Bergen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,170 in Oslo versus $5,327 in Bergen.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Oslo 140% above, Bergen 98% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.37 NOK 245

$25.72 NOK 249

-1.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 NOK 1,164

$103 NOK 997

16.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.96 NOK 145

$19.51 NOK 189

-23.32%

Cappuccino

$5.08 NOK 49.07

$5.42 NOK 52.4

-6.27%

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

$4.10 NOK 39.66

$3.20 NOK 30.94

28.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 NOK 30.85

$2.89 NOK 27.97

10.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.37 NOK 120

$11.82 NOK 114

4.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.03 NOK 107

$9.78 NOK 94.6

12.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.40 NOK 23.24

$2.65 NOK 25.63

-9.43%

White Bread (500g)

$4.03 NOK 39.00

$3.28 NOK 31.70

22.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.67 NOK 35.50

$2.88 NOK 27.87

27.43%

Eggs

$4.95 NOK 47.82

$4.90 NOK 47.40

1.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.66 NOK 132

$14.20 NOK 137

-3.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.41 NOK 159

$16.06 NOK 155

2.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$31.39 NOK 303

$28.21 NOK 273

11.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 NOK 34.85

$3.94 NOK 38.13

-8.63%

Banana (1kg)

$2.63 NOK 25.44

$2.96 NOK 28.62

-11.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.45 NOK 33.39

$3.75 NOK 36.30

-8.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.07 NOK 48.98

$5.62 NOK 54.4

-9.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.51 NOK 24.22

$2.73 NOK 26.38

-8.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.71 NOK 26.22

$2.91 NOK 28.14

-6.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 NOK 26.83

$2.80 NOK 27.10

-0.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 NOK 23.25

$2.14 NOK 20.72

12.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.46 NOK 169

$16.95 NOK 164

3.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.64 NOK 180

$17.26 NOK 167

8.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.41 NOK 33.00

$3.30 NOK 31.92

3.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 NOK 42.06

$4.38 NOK 42.33

-0.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.18 NOK 40.44

$4.47 NOK 43.23

-6.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.6 NOK 769

$81.2 NOK 785

-2.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.20 NOK 98.6

$15.23 NOK 147

-33.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 NOK 13.60

$2.25 NOK 21.74

-37.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.75 NOK 404

$72.5 NOK 701

-42.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.27 NOK 21.96

$2.13 NOK 20.59

6.57%

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

$36.7K NOK 354.3K

$35.3K NOK 341.6K

3.71%

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

$42.3K NOK 409.3K

$43.1K NOK 416.5K

-1.73%

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

$296 NOK 2,863

$242 NOK 2,342

22.23%

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

$31.29 NOK 302

$38.51 NOK 372

-18.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.5 NOK 536

$64.7 NOK 625

-14.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 NOK 554

$53.9 NOK 521

6.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.40 NOK 275

$40.36 NOK 390

-29.63%

Cinema Ticket

$18.01 NOK 174

$20.20 NOK 195

-10.84%

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

$274 NOK 2,653

$286 NOK 2,763

-3.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K NOK 141.9K

$12.6K NOK 121.4K

16.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 NOK 999

$91.1 NOK 881

13.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.5 NOK 623

$55.5 NOK 537

16.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 NOK 1,169

$111 NOK 1,075

8.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$168 NOK 1,620

$145 NOK 1,405

15.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,700 NOK 16.4K

$1,284 NOK 12.4K

32.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,441 NOK 13.9K

$976 NOK 9,431

47.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,677 NOK 25.9K

$2,019 NOK 19.5K

32.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,180 NOK 21.1K

$1,558 NOK 15.1K

39.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.5K NOK 111.3K

$7,575 NOK 73.2K

51.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,961 NOK 67.3K

$4,645 NOK 44.9K

49.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,256 NOK 41.1K

$4,344 NOK 42.0K

-2.02%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Bergen: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,700 in Oslo and $1,284 in Bergen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 2% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $120 in Oslo vs $103 in Bergen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $505 vs $489 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, salaries run 2% 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: $1,700 in Oslo versus $1,284 in Bergen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $274 in Oslo 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 3% 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.