Cost of Living Comparison Between Skien and Bergen Cost of Living Comparison Between Skien and Bergen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,282 in Skien versus $2,605 in Bergen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,202 in Skien versus $3,923 in Bergen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,122 in Skien versus $5,240 in Bergen.

Living in Skien costs roughly 12% less than in Bergen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Skien 70% above, Bergen 94% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.96 NOK 269

$25.78 NOK 240

12.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 NOK 935

$100 NOK 931

0.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.26 NOK 123

$18.96 NOK 176

-30.06%

Cappuccino

$4.88 NOK 45.35

$5.36 NOK 49.82

-8.96%

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

$2.47 NOK 22.94

$3.21 NOK 29.86

-23.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 NOK 20.38

$3.03 NOK 28.14

-27.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.05 NOK 84.0

$11.53 NOK 107

-21.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.67 NOK 89.8

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 NOK 18.73

$2.64 NOK 24.50

-23.48%

White Bread (500g)

$3.30 NOK 30.67

$3.36 NOK 31.20

-1.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.15 NOK 29.30

$2.90 NOK 26.92

8.62%

Eggs

$4.20 NOK 39.01

$5.11 NOK 47.45

-17.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.36 NOK 106

$13.96 NOK 130

-18.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.22 NOK 132

$16.06 NOK 149

-11.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.44 NOK 236

$28.05 NOK 261

-9.30%

Apples (1kg)

$3.76 NOK 34.89

$3.75 NOK 34.84

0.27%

Banana (1kg)

$2.32 NOK 21.55

$2.94 NOK 27.29

-21.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.30 NOK 30.63

$3.61 NOK 33.56

-8.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 NOK 37.36

$5.52 NOK 51.3

-27.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.29 NOK 21.26

$2.72 NOK 25.24

-15.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 NOK 20.07

$2.77 NOK 25.73

-22.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.94 NOK 27.36

$2.85 NOK 26.45

3.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 NOK 17.55

$2.15 NOK 19.95

-12.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.86 NOK 175

$16.93 NOK 157

11.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.87 NOK 147

$18.39 NOK 171

-13.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.33 NOK 30.97

$3.35 NOK 31.08

-0.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.95 NOK 36.67

$4.27 NOK 39.68

-7.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.69 NOK 25.02

$4.56 NOK 42.40

-41.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.33 NOK 412

$80.5 NOK 748

-44.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$36.08 NOK 335

$15.36 NOK 143

134.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 NOK 13.57

$2.28 NOK 21.15

-35.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$99.7 NOK 926

$72.7 NOK 675

37.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 NOK 19.41

$2.16 NOK 20.11

-3.24%

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

$25.7K NOK 238.9K

$35.0K NOK 325.2K

-26.52%

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

$35.8K NOK 332.2K

$43.6K NOK 404.7K

-17.91%

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

$96.6 NOK 897

$238 NOK 2,207

-59.33%

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

$37.34 NOK 347

$38.16 NOK 355

-2.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.51 NOK 358

$64.1 NOK 595

-39.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.00 NOK 353

$55.2 NOK 513

-31.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.76 NOK 323

$40.59 NOK 377

-14.36%

Cinema Ticket

$14.39 NOK 134

$19.99 NOK 186

-28.01%

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

$312 NOK 2,900

$281 NOK 2,610

11.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K NOK 93.9K

$12.9K NOK 120.1K

-21.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.85 NOK 380

$90.5 NOK 841

-54.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.21 NOK 327

$55.0 NOK 510

-35.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.8 NOK 862

$111 NOK 1,034

-16.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$153 NOK 1,421

$147 NOK 1,369

3.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$961 NOK 8,931

$1,275 NOK 11.8K

-24.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 NOK 9,291

$997 NOK 9,263

0.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,101 NOK 10.2K

$2,004 NOK 18.6K

-45.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$902 NOK 8,381

$1,576 NOK 14.6K

-42.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,561 NOK 33.1K

$7,998 NOK 74.3K

-55.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,271 NOK 30.4K

$4,773 NOK 44.3K

-31.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,269 NOK 39.7K

$4,646 NOK 43.2K

-8.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.8

4.85

-21.65%

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

Last update for Skien: June 2, 2026

Last update for Bergen: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $961 in Skien and $1,275 in Bergen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 9% 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: $101 in Skien vs $100 in Bergen. Groceries flip the comparison at $432 vs $490, with Skien 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

Skien vs Bergen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Skien is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 14% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Bergen earns 9% less. 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: $961 in Skien versus $1,275 in Bergen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $312 in Skien versus $281 in Bergen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Bergen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,282 in Skien versus $2,605 in Bergen, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Skien but tight or insufficient in Bergen. The gap between the two cities makes Skien the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Skien 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, Skien 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 Skien gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.