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: $2,347 in Skien versus $2,650 in Bergen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,223 in Skien versus $3,988 in Bergen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,098 in Skien versus $5,327 in Bergen.

Living in Skien costs roughly 11% less than in Bergen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Skien 76% above, Bergen 98% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.93 NOK 279

$25.72 NOK 248

12.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.7 NOK 960

$103 NOK 993

-3.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.15 NOK 127

$19.51 NOK 188

-32.60%

Cappuccino

$4.94 NOK 47.62

$5.42 NOK 52.2

-8.86%

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

$2.52 NOK 24.29

$3.20 NOK 30.82

-21.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 NOK 21.47

$2.89 NOK 27.87

-22.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.22 NOK 88.8

$11.82 NOK 114

-22.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.88 NOK 95.1

$9.78 NOK 94.2

1.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 NOK 18.66

$2.65 NOK 25.54

-26.79%

White Bread (500g)

$3.41 NOK 32.87

$3.28 NOK 31.58

3.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.33 NOK 32.08

$2.88 NOK 27.77

15.63%

Eggs

$4.22 NOK 40.61

$4.90 NOK 47.23

-13.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.58 NOK 112

$14.20 NOK 137

-18.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.14 NOK 136

$16.06 NOK 155

-11.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.44 NOK 245

$28.21 NOK 272

-9.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.75 NOK 36.11

$3.94 NOK 37.99

-4.82%

Banana (1kg)

$2.26 NOK 21.73

$2.96 NOK 28.52

-23.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.27 NOK 31.45

$3.75 NOK 36.17

-12.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 NOK 38.72

$5.62 NOK 54.2

-28.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 NOK 21.41

$2.73 NOK 26.29

-18.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 NOK 20.39

$2.91 NOK 28.04

-27.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.00 NOK 28.87

$2.80 NOK 27.00

7.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 NOK 18.24

$2.14 NOK 20.64

-11.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.24 NOK 185

$16.95 NOK 163

13.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.31 NOK 147

$17.26 NOK 166

-11.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.29 NOK 31.72

$3.30 NOK 31.80

-0.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.86 NOK 37.16

$4.38 NOK 42.18

-11.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.67 NOK 25.73

$4.47 NOK 43.07

-40.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.34 NOK 417

$81.2 NOK 783

-46.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$35.68 NOK 344

$15.23 NOK 147

134.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.45 NOK 13.92

$2.25 NOK 21.66

-35.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$100 NOK 966

$72.5 NOK 699

38.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 NOK 20.98

$2.13 NOK 20.51

2.35%

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

$25.6K NOK 246.8K

$35.3K NOK 340.4K

-27.50%

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

$35.6K NOK 343.3K

$43.1K NOK 415.0K

-17.28%

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

$98.7 NOK 950

$242 NOK 2,333

-59.28%

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

$38.06 NOK 367

$38.51 NOK 371

-1.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.32 NOK 369

$64.7 NOK 623

-40.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.33 NOK 360

$53.9 NOK 520

-30.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.73 NOK 344

$40.36 NOK 389

-11.47%

Cinema Ticket

$13.95 NOK 134

$20.20 NOK 195

-30.94%

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

$307 NOK 2,954

$286 NOK 2,753

7.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.2K NOK 98.3K

$12.6K NOK 121.0K

-18.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.71 NOK 382

$91.1 NOK 878

-56.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.38 NOK 341

$55.5 NOK 535

-36.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.2 NOK 868

$111 NOK 1,071

-18.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$152 NOK 1,463

$145 NOK 1,400

4.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$971 NOK 9,355

$1,284 NOK 12.4K

-24.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$976 NOK 9,397

-0.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 NOK 10.8K

$2,019 NOK 19.4K

-44.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$914 NOK 8,807

$1,558 NOK 15.0K

-41.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,335 NOK 32.1K

$7,575 NOK 73.0K

-55.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,041 NOK 29.3K

$4,645 NOK 44.7K

-34.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,036 NOK 38.9K

$4,344 NOK 41.8K

-7.08%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Bergen: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $971 in Skien and $1,284 in Bergen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 8% 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: $100 in Skien vs $103 in Bergen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $431 vs $489 per month, with Skien cheaper across the board.

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 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 8% 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: $971 in Skien versus $1,284 in Bergen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $307 in Skien 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 13% higher in Bergen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,347 in Skien versus $2,650 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 13% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.