Cost of Living Comparison Between Tonsberg and Bergen Cost of Living Comparison Between Tonsberg and Bergen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,542 in Tonsberg versus $2,594 in Bergen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,649 in Tonsberg versus $3,948 in Bergen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,756 in Tonsberg versus $5,302 in Bergen.

Living in Tonsberg costs roughly 2% less than in Bergen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Tonsberg 90% above, Bergen 94% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.74 NOK 239

$25.44 NOK 237

1.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 NOK 940

0.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.93 NOK 130

$19.61 NOK 182

-28.96%

Cappuccino

$4.88 NOK 45.42

$5.50 NOK 51.2

-11.27%

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

$5.42 NOK 50.4

$3.13 NOK 29.10

73.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.99 NOK 46.45

$3.03 NOK 28.17

64.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.14 NOK 94.3

$11.80 NOK 110

-14.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.39 NOK 87.4

$9.60 NOK 89.3

-2.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.28 NOK 21.18

$2.65 NOK 24.65

-13.96%

White Bread (500g)

$3.26 NOK 30.33

$3.31 NOK 30.83

-1.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.30 NOK 30.71

$2.91 NOK 27.11

13.40%

Eggs

$4.27 NOK 39.74

$4.83 NOK 44.96

-11.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.26 NOK 114

$13.96 NOK 130

-12.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.50 NOK 135

$15.71 NOK 146

-7.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.42 NOK 264

$28.27 NOK 263

0.53%

Apples (1kg)

$3.61 NOK 33.55

$3.78 NOK 35.17

-4.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 NOK 22.83

$3.09 NOK 28.72

-20.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.28 NOK 30.46

$3.61 NOK 33.55

-9.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.43 NOK 41.20

$5.57 NOK 51.8

-20.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.39 NOK 22.21

$2.71 NOK 25.24

-11.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.55 NOK 23.69

$2.75 NOK 25.59

-7.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.88 NOK 26.75

$2.80 NOK 26.07

2.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 NOK 17.28

$2.11 NOK 19.60

-11.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.24 NOK 142

$16.40 NOK 153

-7.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.36 NOK 152

$18.27 NOK 170

-10.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.35 NOK 31.15

$3.31 NOK 30.80

1.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 NOK 38.65

$4.32 NOK 40.14

-3.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.29 NOK 39.88

$4.51 NOK 41.91

-4.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.0 NOK 679

$81.4 NOK 757

-10.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.28 NOK 95.6

$15.23 NOK 142

-32.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 NOK 12.97

$2.23 NOK 20.75

-37.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$47.03 NOK 437

$73.6 NOK 684

-36.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.98 NOK 18.41

$2.14 NOK 19.90

-7.48%

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

$35.1K NOK 326.8K

$34.9K NOK 324.7K

0.65%

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

$38.4K NOK 356.7K

$43.1K NOK 400.6K

-10.94%

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

$239 NOK 2,226

$240 NOK 2,227

-0.06%

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

$38.05 NOK 354

$38.14 NOK 355

-0.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.8 NOK 519

$65.2 NOK 606

-14.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.84 NOK 464

$54.7 NOK 509

-8.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.95 NOK 334

$39.54 NOK 368

-9.08%

Cinema Ticket

$16.68 NOK 155

$20.28 NOK 189

-17.75%

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

$286 NOK 2,659

$280 NOK 2,606

2.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,999 NOK 93.0K

$12.7K NOK 118.2K

-21.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.9 NOK 882

$91.3 NOK 849

3.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.7 NOK 490

$55.5 NOK 516

-5.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 NOK 1,005

$112 NOK 1,037

-3.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$152 NOK 1,413

$146 NOK 1,358

4.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,210 NOK 11.3K

$1,308 NOK 12.2K

-7.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$924 NOK 8,595

$971 NOK 9,034

-4.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,426 NOK 13.3K

$2,048 NOK 19.0K

-30.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,224 NOK 11.4K

$1,534 NOK 14.3K

-20.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,488 NOK 51.0K

$7,924 NOK 73.7K

-30.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,639 NOK 43.1K

$4,854 NOK 45.1K

-4.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,643 NOK 43.2K

$4,333 NOK 40.3K

7.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.38

4.85

-9.69%

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

Last update for Tonsberg: April 22, 2026

Last update for Bergen: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,210 in Tonsberg and $1,308 in Bergen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tonsberg pays 7% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $101 in Tonsberg vs $101 in Bergen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $452 vs $487 per month, with Tonsberg 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

Tonsberg vs Bergen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tonsberg is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Tonsberg pays 7% 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: $1,210 in Tonsberg versus $1,308 in Bergen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $286 in Tonsberg versus $280 in Bergen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Bergen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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

For families, Tonsberg 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, Tonsberg 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 Tonsberg gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.