Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Skien and Bergen

For one person, living is cheaper in Skien: $2,336 a month against $2,869 in Bergen, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

113

Cost of Living Index in Skien
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Skien Living Index
140

Cost of Living Index in Bergen
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Bergen Living Index

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Skien

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,336

/mo nomad

Bergen

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,869

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Skien and in Bergen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Skien and in Bergen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,336 in Skien versus $2,869 in Bergen.

Skien $2,336
Bergen $2,869

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,267 in Skien versus $4,330 in Bergen.

Skien $3,267
Bergen $4,330

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,197 in Skien versus $5,790 in Bergen.

Skien $4,197
Bergen $5,790

Living in Skien costs roughly 19% less than in Bergen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Skien 73% above, Bergen 113% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.21 NOK 200

$23.37 NOK 220

-9.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$103 NOK 971

$134 NOK 1,263

-23.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.47 NOK 146

$15.56 NOK 147

-0.58%

Cappuccino

$5.11 NOK 48.11

$5.30 NOK 49.86

-3.58%

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

$4.36 NOK 41.01

$5.07 NOK 47.70

-14.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 NOK 27.96

$4.51 NOK 42.48

-34.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.89 NOK 112

$12.55 NOK 118

-5.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.33 NOK 116

$10.56 NOK 99.4

16.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 NOK 19.84

$2.19 NOK 20.66

-3.65%

White Bread (500g)

$3.92 NOK 36.90

$3.92 NOK 36.88

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.57 NOK 42.98

$3.42 NOK 32.20

33.63%

Eggs

$5.66 NOK 53.3

$6.34 NOK 59.7

-10.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.16 NOK 124

$14.80 NOK 139

-11.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.17 NOK 143

$17.41 NOK 164

-12.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.79 NOK 205

$36.51 NOK 344

-40.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.35 NOK 31.49

$4.12 NOK 38.83

-18.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.70 NOK 25.42

$2.68 NOK 25.22

0.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.49 NOK 32.86

$3.48 NOK 32.77

0.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.95 NOK 56.0

$5.46 NOK 51.4

8.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.24 NOK 21.04

$2.51 NOK 23.59

-10.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.78 NOK 26.12

$3.38 NOK 31.78

-17.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.04 NOK 28.63

$2.83 NOK 26.68

7.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 NOK 23.33

$1.79 NOK 16.84

38.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.02 NOK 179

$17.41 NOK 164

9.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.76 NOK 148

$18.96 NOK 178

-16.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.35 NOK 31.58

$3.58 NOK 33.66

-6.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 NOK 40.76

$4.22 NOK 39.70

2.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.26 NOK 30.64

$5.05 NOK 47.54

-35.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.91 NOK 451

$85.0 NOK 800

-43.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$11.13 NOK 105

$12.36 NOK 116

-9.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 NOK 17.02

$1.92 NOK 18.05

-5.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$70.8 NOK 667

$71.5 NOK 673

-1.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.27 NOK 21.39

$2.44 NOK 22.96

-6.97%

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

$47.5K NOK 447.3K

$48.7K NOK 458.5K

-2.45%

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

$43.4K NOK 408.1K

$43.0K NOK 405.0K

0.78%

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

$93.9 NOK 884

$281 NOK 2,641

-66.54%

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

$33.89 NOK 319

$32.84 NOK 309

3.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 NOK 504

$81.5 NOK 767

-34.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.10 NOK 406

$45.18 NOK 425

-4.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.91 NOK 404

Cinema Ticket

$15.29 NOK 144

$18.56 NOK 175

-17.62%

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

$239 NOK 2,247

$239 NOK 2,251

-0.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K NOK 148.1K

$11.6K NOK 109.6K

35.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.7 NOK 600

$107 NOK 1,003

-40.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.4 NOK 568

$53.3 NOK 502

13.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.9 NOK 827

$119 NOK 1,116

-25.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$153 NOK 1,442

$163 NOK 1,534

-5.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,042 NOK 9,811

$1,483 NOK 14.0K

-29.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$975 NOK 9,183

$1,117 NOK 10.5K

-12.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,035 NOK 9,746

$2,327 NOK 21.9K

-55.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$939 NOK 8,841

$1,714 NOK 16.1K

-45.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,395 NOK 32.0K

$7,835 NOK 73.8K

-56.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,149 NOK 29.6K

$4,754 NOK 44.8K

-33.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,236 NOK 39.9K

$4,567 NOK 43.0K

-7.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.37

5.27

-17.08%

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

Last update for Skien: October 12, 2026

Last update for Bergen: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Skien

$975 41.8%

Bergen

$1.1K 38.9% 14.5% $141

Groceries & Markets

Skien

$470 20.1%

Bergen

$530 18.5% 12.9% $61

Eating Out

Skien

$391 16.7%

Bergen

$419 14.6% 7.3% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Skien

$181 7.8%

Bergen

$395 13.8% 118% $214

Clothing & Footwear

Skien

$164 7%

Bergen

$199 6.9% 20.9% $34

Getting Around

Skien

$81 3.5%

Bergen

$127 4.4% 56.8% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Skien

$74 3.2%

Bergen

$82 2.9% 11.7% $8.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,042 in Skien and $1,483 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: $103 in Skien vs $134 in Bergen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $470 vs $530 per month, with Skien cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇴 Skien

🇳🇴 Bergen

🕒 Local time

17:09 5:09 PM

Same time as Skien

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

56,769

292,482

💱 Currency

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 NOK = 10.62 USD

100 NOK = 9.45 EUR

100 NOK = 10.62 USD

100 NOK = 9.45 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Skien Bergen 270 km

From you

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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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, eating out, and clothing. The 23% 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: $1,042 in Skien versus $1,483 in Bergen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $239 in Skien versus $239 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 $2,336 in Skien versus $2,869 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 23% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.