Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sandnes and Bergen

For one person, living is cheaper in Sandnes: $2,684 a month against $2,927 in Bergen, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Sandnes
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Sandnes Living Index
141

Cost of Living Index in Bergen
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Bergen Living Index

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Sandnes

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,684

/mo nomad

Bergen

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,927

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sandnes and in Bergen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Sandnes and in Bergen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,684 in Sandnes versus $2,927 in Bergen.

Sandnes $2,684
Bergen $2,927

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,176 in Sandnes versus $4,393 in Bergen.

Sandnes $4,176
Bergen $4,393

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,667 in Sandnes versus $5,858 in Bergen.

Sandnes $5,667
Bergen $5,858

Living in Sandnes costs roughly 8% less than in Bergen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sandnes 98% above, Bergen 116% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.80 NOK 233

$23.86 NOK 225

3.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.5 NOK 918

$137 NOK 1,286

-28.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.49 NOK 146

$16.17 NOK 152

-4.21%

Cappuccino

$5.71 NOK 53.7

$5.48 NOK 51.6

4.20%

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

$3.41 NOK 32.10

$5.34 NOK 50.3

-36.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 NOK 28.85

$4.70 NOK 44.25

-34.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.93 NOK 131

$12.76 NOK 120

9.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.58 NOK 99.6

$10.67 NOK 100

-0.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 NOK 22.94

$2.30 NOK 21.68

6.09%

White Bread (500g)

$3.37 NOK 31.76

$3.86 NOK 36.32

-12.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 NOK 23.82

$3.57 NOK 33.60

-29.13%

Eggs

$4.80 NOK 45.17

$6.30 NOK 59.3

-23.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.22 NOK 124

$14.65 NOK 138

-9.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.83 NOK 149

$17.78 NOK 167

-10.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$31.80 NOK 299

$37.46 NOK 353

-15.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.52 NOK 33.10

$4.07 NOK 38.32

-13.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.84 NOK 26.77

$2.79 NOK 26.28

1.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.17 NOK 29.86

$3.63 NOK 34.16

-12.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.92 NOK 46.32

$5.41 NOK 50.9

-9.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.61 NOK 24.57

$2.49 NOK 23.43

4.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.32 NOK 21.80

$3.42 NOK 32.21

-32.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.88 NOK 27.14

$2.95 NOK 27.75

-2.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.37 NOK 22.29

$1.79 NOK 16.83

32.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.64 NOK 157

$17.71 NOK 167

-6.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.08 NOK 161

$19.45 NOK 183

-12.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.20 NOK 30.12

$3.68 NOK 34.63

-13.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.23 NOK 39.83

$4.27 NOK 40.22

-0.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.70 NOK 44.29

$5.30 NOK 49.93

-11.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.4 NOK 803

$87.5 NOK 824

-2.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.43 NOK 60.6

$12.39 NOK 117

-48.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.80 NOK 16.92

$1.87 NOK 17.62

-3.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$48.81 NOK 460

$72.1 NOK 679

-32.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.23 NOK 21.00

$2.39 NOK 22.51

-6.69%

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

$43.2K NOK 406.7K

$49.4K NOK 465.3K

-12.59%

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

$39.0K NOK 366.7K

$44.8K NOK 422.1K

-13.13%

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

$266 NOK 2,499

$287 NOK 2,698

-7.36%

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

$34.10 NOK 321

$34.59 NOK 326

-1.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.3 NOK 746

$82.8 NOK 779

-4.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.56 NOK 429

$45.58 NOK 429

-0.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$53.4 NOK 503

$43.31 NOK 408

23.27%

Cinema Ticket

$19.40 NOK 183

$19.31 NOK 182

0.47%

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

$292 NOK 2,748

$241 NOK 2,264

21.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,662 NOK 91.0K

$12.1K NOK 113.5K

-19.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$127 NOK 1,200

$110 NOK 1,033

16.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.8 NOK 572

$54.2 NOK 510

12.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 NOK 1,147

$118 NOK 1,107

3.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$189 NOK 1,782

$170 NOK 1,601

11.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,333 NOK 12.6K

$1,495 NOK 14.1K

-10.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$962 NOK 9,056

$1,137 NOK 10.7K

-15.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,000 NOK 18.8K

$2,323 NOK 21.9K

-13.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,820 NOK 17.1K

$1,698 NOK 16.0K

7.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,005 NOK 65.9K

$7,803 NOK 73.5K

-10.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,050 NOK 38.1K

$4,919 NOK 46.3K

-17.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,781 NOK 35.6K

$4,675 NOK 44.0K

-19.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.22

5.27

-0.95%

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

Last update for Sandnes: October 18, 2026

Last update for Bergen: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Sandnes

$962 35.8%

Bergen

$1.1K 38.8% 18.2% $175

Groceries & Markets

Sandnes

$485 18.1%

Bergen

$538 18.4% 11.1% $54

Eating Out

Sandnes

$430 16%

Bergen

$430 14.7% 0.1% $0.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sandnes

$379 14.1%

Bergen

$404 13.8% 6.6% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Sandnes

$225 8.4%

Bergen

$203 6.9% 9.5% $21

Getting Around

Sandnes

$120 4.5%

Bergen

$130 4.5% 9.1% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Sandnes

$84 3.1%

Bergen

$84 2.9% 0.2% $0.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,333 in Sandnes and $1,495 in Bergen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 24% 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: $98.0 in Sandnes vs $137 in Bergen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $485 vs $538 per month, with Sandnes cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇴 Sandnes

🇳🇴 Bergen

🕒 Local time

18:04 6:04 PM

Same time as Sandnes

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

83,958

292,482

💱 Currency

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 NOK = 10.62 USD

100 NOK = 9.45 EUR

100 NOK = 10.62 USD

100 NOK = 9.45 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Sandnes Bergen 170 km

From you

Sandnes
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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, eating out, and transport. The 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 24% 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: $1,333 in Sandnes versus $1,495 in Bergen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $292 in Sandnes versus $241 in Bergen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% 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 9% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.