Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Grimstad Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Grimstad

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,942 in Bergen versus $2,217 in Grimstad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,473 in Bergen versus $3,795 in Grimstad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,004 in Bergen versus $5,373 in Grimstad.

Living in Bergen is roughly 33% more expensive than in Grimstad, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 113% above, Grimstad 61% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.62 NOK 229

$21.54 NOK 200

14.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$140 NOK 1,296

$79.4 NOK 738

75.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.47 NOK 153

$15.52 NOK 144

6.12%

Cappuccino

$5.92 NOK 55.0

$4.83 NOK 44.89

22.57%

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

$5.17 NOK 48.07

$4.34 NOK 40.32

19.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 NOK 43.02

$3.52 NOK 32.72

31.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.94 NOK 120

$11.77 NOK 109

9.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.70 NOK 99.4

$10.92 NOK 101

-2.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.48 NOK 23.02

$2.60 NOK 24.13

-4.62%

White Bread (500g)

$3.82 NOK 35.47

$3.76 NOK 34.89

1.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.47 NOK 32.25

$3.15 NOK 29.25

10.16%

Eggs

$6.75 NOK 62.7

$3.62 NOK 33.61

86.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.20 NOK 141

$13.35 NOK 124

13.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.60 NOK 164

$14.60 NOK 136

20.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$35.27 NOK 328

$25.16 NOK 234

40.18%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 NOK 38.40

$2.18 NOK 20.28

89.45%

Banana (1kg)

$2.86 NOK 26.55

$2.38 NOK 22.13

20.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.60 NOK 33.47

$3.50 NOK 32.53

2.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.80 NOK 53.9

$4.41 NOK 40.96

31.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.52 NOK 23.36

$2.78 NOK 25.85

-9.35%

Onion (1kg)

$3.34 NOK 31.05

$2.98 NOK 27.69

12.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.93 NOK 27.23

$3.20 NOK 29.76

-8.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 NOK 19.09

$1.93 NOK 17.96

6.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.04 NOK 168

$19.65 NOK 183

-8.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.63 NOK 173

$15.93 NOK 148

16.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.56 NOK 33.10

$3.48 NOK 32.34

2.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 NOK 39.69

$4.44 NOK 41.24

-3.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.21 NOK 48.44

$5.53 NOK 51.4

-5.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.0 NOK 827

$95.2 NOK 885

-6.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.91 NOK 120

$12.33 NOK 115

4.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 NOK 17.68

$1.85 NOK 17.15

2.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$75.3 NOK 699

$71.1 NOK 660

5.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.36 NOK 21.97

$2.25 NOK 20.91

4.89%

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

$49.9K NOK 463.6K

$49.3K NOK 457.6K

1.32%

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

$44.8K NOK 416.5K

$46.3K NOK 429.7K

-3.08%

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

$296 NOK 2,751

$317 NOK 2,947

-6.65%

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

$31.98 NOK 297

$33.46 NOK 311

-4.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.9 NOK 733

$57.6 NOK 535

37.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.57 NOK 423

$43.15 NOK 401

5.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.44 NOK 413

Cinema Ticket

$19.31 NOK 179

$16.42 NOK 153

17.60%

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

$250 NOK 2,326

$254 NOK 2,358

-1.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K NOK 114.2K

$16.3K NOK 151.2K

-24.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 NOK 1,015

$97.7 NOK 908

11.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.7 NOK 517

$54.4 NOK 505

2.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 NOK 1,130

$108 NOK 999

13.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$171 NOK 1,590

$158 NOK 1,469

8.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,542 NOK 14.3K

$919 NOK 8,541

67.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,118 NOK 10.4K

$535 NOK 4,971

108.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,485 NOK 23.1K

$1,988 NOK 18.5K

25.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,767 NOK 16.4K

$1,829 NOK 17.0K

-3.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,803 NOK 72.5K

$4,773 NOK 44.3K

63.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,910 NOK 45.6K

$3,457 NOK 32.1K

42.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,848 NOK 45.0K

$4,632 NOK 43.0K

4.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.31

4.9

8.37%

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

Last update for Bergen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Grimstad: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,542 in Bergen and $919 in Grimstad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 5% 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: $140 in Bergen vs $79.0 in Grimstad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $539 vs $449 per month, with Grimstad 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 Grimstad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Grimstad is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 33% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 5% 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: $1,542 in Bergen versus $919 in Grimstad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $250 in Bergen versus $254 in Grimstad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Bergen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,217 in Grimstad versus $2,942 in Bergen, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Grimstad but tight or insufficient in Bergen. The gap between the two cities makes Grimstad the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Grimstad 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 Grimstad 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 Grimstad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.