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: $3,393 in Oslo versus $2,948 in Bergen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,964 in Oslo versus $4,449 in Bergen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,535 in Oslo versus $5,950 in Bergen.

Living in Oslo is roughly 15% more expensive than in Bergen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Oslo 148% above, Bergen 115% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.87 NOK 206

$24.70 NOK 233

-11.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$127 NOK 1,200

$139 NOK 1,311

-8.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.35 NOK 154

$15.86 NOK 149

3.09%

Cappuccino

$6.18 NOK 58.2

$5.68 NOK 53.5

8.80%

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

$4.10 NOK 38.67

$5.31 NOK 50.0

-22.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 NOK 32.51

$4.53 NOK 42.69

-23.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.64 NOK 110

$12.85 NOK 121

-9.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.70 NOK 120

$10.60 NOK 99.9

19.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.65 NOK 24.98

$2.33 NOK 21.95

13.73%

White Bread (500g)

$4.12 NOK 38.85

$3.90 NOK 36.77

5.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.76 NOK 44.87

$3.57 NOK 33.67

33.33%

Eggs

$6.14 NOK 57.9

$6.62 NOK 62.4

-7.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.66 NOK 138

$15.02 NOK 142

-2.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.39 NOK 145

$17.61 NOK 166

-12.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$29.69 NOK 280

$35.64 NOK 336

-16.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.44 NOK 32.45

$4.02 NOK 37.88

-14.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.68 NOK 25.25

$2.83 NOK 26.64

-5.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.54 NOK 33.37

$3.67 NOK 34.54

-3.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.06 NOK 57.1

$5.50 NOK 51.8

10.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 NOK 25.66

$2.55 NOK 23.99

6.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 NOK 27.18

$3.30 NOK 31.10

-12.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.23 NOK 30.43

$2.94 NOK 27.70

9.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 NOK 23.99

$1.91 NOK 17.95

33.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.59 NOK 185

$18.18 NOK 171

7.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.63 NOK 157

$18.23 NOK 172

-8.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.48 NOK 32.75

$3.52 NOK 33.20

-1.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 NOK 41.35

$4.39 NOK 41.32

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.01 NOK 47.22

$5.12 NOK 48.20

-2.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.9 NOK 800

$90.2 NOK 850

-5.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.33 NOK 116

$12.62 NOK 119

-2.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.87 NOK 17.59

$1.96 NOK 18.43

-4.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$70.1 NOK 661

$74.5 NOK 702

-5.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.27 NOK 21.39

$2.37 NOK 22.33

-4.22%

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

$50.2K NOK 473.1K

$49.1K NOK 462.5K

2.29%

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

$45.5K NOK 428.8K

$44.2K NOK 416.9K

2.85%

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

$425 NOK 4,008

$288 NOK 2,717

47.52%

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

$33.72 NOK 318

$31.45 NOK 296

7.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.5 NOK 542

$78.6 NOK 741

-26.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.6 NOK 580

$45.85 NOK 432

34.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.20 NOK 275

$43.68 NOK 412

-33.15%

Cinema Ticket

$19.46 NOK 183

$19.64 NOK 185

-0.92%

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

$244 NOK 2,302

$245 NOK 2,309

-0.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K NOK 148.0K

$12.2K NOK 115.2K

28.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 NOK 976

$107 NOK 1,008

-3.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.1 NOK 576

$54.3 NOK 511

12.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 NOK 1,273

$125 NOK 1,181

7.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$158 NOK 1,492

$170 NOK 1,602

-6.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,026 NOK 19.1K

$1,496 NOK 14.1K

35.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,568 NOK 14.8K

$1,104 NOK 10.4K

42.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,062 NOK 28.9K

$2,481 NOK 23.4K

23.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,302 NOK 21.7K

$1,780 NOK 16.8K

29.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.0K NOK 112.8K

$7,757 NOK 73.1K

54.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,933 NOK 65.3K

$4,967 NOK 46.8K

39.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,691 NOK 44.2K

$4,712 NOK 44.4K

-0.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.98

5.31

-6.21%

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

Last update for Oslo: September 13, 2026

Last update for Bergen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,026 in Oslo and $1,496 in Bergen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 0% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $127 in Oslo vs $139 in Bergen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $516 vs $534 per month, with Oslo 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 Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 15% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 0% 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: $2,026 in Oslo versus $1,496 in Bergen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $244 in Oslo versus $245 in Bergen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Oslo pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

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 15% less than in Oslo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.