Cost of Living Comparison Between Sandvika and Bergen Cost of Living Comparison Between Sandvika and Bergen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,512 in Sandvika versus $2,688 in Bergen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,866 in Sandvika versus $3,981 in Bergen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,220 in Sandvika versus $5,273 in Bergen.

Living in Sandvika costs roughly 7% less than in Bergen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sandvika 88% above, Bergen 101% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.28 NOK 152

$25.64 NOK 239

-36.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.3 NOK 879

$102 NOK 948

-7.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$20.76 NOK 194

$18.93 NOK 176

9.67%

Cappuccino

$3.96 NOK 36.88

$5.60 NOK 52.2

-29.29%

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

$2.87 NOK 26.76

$3.11 NOK 28.95

-7.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 NOK 21.33

$2.90 NOK 27.05

-21.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 NOK 75.1

$11.69 NOK 109

-31.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.50 NOK 88.6

$9.43 NOK 87.9

0.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.41 NOK 22.49

$2.75 NOK 25.64

-12.36%

White Bread (500g)

$3.45 NOK 32.13

$3.30 NOK 30.73

4.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 NOK 17.74

$2.81 NOK 26.16

-32.38%

Eggs

$4.20 NOK 39.17

$4.86 NOK 45.27

-13.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.62 NOK 174

$14.19 NOK 132

31.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$25.89 NOK 241

$15.59 NOK 145

66.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.46 NOK 219

$28.20 NOK 263

-16.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.69 NOK 25.06

$3.87 NOK 36.11

-30.49%

Banana (1kg)

$2.41 NOK 22.45

$3.06 NOK 28.54

-21.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.55 NOK 33.06

$3.61 NOK 33.64

-1.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.64 NOK 33.89

$5.57 NOK 51.9

-34.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 NOK 20.18

$2.70 NOK 25.18

-20.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 NOK 22.59

$2.86 NOK 26.65

-15.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.26 NOK 21.04

$2.78 NOK 25.89

-18.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 NOK 14.04

$2.12 NOK 19.77

-28.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.21 NOK 142

$16.39 NOK 153

-7.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.25 NOK 179

$18.35 NOK 171

4.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.61 NOK 33.63

$3.27 NOK 30.52

10.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.29 NOK 49.30

$4.39 NOK 40.95

20.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.77 NOK 35.17

$4.43 NOK 41.24

-14.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.8 NOK 837

$81.3 NOK 758

10.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.99 NOK 74.5

$15.40 NOK 144

-48.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 NOK 12.66

$2.29 NOK 21.30

-40.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$52.0 NOK 484

$73.1 NOK 681

-28.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.29 NOK 21.36

$2.15 NOK 20.02

6.51%

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

$42.0K NOK 391.0K

$35.0K NOK 326.4K

19.78%

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

$41.6K NOK 387.5K

$42.3K NOK 394.4K

-1.74%

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

$243 NOK 2,265

$245 NOK 2,284

-0.82%

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

$29.89 NOK 279

$38.87 NOK 362

-23.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.9 NOK 595

$64.9 NOK 605

-1.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.8 NOK 566

$55.3 NOK 515

9.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.14 NOK 327

$39.54 NOK 369

-11.13%

Cinema Ticket

$20.09 NOK 187

$20.55 NOK 192

-2.24%

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

$297 NOK 2,772

$279 NOK 2,597

6.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.2K NOK 94.9K

$13.0K NOK 120.8K

-21.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$135 NOK 1,255

$89.8 NOK 837

49.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.70 NOK 463

$55.2 NOK 515

-10.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 NOK 1,175

$114 NOK 1,061

10.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$200 NOK 1,868

$144 NOK 1,340

39.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,219 NOK 11.4K

$1,287 NOK 12.0K

-5.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$905 NOK 8,436

$967 NOK 9,014

-6.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,806 NOK 16.8K

$1,994 NOK 18.6K

-9.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,560 NOK 14.5K

$1,573 NOK 14.7K

-0.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,382 NOK 78.1K

$7,978 NOK 74.4K

5.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,525 NOK 42.2K

$5,002 NOK 46.6K

-9.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,337 NOK 49.7K

$4,447 NOK 41.4K

20.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.8

4.85

-1.03%

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

Last update for Sandvika: April 28, 2026

Last update for Bergen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,219 in Sandvika and $1,287 in Bergen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sandvika pays 20% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $94.0 in Sandvika vs $102 in Bergen. Groceries flip the comparison at $505 vs $489, with Bergen 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

Sandvika vs Bergen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sandvika is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Sandvika pays 20% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,219 in Sandvika versus $1,287 in Bergen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $297 in Sandvika versus $279 in Bergen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Bergen pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Sandvika is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Sandvika 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, Sandvika 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 Sandvika gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.