Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tonsberg and Bergen

For one person, living is cheaper in Tonsberg: $2,630 a month against $2,927 in Bergen, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

127

Cost of Living Index in Tonsberg
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Tonsberg Living Index
141

Cost of Living Index in Bergen
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Bergen Living Index

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Tonsberg

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,630

/mo nomad

Bergen

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,927

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tonsberg and in Bergen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Tonsberg and in Bergen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,630 in Tonsberg versus $2,927 in Bergen.

Tonsberg $2,630
Bergen $2,927

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,815 in Tonsberg versus $4,393 in Bergen.

Tonsberg $3,815
Bergen $4,393

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,000 in Tonsberg versus $5,858 in Bergen.

Tonsberg $5,000
Bergen $5,858

Living in Tonsberg costs roughly 10% less than in Bergen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Tonsberg 94% above, Bergen 116% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.94 NOK 197

$23.86 NOK 225

-12.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$105 NOK 991

$137 NOK 1,286

-22.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.53 NOK 146

$16.17 NOK 152

-3.96%

Cappuccino

$5.45 NOK 51.3

$5.48 NOK 51.6

-0.55%

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

$5.61 NOK 52.8

$5.34 NOK 50.3

5.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.37 NOK 50.6

$4.70 NOK 44.25

14.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.46 NOK 108

$12.76 NOK 120

-10.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.27 NOK 96.7

$10.67 NOK 100

-3.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.47 NOK 23.28

$2.30 NOK 21.68

7.39%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 NOK 35.01

$3.86 NOK 36.32

-3.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.85 NOK 36.24

$3.57 NOK 33.60

7.84%

Eggs

$4.86 NOK 45.78

$6.30 NOK 59.3

-22.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.96 NOK 122

$14.65 NOK 138

-11.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.73 NOK 148

$17.78 NOK 167

-11.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$31.41 NOK 296

$37.46 NOK 353

-16.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.22 NOK 30.33

$4.07 NOK 38.32

-20.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.57 NOK 24.20

$2.79 NOK 26.28

-7.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.38 NOK 31.79

$3.63 NOK 34.16

-6.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.78 NOK 45.04

$5.41 NOK 50.9

-11.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.52 NOK 23.75

$2.49 NOK 23.43

1.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.79 NOK 26.26

$3.42 NOK 32.21

-18.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.93 NOK 27.54

$2.95 NOK 27.75

-0.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 NOK 22.15

$1.79 NOK 16.83

31.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.24 NOK 162

$17.71 NOK 167

-2.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.69 NOK 157

$19.45 NOK 183

-14.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.49 NOK 32.82

$3.68 NOK 34.63

-5.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.14 NOK 38.94

$4.27 NOK 40.22

-3.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.55 NOK 42.80

$5.30 NOK 49.93

-14.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.5 NOK 795

$87.5 NOK 824

-3.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$11.70 NOK 110

$12.39 NOK 117

-5.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 NOK 16.77

$1.87 NOK 17.62

-4.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$70.5 NOK 664

$72.1 NOK 679

-2.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.35 NOK 22.13

$2.39 NOK 22.51

-1.67%

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

$47.7K NOK 448.8K

$49.4K NOK 465.3K

-3.55%

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

$43.9K NOK 413.4K

$44.8K NOK 422.1K

-2.06%

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

$267 NOK 2,513

$287 NOK 2,698

-6.86%

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

$33.09 NOK 312

$34.59 NOK 326

-4.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.8 NOK 506

$82.8 NOK 779

-35.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.11 NOK 462

$45.58 NOK 429

7.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.03 NOK 349

$43.31 NOK 408

-14.50%

Cinema Ticket

$17.21 NOK 162

$19.31 NOK 182

-10.88%

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

$238 NOK 2,236

$241 NOK 2,264

-1.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K NOK 120.8K

$12.1K NOK 113.5K

6.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.7 NOK 938

$110 NOK 1,033

-9.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 NOK 525

$54.2 NOK 510

2.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 NOK 1,159

$118 NOK 1,107

4.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$156 NOK 1,469

$170 NOK 1,601

-8.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,187 NOK 11.2K

$1,495 NOK 14.1K

-20.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$983 NOK 9,254

$1,137 NOK 10.7K

-13.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,474 NOK 13.9K

$2,323 NOK 21.9K

-36.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,277 NOK 12.0K

$1,698 NOK 16.0K

-24.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,073 NOK 57.2K

$7,803 NOK 73.5K

-22.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,046 NOK 38.1K

$4,919 NOK 46.3K

-17.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,435 NOK 41.7K

$4,675 NOK 44.0K

-5.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.94

5.27

-6.26%

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

Last update for Tonsberg: October 18, 2026

Last update for Bergen: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Tonsberg

$983 37.4%

Bergen

$1.1K 38.8% 15.6% $154

Groceries & Markets

Tonsberg

$490 18.6%

Bergen

$538 18.4% 9.9% $49

Eating Out

Tonsberg

$401 15.3%

Bergen

$430 14.7% 7.3% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tonsberg

$354 13.5%

Bergen

$404 13.8% 14.2% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Tonsberg

$196 7.4%

Bergen

$203 6.9% 3.9% $7.7

Getting Around

Tonsberg

$123 4.7%

Bergen

$130 4.5% 5.8% $7.2

Sport & Entertainment

Tonsberg

$84 3.2%

Bergen

$84 2.9% 0.8% $0.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,187 in Tonsberg and $1,495 in Bergen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 5% 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: $105 in Tonsberg vs $137 in Bergen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $490 vs $538 per month, with Tonsberg cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇴 Tonsberg

🇳🇴 Bergen

🕒 Local time

02:37 2:37 AM

Same time as Tonsberg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

59,237

292,482

💱 Currency

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 NOK = 10.62 USD

100 NOK = 9.45 EUR

100 NOK = 10.62 USD

100 NOK = 9.45 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Tonsberg Bergen 300 km

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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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, eating out, and clothing. The 11% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 5% lower in Bergen. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,187 in Tonsberg versus $1,495 in Bergen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $238 in Tonsberg versus $241 in Bergen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% 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 11% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.