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: $2,675 in Sandvika versus $2,942 in Bergen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,182 in Sandvika versus $4,473 in Bergen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,690 in Sandvika versus $6,004 in Bergen.

Living in Sandvika costs roughly 9% less than in Bergen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sandvika 94% above, Bergen 113% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.37 NOK 161

$24.62 NOK 228

-29.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 NOK 933

$140 NOK 1,294

-27.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$22.47 NOK 208

$16.47 NOK 153

36.43%

Cappuccino

$4.25 NOK 39.46

$5.92 NOK 54.9

-28.21%

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

$2.89 NOK 26.85

$5.17 NOK 48.00

-44.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 NOK 22.11

$4.63 NOK 42.96

-48.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.73 NOK 81.0

$12.94 NOK 120

-32.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.71 NOK 99.4

$10.70 NOK 99.3

0.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.58 NOK 23.91

$2.48 NOK 22.99

4.03%

White Bread (500g)

$3.58 NOK 33.22

$3.82 NOK 35.42

-6.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.84 NOK 35.60

$3.47 NOK 32.20

10.66%

Eggs

$5.16 NOK 47.83

$6.75 NOK 62.6

-23.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.51 NOK 125

$15.20 NOK 141

-11.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.90 NOK 259

$17.60 NOK 163

58.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.39 NOK 236

$35.27 NOK 327

-28.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.34 NOK 31.01

$4.13 NOK 38.35

-19.13%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 NOK 25.41

$2.86 NOK 26.52

-4.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.59 NOK 33.29

$3.60 NOK 33.43

-0.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.47 NOK 50.8

$5.80 NOK 53.8

-5.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.70 NOK 25.04

$2.52 NOK 23.33

7.14%

Onion (1kg)

$3.33 NOK 30.86

$3.34 NOK 31.01

-0.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.45 NOK 22.77

$2.93 NOK 27.19

-16.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 NOK 15.25

$2.06 NOK 19.07

-20.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.04 NOK 149

$18.04 NOK 167

-11.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.02 NOK 176

$18.63 NOK 173

2.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.79 NOK 35.20

$3.56 NOK 33.06

6.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.45 NOK 50.5

$4.27 NOK 39.64

27.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.00 NOK 37.11

$5.21 NOK 48.37

-23.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.2 NOK 800

$89.0 NOK 826

-3.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 NOK 75.5

$12.91 NOK 120

-37.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 NOK 15.76

$1.90 NOK 17.66

-10.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$55.2 NOK 512

$75.3 NOK 698

-26.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.50 NOK 23.23

$2.36 NOK 21.94

5.93%

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

$43.9K NOK 407.2K

$49.9K NOK 463.0K

-12.04%

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

$43.9K NOK 407.3K

$44.8K NOK 415.9K

-2.06%

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

$281 NOK 2,604

$296 NOK 2,747

-5.21%

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

$32.80 NOK 304

$31.98 NOK 297

2.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 NOK 634

$78.9 NOK 732

-13.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.3 NOK 625

$45.57 NOK 423

47.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.76 NOK 350

$44.44 NOK 412

-15.03%

Cinema Ticket

$21.99 NOK 204

$19.31 NOK 179

13.88%

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

$313 NOK 2,903

$250 NOK 2,323

24.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K NOK 113.8K

$12.3K NOK 114.1K

-0.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$145 NOK 1,344

$109 NOK 1,013

32.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.7 NOK 591

$55.7 NOK 516

14.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 NOK 1,273

$122 NOK 1,128

12.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$209 NOK 1,935

$171 NOK 1,588

21.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 NOK 11.7K

$1,542 NOK 14.3K

-17.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$958 NOK 8,885

$1,118 NOK 10.4K

-14.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,083 NOK 19.3K

$2,485 NOK 23.1K

-16.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,695 NOK 15.7K

$1,767 NOK 16.4K

-4.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,400 NOK 77.9K

$7,803 NOK 72.4K

7.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,596 NOK 42.6K

$4,910 NOK 45.5K

-6.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,587 NOK 51.8K

$4,848 NOK 45.0K

15.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.03

5.31

-5.27%

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

Last update for Sandvika: September 5, 2026

Last update for Bergen: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,266 in Sandvika and $1,542 in Bergen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sandvika pays 15% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $101 in Sandvika vs $140 in Bergen. Groceries flip the comparison at $541 vs $539, 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 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 15% higher in Sandvika, 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: $1,266 in Sandvika versus $1,542 in Bergen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $313 in Sandvika versus $250 in Bergen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Bergen pay roughly 0% 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 10% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.