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: $3,202 in Stavanger versus $2,948 in Bergen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,642 in Stavanger versus $4,449 in Bergen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,082 in Stavanger versus $5,950 in Bergen.

Living in Stavanger is roughly 9% more expensive than in Bergen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Stavanger 134% above, Bergen 115% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.74 NOK 243

$24.70 NOK 233

4.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.4 NOK 917

$139 NOK 1,311

-30.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.15 NOK 152

$15.86 NOK 149

1.83%

Cappuccino

$6.37 NOK 60.0

$5.68 NOK 53.5

12.15%

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

$5.34 NOK 50.3

$5.31 NOK 50.0

0.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 NOK 41.75

$4.53 NOK 42.69

-2.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.88 NOK 131

$12.85 NOK 121

8.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.16 NOK 115

$10.60 NOK 99.9

14.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.50 NOK 23.55

$2.33 NOK 21.95

7.30%

White Bread (500g)

$3.60 NOK 33.96

$3.90 NOK 36.77

-7.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.96 NOK 37.33

$3.57 NOK 33.67

10.92%

Eggs

$5.05 NOK 47.55

$6.62 NOK 62.4

-23.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.10 NOK 142

$15.02 NOK 142

0.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.22 NOK 162

$17.61 NOK 166

-2.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$35.93 NOK 339

$35.64 NOK 336

0.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.71 NOK 34.97

$4.02 NOK 37.88

-7.71%

Banana (1kg)

$2.78 NOK 26.20

$2.83 NOK 26.64

-1.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.49 NOK 32.84

$3.67 NOK 34.54

-4.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.04 NOK 47.53

$5.50 NOK 51.8

-8.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.51 NOK 23.69

$2.55 NOK 23.99

-1.57%

Onion (1kg)

$3.12 NOK 29.43

$3.30 NOK 31.10

-5.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.91 NOK 27.45

$2.94 NOK 27.70

-1.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 NOK 22.84

$1.91 NOK 17.95

26.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.89 NOK 169

$18.18 NOK 171

-1.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.83 NOK 177

$18.23 NOK 172

3.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.94 NOK 37.16

$3.52 NOK 33.20

11.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 NOK 42.46

$4.39 NOK 41.32

2.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.82 NOK 45.41

$5.12 NOK 48.20

-5.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.4 NOK 824

$90.2 NOK 850

-3.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.37 NOK 60.0

$12.62 NOK 119

-49.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 NOK 16.18

$1.96 NOK 18.43

-12.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$106 NOK 1,003

$74.5 NOK 702

43.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 NOK 21.21

$2.37 NOK 22.33

-5.06%

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

$49.6K NOK 467.6K

$49.1K NOK 462.5K

1.10%

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

$42.3K NOK 398.5K

$44.2K NOK 416.9K

-4.41%

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

$251 NOK 2,362

$288 NOK 2,717

-13.05%

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

$35.70 NOK 336

$31.45 NOK 296

13.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$83.6 NOK 788

$78.6 NOK 741

6.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.5 NOK 495

$45.85 NOK 432

14.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.19 NOK 350

$43.68 NOK 412

-14.86%

Cinema Ticket

$22.57 NOK 213

$19.64 NOK 185

14.92%

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

$330 NOK 3,112

$245 NOK 2,309

34.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.5K NOK 136.6K

$12.2K NOK 115.2K

18.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$131 NOK 1,230

$107 NOK 1,008

22.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.9 NOK 574

$54.3 NOK 511

12.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$158 NOK 1,492

$125 NOK 1,181

26.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$210 NOK 1,978

$170 NOK 1,602

23.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 NOK 16.1K

$1,496 NOK 14.1K

14.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,391 NOK 13.1K

$1,104 NOK 10.4K

25.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 NOK 26.3K

$2,481 NOK 23.4K

12.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,084 NOK 19.6K

$1,780 NOK 16.8K

17.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,179 NOK 58.2K

$7,757 NOK 73.1K

-20.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,479 NOK 51.6K

$4,967 NOK 46.8K

10.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,006 NOK 47.2K

$4,712 NOK 44.4K

6.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.27

5.31

-0.75%

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

Last update for Stavanger: September 14, 2026

Last update for Bergen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,708 in Stavanger and $1,496 in Bergen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stavanger pays 6% 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: $97.0 in Stavanger vs $139 in Bergen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $532 vs $534 per month, with Stavanger 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

Stavanger vs Bergen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bergen is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 6% 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: $1,708 in Stavanger versus $1,496 in Bergen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $330 in Stavanger versus $245 in Bergen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Stavanger pay roughly 0% 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 9% less than in Stavanger. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.