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: $2,496 in Sandnes versus $2,605 in Bergen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,891 in Sandnes versus $3,923 in Bergen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,286 in Sandnes versus $5,240 in Bergen.

Living in Sandnes costs roughly 4% less than in Bergen, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sandnes 86% above, Bergen 94% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.26 NOK 263

$25.78 NOK 240

9.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 NOK 1,115

$100 NOK 931

19.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.28 NOK 123

$18.96 NOK 176

-29.96%

Cappuccino

$5.23 NOK 48.55

$5.36 NOK 49.82

-2.43%

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

$3.60 NOK 33.41

$3.21 NOK 29.86

12.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 NOK 26.48

$3.03 NOK 28.14

-5.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.07 NOK 93.5

$11.53 NOK 107

-12.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.93 NOK 92.3

$9.67 NOK 89.8

2.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 NOK 20.11

$2.64 NOK 24.50

-18.18%

White Bread (500g)

$3.29 NOK 30.56

$3.36 NOK 31.20

-2.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.22 NOK 29.94

$2.90 NOK 26.92

11.03%

Eggs

$4.26 NOK 39.59

$5.11 NOK 47.45

-16.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.43 NOK 115

$13.96 NOK 130

-10.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.26 NOK 132

$16.06 NOK 149

-11.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$35.26 NOK 328

$28.05 NOK 261

25.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.50 NOK 32.48

$3.75 NOK 34.84

-6.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.60 NOK 24.19

$2.94 NOK 27.29

-11.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 NOK 27.44

$3.61 NOK 33.56

-18.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.80 NOK 44.58

$5.52 NOK 51.3

-13.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 NOK 20.71

$2.72 NOK 25.24

-18.01%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 NOK 21.31

$2.77 NOK 25.73

-17.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 NOK 25.87

$2.85 NOK 26.45

-2.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 NOK 17.61

$2.15 NOK 19.95

-11.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.93 NOK 139

$16.93 NOK 157

-11.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.10 NOK 159

$18.39 NOK 171

-7.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.26 NOK 30.29

$3.35 NOK 31.08

-2.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 NOK 38.62

$4.27 NOK 39.68

-2.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.20 NOK 39.00

$4.56 NOK 42.40

-7.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.6 NOK 665

$80.5 NOK 748

-11.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.17 NOK 141

$15.36 NOK 143

-1.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.08 NOK 19.29

$2.28 NOK 21.15

-8.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$47.21 NOK 439

$72.7 NOK 675

-35.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.12 NOK 19.74

$2.16 NOK 20.11

-1.85%

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

$34.1K NOK 316.8K

$35.0K NOK 325.2K

-2.58%

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

$33.4K NOK 310.5K

$43.6K NOK 404.7K

-23.28%

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

$216 NOK 2,004

$238 NOK 2,207

-9.18%

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

$44.16 NOK 410

$38.16 NOK 355

15.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.4 NOK 728

$64.1 NOK 595

22.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.79 NOK 463

$55.2 NOK 513

-9.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$50.1 NOK 465

$40.59 NOK 377

23.43%

Cinema Ticket

$18.17 NOK 169

$19.99 NOK 186

-9.10%

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

$319 NOK 2,966

$281 NOK 2,610

13.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,931 NOK 83.0K

$12.9K NOK 120.1K

-30.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$118 NOK 1,093

$90.5 NOK 841

29.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 NOK 538

$55.0 NOK 510

5.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 NOK 964

$111 NOK 1,034

-6.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$158 NOK 1,468

$147 NOK 1,369

7.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,273 NOK 11.8K

$1,275 NOK 11.8K

-0.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$880 NOK 8,171

$997 NOK 9,263

-11.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,683 NOK 15.6K

$2,004 NOK 18.6K

-16.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,469 NOK 13.6K

$1,576 NOK 14.6K

-6.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,183 NOK 66.7K

$7,998 NOK 74.3K

-10.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,139 NOK 38.4K

$4,773 NOK 44.3K

-13.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,827 NOK 35.5K

$4,646 NOK 43.2K

-17.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.4

4.85

-9.28%

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

Last update for Sandnes: May 31, 2026

Last update for Bergen: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,273 in Sandnes and $1,275 in Bergen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 21% 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: $120 in Sandnes vs $100 in Bergen. Groceries flip the comparison at $472 vs $490, with Sandnes 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

Sandnes vs Bergen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sandnes is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 4% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Bergen earns 21% 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: $1,273 in Sandnes versus $1,275 in Bergen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $319 in Sandnes 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 4% 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 4% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.