Cost of Living Comparison Between Stavanger and Bergen Cost of Living Comparison Between Stavanger and Bergen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,689 in Stavanger versus $2,622 in Bergen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,070 in Stavanger versus $3,948 in Bergen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,451 in Stavanger versus $5,274 in Bergen.

Living in Stavanger is roughly 3% more expensive than Bergen, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Stavanger 100% above, Bergen 95% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.39 NOK 241

$25.22 NOK 239

0.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 NOK 1,138

$102 NOK 965

18.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.31 NOK 145

$18.97 NOK 180

-19.29%

Cappuccino

$5.03 NOK 47.77

$5.55 NOK 52.6

-9.37%

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

$3.88 NOK 36.83

$3.17 NOK 30.10

22.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.47 NOK 32.89

$3.01 NOK 28.56

15.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.98 NOK 104

$11.86 NOK 113

-7.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.21 NOK 96.9

$9.58 NOK 90.9

6.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 NOK 21.93

$2.69 NOK 25.50

-14.13%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 NOK 29.59

$3.44 NOK 32.66

-9.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.58 NOK 43.48

$2.88 NOK 27.34

59.03%

Eggs

$4.48 NOK 42.52

$5.03 NOK 47.75

-10.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 NOK 122

$13.96 NOK 132

-7.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.73 NOK 159

$15.99 NOK 152

4.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.83 NOK 264

$27.79 NOK 264

0.14%

Apples (1kg)

$3.48 NOK 33.01

$3.79 NOK 35.95

-8.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.64 NOK 25.03

$2.95 NOK 27.98

-10.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.11 NOK 29.53

$3.59 NOK 34.03

-13.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.68 NOK 44.37

$5.70 NOK 54.1

-17.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 NOK 19.77

$2.62 NOK 24.85

-20.61%

Onion (1kg)

$3.08 NOK 29.27

$2.87 NOK 27.29

7.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 NOK 23.47

$2.91 NOK 27.63

-15.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 NOK 17.38

$2.14 NOK 20.34

-14.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.97 NOK 142

$16.78 NOK 159

-10.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.46 NOK 175

$17.96 NOK 170

2.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.68 NOK 34.89

$3.44 NOK 32.68

6.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 NOK 38.90

$4.32 NOK 40.97

-5.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.58 NOK 43.47

$4.44 NOK 42.14

3.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.6 NOK 651

$80.0 NOK 759

-14.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.31 NOK 145

$15.23 NOK 145

0.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.06 NOK 19.57

$2.27 NOK 21.55

-9.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$100 NOK 953

$72.5 NOK 688

38.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 NOK 20.01

$2.21 NOK 20.93

-4.52%

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

$34.4K NOK 326.1K

$35.9K NOK 340.3K

-4.19%

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

$32.4K NOK 307.3K

$42.9K NOK 407.0K

-24.49%

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

$190 NOK 1,806

$243 NOK 2,311

-21.85%

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

$42.20 NOK 401

$38.80 NOK 368

8.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$83.1 NOK 789

$65.3 NOK 620

27.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 NOK 531

$54.2 NOK 514

3.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.16 NOK 334

$39.54 NOK 375

-11.08%

Cinema Ticket

$19.57 NOK 186

$20.20 NOK 192

-3.12%

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

$321 NOK 3,048

$282 NOK 2,677

13.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K NOK 123.1K

$12.6K NOK 119.9K

2.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$116 NOK 1,098

$90.9 NOK 863

27.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 NOK 550

$55.9 NOK 531

3.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 NOK 1,017

$112 NOK 1,064

-4.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$160 NOK 1,519

$147 NOK 1,391

9.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 NOK 15.1K

$1,295 NOK 12.3K

23.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 NOK 10.7K

$973 NOK 9,238

15.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,732 NOK 25.9K

$1,994 NOK 18.9K

37.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,774 NOK 16.8K

$1,568 NOK 14.9K

13.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,036 NOK 57.3K

$7,844 NOK 74.4K

-23.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,366 NOK 50.9K

$4,587 NOK 43.5K

16.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,104 NOK 48.4K

$4,531 NOK 43.0K

12.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

4.85

-7.01%

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

Last update for Stavanger: June 8, 2026

Last update for Bergen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,595 in Stavanger and $1,295 in Bergen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stavanger pays 13% 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: $120 in Stavanger vs $102 in Bergen. Groceries flip the comparison at $473 vs $490, with Stavanger 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

Stavanger vs Bergen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bergen is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Stavanger pays 13% more on average, 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: $1,595 in Stavanger versus $1,295 in Bergen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $321 in Stavanger versus $282 in Bergen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Stavanger pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Bergen is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Bergen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Stavanger, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Stavanger 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 Bergen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Stavanger. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.