Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Elverum Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Elverum

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,622 in Bergen versus $2,229 in Elverum.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,948 in Bergen versus $3,474 in Elverum.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,274 in Bergen versus $4,719 in Elverum.

Living in Bergen is roughly 18% more expensive than Elverum, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 95% above, Elverum 66% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.22 NOK 239

$22.57 NOK 214

11.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 NOK 965

$101 NOK 963

0.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.97 NOK 180

$11.45 NOK 109

65.68%

Cappuccino

$5.55 NOK 52.6

$4.61 NOK 43.73

20.39%

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

$3.17 NOK 30.10

$3.45 NOK 32.78

-8.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 NOK 28.56

$2.95 NOK 27.96

2.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.86 NOK 113

$10.71 NOK 102

10.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.58 NOK 90.9

$8.05 NOK 76.4

19.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.69 NOK 25.50

$1.09 NOK 10.38

146.79%

White Bread (500g)

$3.44 NOK 32.66

$3.61 NOK 34.25

-4.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.88 NOK 27.34

$3.83 NOK 36.38

-24.80%

Eggs

$5.03 NOK 47.75

$1.78 NOK 16.91

182.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 NOK 132

$7.16 NOK 68.0

94.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.99 NOK 152

$12.04 NOK 114

32.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.79 NOK 264

$25.37 NOK 241

9.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.79 NOK 35.95

$0.99 NOK 9.36

282.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.95 NOK 27.98

$2.98 NOK 28.28

-1.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.59 NOK 34.03

$1.49 NOK 14.10

140.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.70 NOK 54.1

$1.55 NOK 14.70

267.74%

Potato (1kg)

$2.62 NOK 24.85

$1.02 NOK 9.71

156.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.87 NOK 27.29

$0.99 NOK 9.38

189.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.91 NOK 27.63

$2.55 NOK 24.22

14.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 NOK 20.34

$2.44 NOK 23.15

-12.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.78 NOK 159

$14.45 NOK 137

16.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.96 NOK 170

$18.81 NOK 179

-4.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.44 NOK 32.68

$3.65 NOK 34.60

-5.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 NOK 40.97

$4.81 NOK 45.64

-10.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.44 NOK 42.14

$4.33 NOK 41.10

2.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.0 NOK 759

$74.6 NOK 708

7.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.23 NOK 145

$15.16 NOK 144

0.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.27 NOK 21.55

$2.19 NOK 20.79

3.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$72.5 NOK 688

$90.1 NOK 855

-19.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 NOK 20.93

$2.14 NOK 20.32

3.27%

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

$35.9K NOK 340.3K

$31.8K NOK 302.1K

12.65%

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

$42.9K NOK 407.0K

$35.3K NOK 334.7K

21.58%

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

$243 NOK 2,311

$101 NOK 961

140.53%

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

$38.80 NOK 368

$41.58 NOK 395

-6.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.3 NOK 620

$66.7 NOK 633

-2.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 NOK 514

$49.31 NOK 468

9.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.54 NOK 375

$34.77 NOK 330

13.72%

Cinema Ticket

$20.20 NOK 192

$12.26 NOK 116

64.76%

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

$282 NOK 2,677

$329 NOK 3,127

-14.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K NOK 119.9K

$8,495 NOK 80.6K

48.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.9 NOK 863

$113 NOK 1,072

-19.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 NOK 531

$49.18 NOK 467

13.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 NOK 1,064

$130 NOK 1,231

-13.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$147 NOK 1,391

$131 NOK 1,239

12.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 NOK 12.3K

$1,200 NOK 11.4K

7.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$973 NOK 9,238

$905 NOK 8,593

7.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,994 NOK 18.9K

$1,810 NOK 17.2K

10.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,568 NOK 14.9K

$1,560 NOK 14.8K

0.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,844 NOK 74.4K

$6,112 NOK 58.0K

28.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,587 NOK 43.5K

$4,385 NOK 41.6K

4.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,531 NOK 43.0K

$4,194 NOK 39.8K

8.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.85

4.32

12.27%

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

Last update for Bergen: June 7, 2026

Last update for Elverum: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,295 in Bergen and $1,200 in Elverum. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 8% 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: $102 in Bergen vs $101 in Elverum for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $490 vs $374 per month, with Elverum 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 Elverum: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Elverum is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 18% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Bergen pays 8% more on average, 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: $1,295 in Bergen versus $1,200 in Elverum. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $282 in Bergen versus $329 in Elverum. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Bergen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Elverum is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Elverum 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 Elverum 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 Elverum gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.