Cost of Living Comparison Between Sandnes and Bergen Cost of Living Comparison Between Sandnes and Bergen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,734 in Sandnes versus $2,942 in Bergen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,201 in Sandnes versus $4,473 in Bergen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,668 in Sandnes versus $6,004 in Bergen.

Living in Sandnes costs roughly 7% less than in Bergen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sandnes 98% above, Bergen 113% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.23 NOK 243

$24.62 NOK 228

6.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.0 NOK 918

$140 NOK 1,294

-29.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.95 NOK 148

$16.47 NOK 153

-3.16%

Cappuccino

$5.78 NOK 53.7

$5.92 NOK 54.9

-2.36%

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

$3.46 NOK 32.11

$5.17 NOK 48.00

-33.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 NOK 28.02

$4.63 NOK 42.96

-34.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.69 NOK 127

$12.94 NOK 120

5.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.30 NOK 114

$10.70 NOK 99.3

14.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.53 NOK 23.46

$2.48 NOK 22.99

2.02%

White Bread (500g)

$3.61 NOK 33.46

$3.82 NOK 35.42

-5.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 NOK 23.30

$3.47 NOK 32.20

-27.67%

Eggs

$5.09 NOK 47.23

$6.75 NOK 62.6

-24.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.62 NOK 126

$15.20 NOK 141

-10.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.04 NOK 149

$17.60 NOK 163

-8.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$32.92 NOK 305

$35.27 NOK 327

-6.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.59 NOK 33.34

$4.13 NOK 38.35

-13.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.88 NOK 26.76

$2.86 NOK 26.52

0.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.32 NOK 30.79

$3.60 NOK 33.43

-7.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.87 NOK 45.19

$5.80 NOK 53.8

-16.03%

Potato (1kg)

$2.52 NOK 23.42

$2.52 NOK 23.33

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 NOK 21.64

$3.34 NOK 31.01

-30.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 NOK 26.43

$2.93 NOK 27.19

-2.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 NOK 22.33

$2.06 NOK 19.07

16.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.70 NOK 155

$18.04 NOK 167

-7.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.93 NOK 157

$18.63 NOK 173

-9.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.41 NOK 31.59

$3.56 NOK 33.06

-4.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.49 NOK 41.66

$4.27 NOK 39.64

5.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.97 NOK 46.11

$5.21 NOK 48.37

-4.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.2 NOK 790

$89.0 NOK 826

-4.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.33 NOK 58.7

$12.91 NOK 120

-50.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.80 NOK 16.72

$1.90 NOK 17.66

-5.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$49.65 NOK 461

$75.3 NOK 698

-34.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.27 NOK 21.09

$2.36 NOK 21.94

-3.81%

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

$44.1K NOK 409.4K

$49.9K NOK 463.0K

-11.57%

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

$39.7K NOK 368.7K

$44.8K NOK 415.9K

-11.36%

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

$253 NOK 2,350

$296 NOK 2,747

-14.47%

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

$35.85 NOK 333

$31.98 NOK 297

12.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.7 NOK 795

$78.9 NOK 732

8.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.89 NOK 426

$45.57 NOK 423

0.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$52.9 NOK 490

$44.44 NOK 412

18.97%

Cinema Ticket

$19.26 NOK 179

$19.31 NOK 179

-0.26%

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

$294 NOK 2,725

$250 NOK 2,323

17.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,878 NOK 91.6K

$12.3K NOK 114.1K

-19.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$128 NOK 1,187

$109 NOK 1,013

17.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.1 NOK 576

$55.7 NOK 516

11.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 NOK 1,137

$122 NOK 1,128

0.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$192 NOK 1,778

$171 NOK 1,588

12.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,372 NOK 12.7K

$1,542 NOK 14.3K

-11.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$983 NOK 9,119

$1,118 NOK 10.4K

-12.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,043 NOK 19.0K

$2,485 NOK 23.1K

-17.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,825 NOK 16.9K

$1,767 NOK 16.4K

3.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,082 NOK 65.7K

$7,803 NOK 72.4K

-9.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,154 NOK 38.5K

$4,910 NOK 45.5K

-15.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,824 NOK 35.5K

$4,848 NOK 45.0K

-21.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.22

5.31

-1.69%

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

Last update for Sandnes: September 7, 2026

Last update for Bergen: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,372 in Sandnes and $1,542 in Bergen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 27% 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: $99.0 in Sandnes vs $140 in Bergen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $497 vs $539 per month, with Sandnes 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

Sandnes vs Bergen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sandnes is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Getting Around. The 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 27% 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: $1,372 in Sandnes versus $1,542 in Bergen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $294 in Sandnes versus $250 in Bergen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% 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. Sandnes is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Sandnes 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, Sandnes 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 Sandnes gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.