Cost of living for students in Norway

Cost of living

UiB does not offer any scholarships, and international students in Norway needs sufficient funds to cover their living expenses. An estimate of an average student budget in Norway is about NOK 13 790 per month (2024/2025).

• Students staying in Norway for two semesters (2024/25) should have finacial support equivalent to NOK 151 690
• Students staying for the autumn semester 2024 only: NOK 68 950
• Students staying for the spring semester 2025 only: NOK 82 740

Norway is an expensive country. So how do you survive on a tight budget in a country with high living costs?

Law student Marta Simoncelli (22) from Italy and linguistics student Emily Melsen Jørgensen (22) from Denmark have been studying in Bergen for six months and are happy to share their experiences with anyone considering coming to Norway and the University of Bergen (UiB).

Affordable student accommodation

As an international student you can apply for student accommodation through Sammen Student Housing. 

• International students in some categories are given housing guarantee provided that they submit their application within the deadline.

«I'm Danish and was not shocked by the high cost of living in Norway, but as a student I don’t have much money», says Jørgensen and continues: «It helps your finances a lot if you accept the offer of renting a room through the welfare organisation Sammen». 

Sammen Housing offers various types of accommodation on several locations in Bergen. The average price per month is NOK 4500-5000. Rent also includes free Internet access. The biggest student residence is Fantoft Student Accommodation, with 1300 units.

Marta and Emily both agree that the trick is to save money whenever possible:

«I have used the library actively. It's better to borrow than to buy new books. I also look for online versions of our school books that I can read for free», says Jørgensen, and continues:

«I also take food and drink with me to the campus cafeterias. Buying coffee every day can quickly add up to a lot of money».

Students bequests and grants

UiB does not offer any scholarships, and we encourage you to plan accordingly. 

The website Study in Norway presents an overview of scholarships and other types of funding for international students wishing to study in Norway. There is also a limited number of bequests and grants for students at the University of Bergen.

Exchange students to UiB may find available scholarships through their home university, through programmes such as Erasmus+ and Nordplus. Contact your home university for more information.

Free nature and cheap flights

There are also other experiences that come for free or are cheaper than normal in Norway: 

«The best thing about Norway is the nature. It's free, and I love hiking in the mountains. In Bergen there are mountains and nature right on your doorstep, it's very unique»!

Simoncelli also discovered that one of Europe’s cheapest airlines operates in Norway:

«I have travelled a lot. There are very cheap tickets with Norwegian from Bergen to other cities in Norway and Europe. I have been to Iceland, Tromsø, the capital Oslo and to Stavanger. It's much more expensive to fly in Italy».

• Study in Bergen and have nature at your doorstep

Emily and Marta sum up student life on a shoestring in Bergen with the following advice:

1. Make use of the nature in your leisure time. It's free.
2. Live cheaply by renting a room from Sammen Housing.
3. There is free health care in Norway.
4. Borrow books from the library.
5. Eat packed lunches.
6. Cook at home for yourself and your friends.
7. Bergen is a small, safe and charming city. We recommend it!

Do you have more questions?

You can use NUMBEO's calculations of Cost of Living in Bergen for further price estimations. You can also consult the XE Currency Converter for the latest exchange rates.