Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Drammen Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Drammen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,948 in Bergen versus $2,693 in Drammen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,449 in Bergen versus $4,146 in Drammen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,950 in Bergen versus $5,599 in Drammen.

Living in Bergen is roughly 9% more expensive than in Drammen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 115% above, Drammen 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.70 NOK 233

$21.36 NOK 201

15.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$139 NOK 1,310

$127 NOK 1,197

9.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.86 NOK 149

$11.24 NOK 106

41.10%

Cappuccino

$5.68 NOK 53.5

$5.29 NOK 49.85

7.37%

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

$5.31 NOK 49.99

$4.16 NOK 39.22

27.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 NOK 42.68

$1.94 NOK 18.31

133.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.85 NOK 121

$11.50 NOK 108

11.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.60 NOK 99.9

$6.80 NOK 64.0

55.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.33 NOK 21.94

$2.59 NOK 24.41

-10.04%

White Bread (500g)

$3.90 NOK 36.76

$4.28 NOK 40.36

-8.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.57 NOK 33.67

$4.84 NOK 45.57

-26.24%

Eggs

$6.62 NOK 62.4

$4.71 NOK 44.36

40.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.02 NOK 141

$13.87 NOK 131

8.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.61 NOK 166

$15.35 NOK 145

14.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$35.64 NOK 336

$30.12 NOK 284

18.33%

Apples (1kg)

$4.02 NOK 37.87

$3.47 NOK 32.73

15.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 NOK 26.64

$2.78 NOK 26.17

1.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.67 NOK 34.53

$3.65 NOK 34.36

0.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.50 NOK 51.8

$5.89 NOK 55.5

-6.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 NOK 23.99

$2.73 NOK 25.67

-6.59%

Onion (1kg)

$3.30 NOK 31.09

$2.85 NOK 26.87

15.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.94 NOK 27.69

$3.24 NOK 30.49

-9.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 NOK 17.95

$2.55 NOK 23.99

-25.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.18 NOK 171

$17.36 NOK 164

4.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.23 NOK 172

$16.30 NOK 154

11.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.52 NOK 33.19

$3.61 NOK 34.04

-2.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 NOK 41.31

$4.24 NOK 39.97

3.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.12 NOK 48.19

$3.51 NOK 33.09

45.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.2 NOK 850

$96.5 NOK 909

-6.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.62 NOK 119

$12.03 NOK 113

4.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 NOK 18.42

$1.90 NOK 17.87

3.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$74.5 NOK 702

$71.9 NOK 677

3.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.37 NOK 22.33

$2.34 NOK 22.05

1.28%

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

$49.1K NOK 462.4K

$47.0K NOK 442.4K

4.51%

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

$44.2K NOK 416.8K

$45.8K NOK 431.7K

-3.45%

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

$288 NOK 2,716

$263 NOK 2,481

9.48%

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

$31.45 NOK 296

$33.01 NOK 311

-4.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.6 NOK 741

$52.8 NOK 497

49.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.85 NOK 432

$81.8 NOK 771

-43.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$43.68 NOK 411

Cinema Ticket

$19.64 NOK 185

$17.92 NOK 169

9.60%

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

$245 NOK 2,309

-0.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K NOK 115.2K

$15.8K NOK 148.9K

-22.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 NOK 1,007

$101 NOK 953

5.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 NOK 511

$62.6 NOK 589

-13.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 NOK 1,181

$130 NOK 1,228

-3.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$170 NOK 1,601

$151 NOK 1,426

12.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 NOK 14.1K

$1,366 NOK 12.9K

9.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,104 NOK 10.4K

$1,028 NOK 9,681

7.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,481 NOK 23.4K

$2,119 NOK 20.0K

17.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,780 NOK 16.8K

$1,628 NOK 15.3K

9.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,757 NOK 73.1K

$10.6K NOK 100.1K

-26.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,967 NOK 46.8K

$6,329 NOK 59.6K

-21.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,712 NOK 44.4K

$3,630 NOK 34.2K

29.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.31

4.54

16.96%

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

Last update for Bergen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Drammen: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,496 in Bergen and $1,366 in Drammen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 30% 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: $139 in Bergen vs $127 in Drammen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $534 vs $510 per month, with Drammen cheaper across the board.

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 Drammen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Drammen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 30% higher in Bergen, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,496 in Bergen versus $1,366 in Drammen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $245 in Bergen versus $245 in Drammen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Bergen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Drammen is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Drammen 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, Bergen and Drammen 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 Drammen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.