Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Cairo

For one person, living is cheaper in Cairo: $643 a month against $2,844 in Bergen, rent and utilities included – about $26,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Bergen
🇳🇴 Norway
$2,844
/mo nomad
Cairo
🇪🇬 Egypt
$643
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bergen and in Cairo

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,844 in Bergen versus $643 in Cairo.

  • Bergen $2,844
  • Cairo $643

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,282 in Bergen versus $1,037 in Cairo.

  • Bergen $4,282
  • Cairo $1,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,719 in Bergen versus $1,431 in Cairo.

  • Bergen $5,719
  • Cairo $1,431

Living in Bergen is roughly 342% more expensive than in Cairo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bergen is 112% above, Cairo is 52% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bergen
Cairo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.98 NOK 219
$4.69 E£245
389.98%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$135 NOK 1,292
$28.49 E£1,491
374.87%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$15.52 NOK 148
$6.03 E£315
157.38%
Cappuccino
$5.42 NOK 51.8
$1.81 E£94.7
199.45%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.10 NOK 48.71
$0.35 E£18.18
1357.14%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.47 NOK 42.65
$0.15 E£7.95
2880.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$12.57 NOK 120
$1.45 E£76.0
766.90%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$10.41 NOK 99.4
$2.24 E£117
364.73%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bergen
Cairo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.15 NOK 20.57
$0.97 E£50.7
121.65%
White Bread (500g)
$3.78 NOK 36.13
$0.73 E£37.96
417.81%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.51 NOK 33.54
$0.77 E£40.24
355.84%
Eggs
$6.41 NOK 61.3
$1.17 E£61.2
447.86%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.32 NOK 137
$4.32 E£226
231.48%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$17.21 NOK 164
$5.07 E£265
239.45%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$36.16 NOK 345
$8.92 E£467
305.38%
Apples (1kg)
$4.12 NOK 39.38
$1.83 E£95.8
125.14%
Banana (1kg)
$2.72 NOK 25.95
$0.75 E£39.07
262.67%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.61 NOK 34.44
$0.57 E£29.78
533.33%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.39 NOK 51.4
$0.51 E£26.62
956.86%
Potato (1kg)
$2.52 NOK 24.02
$0.38 E£20.05
563.16%
Onion (1kg)
$3.35 NOK 31.97
$0.42 E£21.88
697.62%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.86 NOK 27.34
$0.35 E£18.43
717.14%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.78 NOK 17.03
$0.24 E£12.57
641.67%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$17.10 NOK 163
$1.99 E£104
759.30%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.97 NOK 172
$7.48 E£391
140.24%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.59 NOK 34.31
$1.52 E£79.4
136.18%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.21 NOK 40.20
$2.13 E£112
97.65%
🚌 Getting Around
Bergen
Cairo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$5.15 NOK 49.21
$0.33 E£17.10
1460.61%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$86.4 NOK 825
$8.66 E£453
898.04%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$12.39 NOK 118
$0.37 E£19.27
3248.65%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.84 NOK 17.61
$0.20 E£10.65
820.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$70.5 NOK 674
$1.49 E£77.8
4632.89%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.35 NOK 22.42
$0.46 E£23.94
410.87%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$48.6K NOK 463.7K
$32.6K E£1.7M
48.81%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$43.3K NOK 413.9K
$28.4K E£1.5M
52.63%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bergen
Cairo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$275 NOK 2,623
$27.54 E£1,441
897.20%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$32.93 NOK 314
$8.27 E£432
298.19%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$82.9 NOK 791
$14.05 E£735
489.75%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bergen
Cairo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.61 NOK 436
$28.27 E£1,479
61.34%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$41.77 NOK 399
$6.70 E£350
523.43%
Cinema Ticket
$18.87 NOK 180
$4.40 E£230
328.86%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bergen
Cairo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$238 NOK 2,272
$121 E£6,356
95.84%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.0K NOK 114.9K
$3,619 E£189.3K
232.40%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bergen
Cairo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$107 NOK 1,022
$40.16 E£2,101
166.48%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$54.6 NOK 522
$49.61 E£2,596
10.08%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$118 NOK 1,128
$115 E£6,033
2.42%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$162 NOK 1,545
$60.6 E£3,170
167.02%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bergen
Cairo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,414 NOK 13.5K
$220 E£11.5K
542.71%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,083 NOK 10.3K
$194 E£10.2K
457.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,348 NOK 22.4K
$514 E£26.9K
356.69%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,696 NOK 16.2K
$334 E£17.5K
408.48%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,822 NOK 74.7K
$806 E£42.2K
870.15%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,769 NOK 45.5K
$513 E£26.9K
829.18%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bergen
Cairo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,527 NOK 43.2K
$200 E£10.5K
2161.35%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.27
16.21
-67.49%

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

Last update for Bergen: October 3, 2026

Last update for Cairo: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Bergen
$1.1K
Cairo
$194 82.1% $889
Groceries & Markets
Bergen
$524
Cairo
$141 73% $383
Eating Out
Bergen
$417
Cairo
$91 78.2% $326
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bergen
$390
Cairo
$50 87.2% $341
Clothing & Footwear
Bergen
$199
Cairo
$120 39.8% $79
Getting Around
Bergen
$129
Cairo
$11 91.2% $117
Sport & Entertainment
Bergen
$83
Cairo
$37 55.5% $46

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,414 in Bergen and $220 in Cairo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 2161% 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: $135 in Bergen vs $28.00 in Cairo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $524 vs $141 per month, with Cairo cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇳🇴 Bergen
🇪🇬 Cairo
🕒 Local time
08:16 8:16 AM
09:16 9:16 AM
1 h ahead of Bergen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
292,482
9,120,350 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

EGP, USD, EUR to NOK – Norwegian Krone Converter

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 9.55 NOK (1 NOK = 0.105 USD). 1 EUR = 10.71 NOK (100 NOK = 9.34 EUR).

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 52.32 EGP (100 EGP = 1.91 USD). 1 EUR = 58.68 EGP (100 EGP = 1.7 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Bergen Cairo 3,880 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Bergen
  • Cairo

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 Cairo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cairo cheaper than Bergen?
Cairo is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 342% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Bergen or Cairo?
Average pay runs 2161% 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 Cairo?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,414 in Bergen versus $220 in Cairo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $238 in Bergen versus $121 in Cairo. 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 Cairo?
Supermarket bills run roughly 271% higher in Bergen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Bergen or in Cairo?
At $643 in Cairo versus $2,844 in Bergen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cairo but tight or insufficient in Bergen. The gap between the two cities makes Cairo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Bergen or Cairo more family-friendly?
For families, Cairo 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.
Which city is safer, Bergen or Cairo?
Safety-wise, Bergen and Cairo are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Cairo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 342% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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