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: $2,948 in Bergen versus $2,814 in Elverum.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,449 in Bergen versus $4,246 in Elverum.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,950 in Bergen versus $5,677 in Elverum.

Living in Bergen is roughly 5% more expensive than in Elverum, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 115% above, Elverum 106% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.70 NOK 233

$21.69 NOK 204

13.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$139 NOK 1,310

$109 NOK 1,031

27.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.86 NOK 149

$15.96 NOK 150

-0.63%

Cappuccino

$5.68 NOK 53.5

$5.79 NOK 54.5

-1.90%

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

$5.31 NOK 49.99

$5.75 NOK 54.1

-7.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 NOK 42.68

$4.17 NOK 39.24

8.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.85 NOK 121

$13.43 NOK 127

-4.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.60 NOK 99.9

$13.24 NOK 125

-19.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.33 NOK 21.94

$2.61 NOK 24.61

-10.73%

White Bread (500g)

$3.90 NOK 36.76

$3.52 NOK 33.17

10.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.57 NOK 33.67

$3.72 NOK 35.00

-4.03%

Eggs

$6.62 NOK 62.4

$5.00 NOK 47.09

32.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.02 NOK 141

$13.11 NOK 124

14.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.61 NOK 166

$16.86 NOK 159

4.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$35.64 NOK 336

$32.28 NOK 304

10.41%

Apples (1kg)

$4.02 NOK 37.87

$4.06 NOK 38.24

-0.99%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 NOK 26.64

$2.98 NOK 28.11

-5.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.67 NOK 34.53

$3.80 NOK 35.79

-3.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.50 NOK 51.8

$5.59 NOK 52.7

-1.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 NOK 23.99

$2.96 NOK 27.85

-13.85%

Onion (1kg)

$3.30 NOK 31.09

$3.07 NOK 28.88

7.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.94 NOK 27.69

$2.85 NOK 26.87

3.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 NOK 17.95

$2.28 NOK 21.49

-16.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.18 NOK 171

$17.58 NOK 166

3.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.23 NOK 172

$19.12 NOK 180

-4.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.52 NOK 33.19

$3.61 NOK 34.03

-2.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 NOK 41.31

$4.62 NOK 43.53

-4.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.12 NOK 48.19

$4.88 NOK 45.95

4.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.2 NOK 850

$87.4 NOK 824

3.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.62 NOK 119

$9.47 NOK 89.2

33.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 NOK 18.42

$1.62 NOK 15.24

20.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$74.5 NOK 702

$60.4 NOK 569

23.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.37 NOK 22.33

$2.33 NOK 22.00

1.72%

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

$49.1K NOK 462.4K

$45.9K NOK 431.9K

7.05%

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

$44.2K NOK 416.8K

$46.5K NOK 438.4K

-4.94%

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

$288 NOK 2,716

$282 NOK 2,660

2.11%

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

$31.45 NOK 296

$36.56 NOK 344

-13.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.6 NOK 741

$84.6 NOK 797

-7.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.85 NOK 432

$51.8 NOK 488

-11.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$43.68 NOK 411

$32.52 NOK 306

34.32%

Cinema Ticket

$19.64 NOK 185

$20.74 NOK 195

-5.30%

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

$245 NOK 2,309

$305 NOK 2,877

-19.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K NOK 115.2K

$4,501 NOK 42.4K

171.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 NOK 1,007

$111 NOK 1,042

-3.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 NOK 511

$51.5 NOK 485

5.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 NOK 1,181

$123 NOK 1,155

2.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$170 NOK 1,601

$163 NOK 1,539

4.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 NOK 14.1K

$1,214 NOK 11.4K

23.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,104 NOK 10.4K

$1,038 NOK 9,782

6.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,481 NOK 23.4K

$2,061 NOK 19.4K

20.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,780 NOK 16.8K

$1,733 NOK 16.3K

2.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,757 NOK 73.1K

$6,274 NOK 59.1K

23.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,967 NOK 46.8K

$4,108 NOK 38.7K

20.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,712 NOK 44.4K

$4,272 NOK 40.2K

10.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.31

5.32

-0.19%

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

Last update for Bergen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Elverum: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,496 in Bergen and $1,214 in Elverum. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 10% 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 $109 in Elverum for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $534 vs $517 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, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around. The 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 10% 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 $1,214 in Elverum. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $245 in Bergen versus $305 in Elverum. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% 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 5% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.