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: $2,519 in Sandvika versus $2,658 in Bergen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,857 in Sandvika versus $4,013 in Bergen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,196 in Sandvika versus $5,368 in Bergen.

Living in Sandvika costs roughly 5% less than in Bergen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sandvika 89% above, Bergen 100% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.02 NOK 154

$25.18 NOK 242

-36.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.4 NOK 915

$102 NOK 982

-6.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$20.65 NOK 198

$19.35 NOK 186

6.72%

Cappuccino

$3.95 NOK 37.87

$5.34 NOK 51.2

-26.03%

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

$2.72 NOK 26.13

$3.24 NOK 31.04

-16.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 NOK 20.83

$2.90 NOK 27.79

-25.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.14 NOK 78.1

$11.61 NOK 111

-29.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.76 NOK 93.6

$9.63 NOK 92.4

1.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.48 NOK 23.76

$2.71 NOK 26.00

-8.49%

White Bread (500g)

$3.37 NOK 32.33

$3.44 NOK 33.02

-2.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 NOK 18.28

$2.79 NOK 26.75

-31.54%

Eggs

$4.34 NOK 41.67

$5.03 NOK 48.24

-13.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.78 NOK 180

$13.95 NOK 134

34.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$26.09 NOK 250

$15.55 NOK 149

67.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.55 NOK 226

$27.87 NOK 267

-15.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 NOK 26.56

$3.81 NOK 36.51

-27.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.43 NOK 23.35

$2.96 NOK 28.39

-17.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.52 NOK 33.80

$3.58 NOK 34.37

-1.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.70 NOK 35.51

$5.51 NOK 52.9

-32.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 NOK 21.37

$2.60 NOK 24.98

-14.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.53 NOK 24.28

$2.75 NOK 26.39

-8.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.30 NOK 22.10

$2.77 NOK 26.56

-16.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 NOK 14.92

$2.11 NOK 20.25

-26.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.43 NOK 148

$16.74 NOK 161

-7.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.03 NOK 173

$17.70 NOK 170

1.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.68 NOK 35.25

$3.39 NOK 32.48

8.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.03 NOK 48.29

$4.30 NOK 41.24

16.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.91 NOK 37.50

$4.37 NOK 41.93

-10.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$92.2 NOK 884

$79.8 NOK 766

15.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.81 NOK 74.9

$15.20 NOK 146

-48.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 NOK 13.58

$2.20 NOK 21.11

-35.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$52.3 NOK 502

$72.6 NOK 697

-27.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.34 NOK 22.49

$2.21 NOK 21.23

5.88%

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

$41.5K NOK 398.3K

$35.8K NOK 343.5K

15.94%

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

$42.3K NOK 405.7K

$43.7K NOK 419.0K

-3.18%

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

$240 NOK 2,304

$244 NOK 2,341

-1.56%

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

$29.72 NOK 285

$38.05 NOK 365

-21.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.2 NOK 596

$65.4 NOK 627

-4.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.7 NOK 573

$54.2 NOK 519

10.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.10 NOK 337

$39.77 NOK 381

-11.74%

Cinema Ticket

$19.92 NOK 191

$19.90 NOK 191

0.10%

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

$296 NOK 2,838

$284 NOK 2,723

4.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.0K NOK 96.3K

$12.9K NOK 123.6K

-22.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$138 NOK 1,320

$92.5 NOK 888

48.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.5 NOK 494

$55.7 NOK 534

-7.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 NOK 1,224

$113 NOK 1,080

13.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$196 NOK 1,884

$143 NOK 1,376

36.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,191 NOK 11.4K

$1,304 NOK 12.5K

-8.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$888 NOK 8,516

$997 NOK 9,565

-10.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,829 NOK 17.5K

$2,032 NOK 19.5K

-10.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,523 NOK 14.6K

$1,595 NOK 15.3K

-4.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,119 NOK 77.9K

$7,558 NOK 72.5K

7.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,411 NOK 42.3K

$4,679 NOK 44.9K

-5.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,292 NOK 50.8K

$4,385 NOK 42.1K

20.70%

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: July 28, 2026

Last update for Bergen: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,191 in Sandvika and $1,304 in Bergen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sandvika pays 21% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $95.0 in Sandvika vs $102 in Bergen. Groceries flip the comparison at $506 vs $485, 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 6% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 21% 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: $1,191 in Sandvika versus $1,304 in Bergen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $296 in Sandvika versus $284 in Bergen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Bergen pay roughly 4% 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 6% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.