Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Alesund

For one person, living is cheaper in Alesund: $2,329 a month against $2,869 in Bergen, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Bergen
🇳🇴 Norway
$2,869
/mo nomad
Alesund
🇳🇴 Norway
$2,329
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bergen and in Alesund

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

A single person spends $2,869 per month in Bergen vs $2,329 in Alesund, rent included.

  • Bergen $2,869
  • Alesund $2,329

A couple spends around $4,330 per month in Bergen vs $3,663 in Alesund, rent included.

  • Bergen $4,330
  • Alesund $3,663

A family of three spends $5,790 per month in Bergen vs $4,997 in Alesund, rent included.

  • Bergen $5,790
  • Alesund $4,997

Bergen costs about 23% more than Alesund, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Bergen and Alesund sit above the global median – Bergen by 113%, Alesund by 72%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bergen
Alesund
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$23.37 NOK 220
$21.26 NOK 200
9.92%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$134 NOK 1,263
$88.8 NOK 836
51.01%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$15.56 NOK 147
$13.23 NOK 125
17.61%
Cappuccino
$5.30 NOK 49.86
$4.07 NOK 38.31
30.22%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.07 NOK 47.70
$2.08 NOK 19.55
143.75%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.51 NOK 42.48
$2.35 NOK 22.12
91.91%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$12.55 NOK 118
$11.33 NOK 107
10.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$10.56 NOK 99.4
$9.62 NOK 90.6
9.77%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bergen
Alesund
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.19 NOK 20.66
$2.21 NOK 20.78
-0.90%
White Bread (500g)
$3.92 NOK 36.88
$3.04 NOK 28.64
28.95%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.42 NOK 32.20
$3.08 NOK 28.99
11.04%
Eggs
$6.34 NOK 59.7
$4.38 NOK 41.27
44.75%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.80 NOK 139
$14.88 NOK 140
-0.54%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$17.41 NOK 164
$13.80 NOK 130
26.16%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$36.51 NOK 344
$20.84 NOK 196
75.19%
Apples (1kg)
$4.12 NOK 38.83
$2.63 NOK 24.72
56.65%
Banana (1kg)
$2.68 NOK 25.22
$2.27 NOK 21.34
18.06%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.48 NOK 32.77
$2.26 NOK 21.28
53.98%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.46 NOK 51.4
$3.66 NOK 34.46
49.18%
Potato (1kg)
$2.51 NOK 23.59
$2.45 NOK 23.10
2.45%
Onion (1kg)
$3.38 NOK 31.78
$1.54 NOK 14.45
119.48%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.83 NOK 26.68
$3.00 NOK 28.19
-5.67%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.79 NOK 16.84
$1.82 NOK 17.11
-1.65%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$17.41 NOK 164
$14.98 NOK 141
16.22%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.96 NOK 178
$18.89 NOK 178
0.37%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.58 NOK 33.66
$3.48 NOK 32.73
2.87%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.22 NOK 39.70
$3.93 NOK 36.99
7.38%
🚌 Getting Around
Bergen
Alesund
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$5.05 NOK 47.54
$5.07 NOK 47.76
-0.39%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$85.0 NOK 800
$87.3 NOK 822
-2.61%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$12.36 NOK 116
$12.15 NOK 114
1.73%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.92 NOK 18.05
$1.91 NOK 18.03
0.52%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$71.5 NOK 673
$73.0 NOK 687
-1.95%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.44 NOK 22.96
$2.19 NOK 20.59
11.42%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$48.7K NOK 458.5K
$48.5K NOK 456.6K
0.43%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$43.0K NOK 405.0K
$42.8K NOK 402.5K
0.62%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bergen
Alesund
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$281 NOK 2,641
$285 NOK 2,683
-1.58%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$32.84 NOK 309
$32.82 NOK 309
0.06%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$81.5 NOK 767
$59.2 NOK 557
37.60%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bergen
Alesund
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.18 NOK 425
$58.6 NOK 552
-22.89%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$42.91 NOK 404
$31.12 NOK 293
37.89%
Cinema Ticket
$18.56 NOK 175
$17.43 NOK 164
6.48%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bergen
Alesund
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$239 NOK 2,251
$235 NOK 2,209
1.88%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.6K NOK 109.6K
$2,542 NOK 23.9K
357.93%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bergen
Alesund
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$107 NOK 1,003
$86.7 NOK 816
22.95%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$53.3 NOK 502
$45.43 NOK 428
17.39%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$119 NOK 1,116
$115 NOK 1,082
3.15%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$163 NOK 1,534
$139 NOK 1,312
16.89%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bergen
Alesund
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,483 NOK 14.0K
$1,090 NOK 10.3K
36.01%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,117 NOK 10.5K
$783 NOK 7,368
42.67%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,327 NOK 21.9K
$1,159 NOK 10.9K
100.82%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,714 NOK 16.1K
$1,615 NOK 15.2K
6.11%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,835 NOK 73.8K
$4,476 NOK 42.1K
75.04%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,754 NOK 44.8K
$2,399 NOK 22.6K
98.18%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bergen
Alesund
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,567 NOK 43.0K
$4,224 NOK 39.8K
8.12%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.27
4.22
24.88%

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

Last update for Bergen: October 12, 2026

Last update for Alesund: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Bergen
$1.1K
Alesund
$783 29.9% $334
Groceries & Markets
Bergen
$530
Alesund
$420 20.8% $111
Eating Out
Bergen
$419
Alesund
$352 16% $67
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bergen
$395
Alesund
$377 4.5% $18
Clothing & Footwear
Bergen
$199
Alesund
$174 12.4% $25
Getting Around
Bergen
$127
Alesund
$129 1.7% $2.1
Sport & Entertainment
Bergen
$82
Alesund
$93 13.5% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,483 in Bergen versus $1,090 in Alesund. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 8% higher in Bergen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $134 in Bergen versus $89.0 in Alesund. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $530 vs $420 – making Alesund the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇳🇴 Bergen
🇳🇴 Alesund
🕒 Local time
15:41 3:41 PM
15:41 3:41 PM
Same time as Bergen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
292,482
58,683
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to NOK – Norwegian Krone Converter

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 9.41 NOK (1 NOK = 0.106 USD). 1 EUR = 10.58 NOK (100 NOK = 9.45 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Bergen Alesund 240 km
From you
  • Bergen
  • Alesund

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
Bergen vs Alesund: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Bergen and in Alesund compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,869 in Bergen, $2,329 in Alesund – roughly 23% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Bergen compared to Alesund?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,304 per month in Bergen and $3,493 in Alesund. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Bergen and Alesund?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Alesund, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $134 in Bergen and $89.0 in Alesund. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Bergen or Alesund?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,869 in Bergen and $2,329 in Alesund. That's a gap of about 23%.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Alesund, where all-in costs run around $2,329, than in Bergen at $2,869. In Alesund it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bergen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Bergen and Alesund?
It depends on your priorities. Bergen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,329 in Alesund to $2,869 in Bergen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Bergen or Alesund safer for residents?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
How do I decide between Bergen and Alesund?
If budget matters most, go with Alesund. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bergen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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