Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Bodo

For one person, living is cheaper in Bodo: $2,499 a month against $3,093 in Bergen, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Bergen, Norway
Bodo, Norway
Bergen
🇳🇴 Norway
$3,093
/mo nomad
Bodo
🇳🇴 Norway
$2,499
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bergen and in Bodo

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 Bodo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,093 in Bergen versus $2,499 in Bodo.

  • Bergen $3,093
  • Bodo $2,499

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,619 in Bergen versus $4,042 in Bodo.

  • Bergen $4,619
  • Bodo $4,042

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,145 in Bergen versus $5,585 in Bodo.

  • Bergen $6,145
  • Bodo $5,585

Living in Bergen is roughly 24% more expensive than in Bodo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 127% above, Bodo 84% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bergen
Bodo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$23.85 NOK 220
$24.49 NOK 226
-2.61%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$141 NOK 1,302
$130 NOK 1,195
8.98%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$16.30 NOK 150
$24.27 NOK 224
-32.84%
Cappuccino
$5.62 NOK 51.8
$6.50 NOK 59.9
-13.54%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.19 NOK 47.85
$4.86 NOK 44.78
6.79%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.57 NOK 42.13
$3.18 NOK 29.26
43.71%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$12.92 NOK 119
$12.36 NOK 114
4.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$10.71 NOK 98.7
$15.76 NOK 145
-32.04%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bergen
Bodo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.35 NOK 21.62
$2.39 NOK 21.99
-1.67%
White Bread (500g)
$3.83 NOK 35.32
$4.25 NOK 39.20
-9.88%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.45 NOK 31.77
$4.28 NOK 39.45
-19.39%
Eggs
$6.67 NOK 61.5
$5.28 NOK 48.70
26.33%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.89 NOK 137
$12.71 NOK 117
17.15%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$17.88 NOK 165
$19.73 NOK 182
-9.38%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$37.65 NOK 347
$21.71 NOK 200
73.42%
Apples (1kg)
$4.10 NOK 37.80
$3.72 NOK 34.26
10.22%
Banana (1kg)
$2.80 NOK 25.82
$2.78 NOK 25.59
0.72%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.70 NOK 34.11
$4.97 NOK 45.81
-25.55%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.54 NOK 51.1
$6.58 NOK 60.6
-15.81%
Potato (1kg)
$2.46 NOK 22.72
$3.19 NOK 29.39
-22.88%
Onion (1kg)
$3.41 NOK 31.42
$3.07 NOK 28.30
11.07%
Lettuce (1 head)
$3.08 NOK 28.37
$3.05 NOK 28.08
0.98%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.83 NOK 16.88
$2.48 NOK 22.85
-26.21%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$17.65 NOK 163
$14.74 NOK 136
19.74%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.73 NOK 182
$20.02 NOK 185
-1.45%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.83 NOK 35.28
$4.03 NOK 37.16
-4.96%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.44 NOK 40.91
$4.70 NOK 43.35
-5.53%
🚌 Getting Around
Bergen
Bodo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$5.32 NOK 49.07
$4.62 NOK 42.57
15.15%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$89.0 NOK 820
$74.5 NOK 687
19.37%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$12.82 NOK 118
$9.94 NOK 91.6
28.97%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.95 NOK 18.00
$1.73 NOK 15.96
12.72%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$74.9 NOK 690
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.41 NOK 22.18
$2.33 NOK 21.51
3.43%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$50.1K NOK 461.4K
-
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$44.8K NOK 412.6K
-
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bergen
Bodo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$292 NOK 2,688
$177 NOK 1,632
64.64%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$33.90 NOK 312
$42.81 NOK 395
-20.81%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$85.1 NOK 784
$69.9 NOK 645
21.65%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bergen
Bodo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$48.43 NOK 446
$51.1 NOK 471
-5.21%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$44.06 NOK 406
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$19.28 NOK 178
$14.09 NOK 130
36.83%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bergen
Bodo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$251 NOK 2,312
$255 NOK 2,354
-1.77%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.0K NOK 110.4K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bergen
Bodo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$108 NOK 992
$91.1 NOK 840
18.11%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$56.1 NOK 517
$52.9 NOK 487
6.09%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$120 NOK 1,107
$107 NOK 983
12.56%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$166 NOK 1,529
-
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bergen
Bodo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,627 NOK 15.0K
$1,202 NOK 11.1K
35.38%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,283 NOK 11.8K
$912 NOK 8,402
40.79%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,668 NOK 24.6K
$2,357 NOK 21.7K
13.19%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,928 NOK 17.8K
$1,844 NOK 17.0K
4.56%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$8,228 NOK 75.8K
$6,353 NOK 58.6K
29.51%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,382 NOK 49.6K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bergen
Bodo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,732 NOK 43.6K
$3,542 NOK 32.6K
33.59%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.27
4.67
12.85%

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

Last update for Bergen: October 26, 2026

Last update for Bodo: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Bergen
$1.3K
Bodo
$912 29% $372
Groceries & Markets
Bergen
$545
Bodo
$522 4.3% $23
Eating Out
Bergen
$432
Bodo
$472 9.3% $40
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bergen
$411
Bodo
$290 29.4% $121
Clothing & Footwear
Bergen
$202
Bodo
$113 * 44.3% $90
Getting Around
Bergen
$133
Bodo
$112 16% $21
Sport & Entertainment
Bergen
$87
Bodo
$79 8.9% $7.7

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,627 in Bergen and $1,202 in Bodo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 34% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $141 in Bergen vs $130 in Bodo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $545 vs $522 per month, with Bodo cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇳🇴 Bergen
🇳🇴 Bodo
🕒 Local time
11:18 11:18 AM
11:18 11:18 AM
Same time as Bergen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
292,482
53,698
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to NOK – Norwegian Krone Converter

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 9.22 NOK (1 NOK = 0.108 USD). 1 EUR = 10.29 NOK (100 NOK = 9.72 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Bergen Bodo 880 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Bergen
  • Bodo

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 Bodo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bodo cheaper than Bergen?
Bodo is about 19% cheaper overall, especially in clothing, groceries, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Bergen or Bodo?
Average pay runs 34% higher in Bergen, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Bergen and Bodo?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,627 in Bergen versus $1,202 in Bodo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $251 in Bergen versus $255 in Bodo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Bergen and in Bodo?
Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Bergen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $2,000 enough to cover costs in Bergen or in Bodo?
Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Bodo is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
Is it better to live in Bergen or in Bodo?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Which city is safer, Bergen or Bodo?
Safety-wise, Bergen and Bodo are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Bodo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Bergen vs other spots: cost of living compared

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