Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Fredrikstad Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Fredrikstad

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,907 in Bergen versus $3,030 in Fredrikstad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,400 in Bergen versus $4,355 in Fredrikstad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,894 in Bergen versus $5,681 in Fredrikstad.

Living in Bergen costs roughly 4% less than in Fredrikstad, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 112% above, Fredrikstad 121% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.49 NOK 238

$23.41 NOK 218

8.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$141 NOK 1,309

$119 NOK 1,110

17.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.21 NOK 151

$12.56 NOK 117

29.06%

Cappuccino

$5.63 NOK 52.5

$6.72 NOK 62.6

-16.22%

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

$5.28 NOK 49.18

$5.87 NOK 54.7

-10.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 NOK 44.12

$4.60 NOK 42.82

3.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.91 NOK 120

$12.33 NOK 115

4.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.52 NOK 98.0

$9.41 NOK 87.7

11.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.48 NOK 23.08

$2.42 NOK 22.54

2.48%

White Bread (500g)

$3.83 NOK 35.70

$4.34 NOK 40.42

-11.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.58 NOK 33.31

$3.56 NOK 33.13

0.56%

Eggs

$6.70 NOK 62.5

$6.10 NOK 56.9

9.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.27 NOK 142

$13.26 NOK 124

15.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.52 NOK 163

$18.44 NOK 172

-4.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$35.05 NOK 327

$35.83 NOK 334

-2.18%

Apples (1kg)

$4.22 NOK 39.28

$4.68 NOK 43.62

-9.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.71 NOK 25.26

$3.55 NOK 33.03

-23.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.72 NOK 34.67

$4.46 NOK 41.58

-16.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.61 NOK 52.3

$5.21 NOK 48.57

7.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.56 NOK 23.82

$2.95 NOK 27.45

-13.22%

Onion (1kg)

$3.48 NOK 32.38

$2.83 NOK 26.35

22.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.03 NOK 28.22

$2.96 NOK 27.61

2.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 NOK 18.50

$2.40 NOK 22.37

-17.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.89 NOK 167

$16.07 NOK 150

11.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.74 NOK 175

$22.17 NOK 207

-15.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.62 NOK 33.70

$3.58 NOK 33.35

1.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.24 NOK 39.52

$4.28 NOK 39.88

-0.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.17 NOK 48.14

$4.16 NOK 38.72

24.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.2 NOK 840

$66.8 NOK 622

35.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.70 NOK 118

$12.99 NOK 121

-2.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 NOK 17.74

$1.69 NOK 15.76

12.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$73.1 NOK 681

$72.7 NOK 677

0.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 NOK 20.90

$2.39 NOK 22.29

-6.28%

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

$49.8K NOK 463.6K

$42.7K NOK 397.8K

16.53%

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

$43.8K NOK 408.1K

$50.0K NOK 466.3K

-12.49%

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

$286 NOK 2,662

$338 NOK 3,153

-15.55%

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

$31.94 NOK 298

$46.68 NOK 435

-31.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.6 NOK 732

$66.5 NOK 619

18.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.64 NOK 416

$59.1 NOK 550

-24.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$43.59 NOK 406

$41.58 NOK 387

4.83%

Cinema Ticket

$19.25 NOK 179

$20.69 NOK 193

-6.96%

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

$241 NOK 2,242

$174 NOK 1,621

38.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K NOK 111.3K

$11.1K NOK 103.3K

7.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 NOK 994

$162 NOK 1,508

-34.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 NOK 506

$79.4 NOK 740

-31.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 NOK 1,145

$144 NOK 1,343

-14.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$169 NOK 1,576

$114 NOK 1,061

48.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,514 NOK 14.1K

$1,391 NOK 13.0K

8.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,119 NOK 10.4K

$1,125 NOK 10.5K

-0.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,489 NOK 23.2K

$1,851 NOK 17.2K

34.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,758 NOK 16.4K

$1,510 NOK 14.1K

16.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,741 NOK 72.1K

$6,312 NOK 58.8K

22.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,935 NOK 46.0K

$4,204 NOK 39.2K

17.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,828 NOK 45.0K

$3,454 NOK 32.2K

39.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.31

4.95

7.27%

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

Last update for Bergen: August 30, 2026

Last update for Fredrikstad: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,514 in Bergen and $1,391 in Fredrikstad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 40% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $141 in Bergen vs $119 in Fredrikstad. Groceries flip the comparison at $538 vs $560, with Bergen cheaper for home cooking.

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 Fredrikstad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bergen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 4% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 40% 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: $1,514 in Bergen versus $1,391 in Fredrikstad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $241 in Bergen versus $174 in Fredrikstad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Fredrikstad. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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

For families, Bergen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Fredrikstad, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Bergen and Fredrikstad 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 Bergen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Fredrikstad. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.