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: $2,541 in Sandnes versus $2,650 in Bergen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,940 in Sandnes versus $3,988 in Bergen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,340 in Sandnes versus $5,327 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 90% above, Bergen 98% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.47 NOK 274

$25.72 NOK 248

10.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 NOK 1,177

$103 NOK 993

18.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.21 NOK 127

$19.51 NOK 188

-32.29%

Cappuccino

$5.23 NOK 50.4

$5.42 NOK 52.2

-3.51%

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

$3.50 NOK 33.71

$3.20 NOK 30.82

9.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 NOK 28.39

$2.89 NOK 27.87

2.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.20 NOK 98.2

$11.82 NOK 114

-13.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.03 NOK 96.6

$9.78 NOK 94.2

2.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 NOK 20.29

$2.65 NOK 25.54

-20.38%

White Bread (500g)

$3.42 NOK 32.96

$3.28 NOK 31.58

4.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 NOK 30.93

$2.88 NOK 27.77

11.46%

Eggs

$4.26 NOK 41.07

$4.90 NOK 47.23

-13.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.53 NOK 121

$14.20 NOK 137

-11.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.98 NOK 135

$16.06 NOK 155

-12.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$36.26 NOK 349

$28.21 NOK 272

28.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.61 NOK 34.78

$3.94 NOK 37.99

-8.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.56 NOK 24.70

$2.96 NOK 28.52

-13.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.06 NOK 29.47

$3.75 NOK 36.17

-18.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.72 NOK 45.47

$5.62 NOK 54.2

-16.01%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 NOK 21.13

$2.73 NOK 26.29

-19.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 NOK 21.78

$2.91 NOK 28.04

-22.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 NOK 26.94

$2.80 NOK 27.00

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 NOK 18.24

$2.14 NOK 20.64

-11.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.08 NOK 145

$16.95 NOK 163

-11.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.15 NOK 156

$17.26 NOK 166

-6.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.19 NOK 30.74

$3.30 NOK 31.80

-3.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.01 NOK 38.60

$4.38 NOK 42.18

-8.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.19 NOK 40.36

$4.47 NOK 43.07

-6.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.8 NOK 672

$81.2 NOK 783

-14.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$14.93 NOK 144

$15.23 NOK 147

-1.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 NOK 19.77

$2.25 NOK 21.66

-8.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$46.06 NOK 444

$72.5 NOK 699

-36.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 NOK 20.33

$2.13 NOK 20.51

-0.94%

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

$35.0K NOK 337.4K

$35.3K NOK 340.4K

-0.87%

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

$32.3K NOK 311.4K

$43.1K NOK 415.0K

-24.96%

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

$223 NOK 2,145

$242 NOK 2,333

-8.06%

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

$43.73 NOK 421

$38.51 NOK 371

13.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.8 NOK 759

$64.7 NOK 623

21.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 NOK 483

$53.9 NOK 520

-6.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$50.8 NOK 489

$40.36 NOK 389

25.74%

Cinema Ticket

$18.46 NOK 178

$20.20 NOK 195

-8.61%

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

$322 NOK 3,100

$286 NOK 2,753

12.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,185 NOK 88.5K

$12.6K NOK 121.0K

-26.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 NOK 1,156

$91.1 NOK 878

31.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.8 NOK 576

$55.5 NOK 535

7.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 NOK 1,001

$111 NOK 1,071

-6.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$158 NOK 1,520

$145 NOK 1,400

8.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 NOK 12.1K

$1,284 NOK 12.4K

-1.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$852 NOK 8,202

$976 NOK 9,397

-12.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,690 NOK 16.3K

$2,019 NOK 19.4K

-16.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,465 NOK 14.1K

$1,558 NOK 15.0K

-5.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,886 NOK 66.3K

$7,575 NOK 73.0K

-9.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,934 NOK 37.9K

$4,645 NOK 44.7K

-15.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,554 NOK 34.2K

$4,344 NOK 41.8K

-18.17%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Bergen: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,260 in Sandnes and $1,284 in Bergen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 22% 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: $122 in Sandnes vs $103 in Bergen. Groceries flip the comparison at $472 vs $489, 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, salaries run 22% 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: $1,260 in Sandnes versus $1,284 in Bergen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $322 in Sandnes versus $286 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.