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: $2,498 in Tonsberg versus $2,605 in Bergen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,682 in Tonsberg versus $3,923 in Bergen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,866 in Tonsberg versus $5,240 in Bergen.

Living in Tonsberg costs roughly 4% less than in Bergen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Tonsberg 86% above, Bergen 94% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.57 NOK 242

$25.78 NOK 244

-0.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 NOK 955

$100 NOK 947

0.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.53 NOK 128

$18.96 NOK 179

-28.64%

Cappuccino

$4.83 NOK 45.65

$5.36 NOK 50.7

-9.89%

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

$5.42 NOK 51.2

$3.21 NOK 30.39

68.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.97 NOK 46.94

$3.03 NOK 28.63

64.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.21 NOK 96.5

$11.53 NOK 109

-11.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.46 NOK 89.5

$9.67 NOK 91.4

-2.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 NOK 20.96

$2.64 NOK 24.93

-15.91%

White Bread (500g)

$3.30 NOK 31.24

$3.36 NOK 31.75

-1.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.18 NOK 30.10

$2.90 NOK 27.39

9.66%

Eggs

$4.27 NOK 40.36

$5.11 NOK 48.28

-16.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.82 NOK 112

$13.96 NOK 132

-15.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.84 NOK 140

$16.06 NOK 152

-7.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.32 NOK 268

$28.05 NOK 265

0.96%

Apples (1kg)

$3.42 NOK 32.36

$3.75 NOK 35.46

-8.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.39 NOK 22.58

$2.94 NOK 27.77

-18.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.43 NOK 32.41

$3.61 NOK 34.15

-4.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 NOK 42.77

$5.52 NOK 52.2

-18.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.47 NOK 23.33

$2.72 NOK 25.69

-9.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.57 NOK 24.30

$2.77 NOK 26.18

-7.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 NOK 26.43

$2.85 NOK 26.91

-1.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 NOK 17.32

$2.15 NOK 20.30

-14.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.98 NOK 142

$16.93 NOK 160

-11.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.98 NOK 170

$18.39 NOK 174

-2.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 NOK 32.66

$3.35 NOK 31.63

2.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 NOK 38.56

$4.27 NOK 40.38

-4.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.16 NOK 39.34

$4.56 NOK 43.15

-8.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.2 NOK 683

$80.5 NOK 761

-10.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.26 NOK 97.0

$15.36 NOK 145

-33.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 NOK 13.64

$2.28 NOK 21.52

-36.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$46.58 NOK 440

$72.7 NOK 687

-35.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 NOK 19.79

$2.16 NOK 20.46

-3.24%

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

$36.1K NOK 341.6K

$35.0K NOK 330.9K

3.22%

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

$37.9K NOK 358.5K

$43.6K NOK 411.9K

-12.97%

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

$243 NOK 2,295

$238 NOK 2,246

2.17%

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

$39.09 NOK 370

$38.16 NOK 361

2.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.2 NOK 522

$64.1 NOK 606

-13.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.50 NOK 468

$55.2 NOK 522

-10.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.01 NOK 340

$40.59 NOK 384

-11.28%

Cinema Ticket

$16.61 NOK 157

$19.99 NOK 189

-16.91%

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

$283 NOK 2,678

$281 NOK 2,656

0.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.0K NOK 94.8K

$12.9K NOK 122.2K

-22.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.5 NOK 903

$90.5 NOK 856

5.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 NOK 486

$55.0 NOK 519

-6.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 NOK 1,005

$111 NOK 1,053

-4.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$151 NOK 1,430

$147 NOK 1,394

2.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,219 NOK 11.5K

$1,275 NOK 12.1K

-4.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$954 NOK 9,015

$997 NOK 9,427

-4.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,443 NOK 13.6K

$2,004 NOK 18.9K

-27.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 NOK 11.6K

$1,576 NOK 14.9K

-22.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,966 NOK 56.4K

$7,998 NOK 75.6K

-25.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,341 NOK 41.0K

$4,773 NOK 45.1K

-9.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,692 NOK 44.4K

$4,646 NOK 43.9K

0.99%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Bergen: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,219 in Tonsberg and $1,275 in Bergen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tonsberg pays 1% 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 $100 in Bergen. Groceries flip the comparison at $455 vs $490, with Tonsberg 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

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 4% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Tonsberg pays 1% 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: $1,219 in Tonsberg versus $1,275 in Bergen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $283 in Tonsberg versus $281 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 4% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.