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: $2,773 in Stavanger versus $2,612 in Bergen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,172 in Stavanger versus $3,989 in Bergen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,570 in Stavanger versus $5,367 in Bergen.

Living in Stavanger is roughly 6% more expensive than Bergen, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Stavanger 108% above, Bergen 96% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.16 NOK 238

$25.50 NOK 242

-1.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 NOK 1,137

$101 NOK 953

19.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.88 NOK 141

$19.48 NOK 184

-23.61%

Cappuccino

$5.21 NOK 49.33

$5.59 NOK 53.0

-6.80%

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

$3.91 NOK 37.04

$3.22 NOK 30.50

21.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 NOK 31.75

$3.04 NOK 28.83

10.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.96 NOK 104

$11.42 NOK 108

-4.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.32 NOK 97.8

$9.86 NOK 93.4

4.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.34 NOK 22.21

$2.63 NOK 24.96

-11.03%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 NOK 29.78

$3.41 NOK 32.29

-7.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.45 NOK 42.15

$2.90 NOK 27.49

53.45%

Eggs

$4.47 NOK 42.30

$4.99 NOK 47.31

-10.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.02 NOK 123

$13.94 NOK 132

-6.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.38 NOK 155

$15.90 NOK 151

3.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.93 NOK 265

$27.89 NOK 264

0.14%

Apples (1kg)

$3.59 NOK 34.00

$3.89 NOK 36.87

-7.71%

Banana (1kg)

$2.55 NOK 24.13

$3.08 NOK 29.18

-17.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.06 NOK 28.99

$3.62 NOK 34.34

-15.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.74 NOK 44.89

$5.76 NOK 54.6

-17.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 NOK 20.36

$2.64 NOK 24.99

-18.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.91 NOK 27.57

$2.88 NOK 27.32

1.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.53 NOK 23.96

$2.89 NOK 27.41

-12.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 NOK 16.51

$2.14 NOK 20.31

-18.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.98 NOK 142

$16.57 NOK 157

-9.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.43 NOK 175

$17.71 NOK 168

4.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.62 NOK 34.32

$3.32 NOK 31.44

9.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.14 NOK 39.23

$4.22 NOK 40.00

-1.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.45 NOK 42.11

$4.47 NOK 42.30

-0.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.1 NOK 645

$79.3 NOK 751

-14.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.31 NOK 145

$15.50 NOK 147

-1.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 NOK 20.21

$2.23 NOK 21.12

-4.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$100 NOK 951

$73.3 NOK 695

36.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 NOK 21.07

$2.21 NOK 20.94

0.45%

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

$34.2K NOK 324.3K

$35.1K NOK 332.9K

-2.58%

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

$33.3K NOK 315.6K

$43.4K NOK 411.2K

-23.25%

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

$191 NOK 1,812

$244 NOK 2,312

-21.64%

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

$42.07 NOK 398

$38.98 NOK 369

7.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$81.5 NOK 772

$64.7 NOK 612

25.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 NOK 530

$54.2 NOK 514

3.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.10 NOK 332

$40.42 NOK 383

-13.16%

Cinema Ticket

$18.95 NOK 180

$19.90 NOK 189

-4.77%

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

$314 NOK 2,976

$288 NOK 2,730

9.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K NOK 121.5K

$12.9K NOK 121.9K

-0.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$117 NOK 1,110

$89.3 NOK 846

31.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.1 NOK 569

$56.2 NOK 532

6.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 NOK 994

$113 NOK 1,066

-6.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$156 NOK 1,480

$147 NOK 1,390

6.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,591 NOK 15.1K

$1,268 NOK 12.0K

25.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 NOK 10.9K

$979 NOK 9,277

17.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,775 NOK 26.3K

$2,054 NOK 19.5K

35.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,773 NOK 16.8K

$1,549 NOK 14.7K

14.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,070 NOK 57.5K

$7,700 NOK 72.9K

-21.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 NOK 49.0K

$4,716 NOK 44.7K

9.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,897 NOK 46.4K

$4,514 NOK 42.8K

8.48%

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 15, 2026

Last update for Bergen: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,591 in Stavanger and $1,268 in Bergen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stavanger 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: $120 in Stavanger vs $101 in Bergen. Groceries flip the comparison at $471 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. The 6% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Stavanger pays 8% 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: $1,591 in Stavanger versus $1,268 in Bergen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $314 in Stavanger versus $288 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 6% less than in Stavanger. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.