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: $2,699 in Stavanger versus $2,658 in Bergen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,150 in Stavanger versus $4,013 in Bergen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,601 in Stavanger versus $5,368 in Bergen.

Living in Stavanger is roughly 2% more expensive than in Bergen, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Stavanger 103% above, Bergen 100% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.22 NOK 239

$25.18 NOK 239

0.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$123 NOK 1,167

$102 NOK 970

20.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.08 NOK 143

$19.35 NOK 183

-22.07%

Cappuccino

$5.02 NOK 47.61

$5.34 NOK 50.7

-5.99%

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

$3.89 NOK 36.85

$3.24 NOK 30.68

20.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 NOK 32.26

$2.90 NOK 27.47

17.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.99 NOK 104

$11.61 NOK 110

-5.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.26 NOK 97.3

$9.63 NOK 91.3

6.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.40 NOK 22.72

$2.71 NOK 25.70

-11.44%

White Bread (500g)

$3.11 NOK 29.46

$3.44 NOK 32.64

-9.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.64 NOK 44.03

$2.79 NOK 26.44

66.31%

Eggs

$4.52 NOK 42.88

$5.03 NOK 47.68

-10.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 NOK 123

$13.95 NOK 132

-6.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.24 NOK 154

$15.55 NOK 147

4.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.67 NOK 262

$27.87 NOK 264

-0.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.53 NOK 33.45

$3.81 NOK 36.09

-7.35%

Banana (1kg)

$2.52 NOK 23.92

$2.96 NOK 28.07

-14.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.05 NOK 28.94

$3.58 NOK 33.98

-14.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.66 NOK 44.17

$5.51 NOK 52.3

-15.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 NOK 19.44

$2.60 NOK 24.70

-21.15%

Onion (1kg)

$3.04 NOK 28.86

$2.75 NOK 26.09

10.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.58 NOK 24.47

$2.77 NOK 26.26

-6.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 NOK 16.56

$2.11 NOK 20.02

-17.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.11 NOK 143

$16.74 NOK 159

-9.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.96 NOK 170

$17.70 NOK 168

1.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.54 NOK 33.60

$3.39 NOK 32.11

4.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 NOK 38.69

$4.30 NOK 40.77

-5.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.58 NOK 43.44

$4.37 NOK 41.45

4.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.1 NOK 656

$79.8 NOK 757

-13.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.37 NOK 146

$15.20 NOK 144

1.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 NOK 19.62

$2.20 NOK 20.87

-5.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$103 NOK 972

$72.6 NOK 689

41.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 NOK 20.92

$2.21 NOK 20.98

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

$34.7K NOK 329.2K

$35.8K NOK 339.6K

-3.04%

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

$32.7K NOK 310.2K

$43.7K NOK 414.2K

-25.10%

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

$192 NOK 1,821

$244 NOK 2,314

-21.30%

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

$42.41 NOK 402

$38.05 NOK 361

11.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.9 NOK 767

$65.4 NOK 620

23.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 NOK 529

$54.2 NOK 513

3.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.17 NOK 333

$39.77 NOK 377

-11.57%

Cinema Ticket

$19.02 NOK 180

$19.90 NOK 189

-4.42%

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

$314 NOK 2,975

$284 NOK 2,692

10.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K NOK 122.1K

$12.9K NOK 122.2K

-0.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$116 NOK 1,096

$92.5 NOK 877

24.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.4 NOK 553

$55.7 NOK 528

4.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 NOK 1,018

$113 NOK 1,067

-4.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$157 NOK 1,493

$143 NOK 1,360

9.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 NOK 15.1K

$1,304 NOK 12.4K

22.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,135 NOK 10.8K

$997 NOK 9,455

13.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,798 NOK 26.5K

$2,032 NOK 19.3K

37.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,777 NOK 16.9K

$1,595 NOK 15.1K

11.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,005 NOK 56.9K

$7,558 NOK 71.7K

-20.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,223 NOK 49.5K

$4,679 NOK 44.4K

11.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,909 NOK 46.6K

$4,385 NOK 41.6K

11.97%

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: July 26, 2026

Last update for Bergen: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,595 in Stavanger and $1,304 in Bergen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stavanger pays 12% 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: $123 in Stavanger vs $102 in Bergen. Groceries flip the comparison at $468 vs $485, 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. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 12% higher in Stavanger, 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 $1,304 in Bergen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $314 in Stavanger versus $284 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 2% less than in Stavanger. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.