Cost of Living Comparison Between Porsgrunn and Bergen Cost of Living Comparison Between Porsgrunn and Bergen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,274 in Porsgrunn versus $2,605 in Bergen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Porsgrunn versus $3,923 in Bergen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,827 in Porsgrunn versus $5,240 in Bergen.

Living in Porsgrunn costs roughly 13% less than in Bergen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Porsgrunn 70% above, Bergen 94% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.72 NOK 267

$25.78 NOK 240

11.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 NOK 944

$100 NOK 931

1.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.57 NOK 126

$18.96 NOK 176

-28.43%

Cappuccino

$4.83 NOK 44.89

$5.36 NOK 49.82

-9.89%

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

$2.05 NOK 19.06

$3.21 NOK 29.86

-36.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 NOK 19.10

$3.03 NOK 28.14

-32.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.86 NOK 82.3

$11.53 NOK 107

-23.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.68 NOK 89.9

$9.67 NOK 89.8

0.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.06 NOK 19.17

$2.64 NOK 24.50

-21.97%

White Bread (500g)

$3.43 NOK 31.86

$3.36 NOK 31.20

2.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.20 NOK 29.76

$2.90 NOK 26.92

10.34%

Eggs

$2.48 NOK 23.02

$5.11 NOK 47.45

-51.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.29 NOK 95.6

$13.96 NOK 130

-26.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.20 NOK 94.7

$16.06 NOK 149

-36.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$35.45 NOK 329

$28.05 NOK 261

26.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 NOK 18.67

$3.75 NOK 34.84

-46.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 NOK 15.36

$2.94 NOK 27.29

-43.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.45 NOK 22.80

$3.61 NOK 33.56

-32.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.86 NOK 26.57

$5.52 NOK 51.3

-48.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 NOK 9.60

$2.72 NOK 25.24

-62.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 NOK 20.61

$2.77 NOK 25.73

-19.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.31 NOK 21.42

$2.85 NOK 26.45

-18.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 NOK 16.98

$2.15 NOK 19.95

-14.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.31 NOK 133

$16.93 NOK 157

-15.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.06 NOK 177

$18.39 NOK 171

3.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.96 NOK 27.46

$3.35 NOK 31.08

-11.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 NOK 36.74

$4.27 NOK 39.68

-7.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.39 NOK 31.47

$4.56 NOK 42.40

-25.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 NOK 674

$80.5 NOK 748

-9.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.04 NOK 93.3

$15.36 NOK 143

-34.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.45 NOK 13.51

$2.28 NOK 21.15

-36.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$101 NOK 941

$72.7 NOK 675

39.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 NOK 18.56

$2.16 NOK 20.11

-7.41%

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

$35.8K NOK 332.4K

$35.0K NOK 325.2K

2.20%

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

$38.0K NOK 352.7K

$43.6K NOK 404.7K

-12.86%

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

$223 NOK 2,068

$238 NOK 2,207

-6.31%

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

$43.15 NOK 401

$38.16 NOK 355

13.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.10 NOK 354

$64.1 NOK 595

-40.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.78 NOK 462

$55.2 NOK 513

-9.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.51 NOK 330

$40.59 NOK 377

-12.52%

Cinema Ticket

$14.80 NOK 137

$19.99 NOK 186

-25.96%

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

$312 NOK 2,898

$281 NOK 2,610

11.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K NOK 95.3K

$12.9K NOK 120.1K

-20.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.3 NOK 467

$90.5 NOK 841

-44.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.87 NOK 277

$55.0 NOK 510

-45.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.7 NOK 647

$111 NOK 1,034

-37.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 NOK 949

$147 NOK 1,369

-30.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,219 NOK 11.3K

$1,275 NOK 11.8K

-4.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$909 NOK 8,449

$997 NOK 9,263

-8.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,840 NOK 17.1K

$2,004 NOK 18.6K

-8.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,546 NOK 14.4K

$1,576 NOK 14.6K

-1.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,998 NOK 74.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,773 NOK 44.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,571 NOK 33.2K

$4,646 NOK 43.2K

-23.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.8

4.85

-21.65%

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

Last update for Porsgrunn: May 31, 2026

Last update for Bergen: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,219 in Porsgrunn and $1,275 in Bergen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 30% 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: $102 in Porsgrunn vs $100 in Bergen. Groceries flip the comparison at $409 vs $490, with Porsgrunn 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

Porsgrunn vs Bergen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Porsgrunn is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 15% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Bergen earns 30% 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: $1,219 in Porsgrunn versus $1,275 in Bergen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $312 in Porsgrunn 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 20% higher in Bergen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,274 in Porsgrunn versus $2,605 in Bergen, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Porsgrunn but tight or insufficient in Bergen. The gap between the two cities makes Porsgrunn the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Porsgrunn 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, Porsgrunn 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 Porsgrunn gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.