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: $2,688 in Bergen versus $2,390 in Grimstad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,981 in Bergen versus $3,520 in Grimstad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,273 in Bergen versus $4,651 in Grimstad.

Living in Bergen is roughly 12% more expensive than Grimstad, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 101% above, Grimstad 79% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.64 NOK 239

$22.99 NOK 214

11.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 NOK 948

$51.1 NOK 477

98.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.93 NOK 176

$14.93 NOK 139

26.79%

Cappuccino

$5.60 NOK 52.2

$4.54 NOK 42.29

23.35%

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

$3.11 NOK 28.95

$3.99 NOK 37.19

-22.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 NOK 27.05

$3.31 NOK 30.85

-12.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.69 NOK 109

$12.23 NOK 114

-4.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.43 NOK 87.9

$10.31 NOK 96.1

-8.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.75 NOK 25.64

$2.29 NOK 21.37

20.09%

White Bread (500g)

$3.30 NOK 30.73

$3.11 NOK 29.00

6.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.81 NOK 26.16

$3.00 NOK 28.00

-6.33%

Eggs

$4.86 NOK 45.27

$3.26 NOK 30.37

49.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.19 NOK 132

$10.73 NOK 100

32.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.59 NOK 145

$13.41 NOK 125

16.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.20 NOK 263

$16.37 NOK 153

72.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.87 NOK 36.11

$2.08 NOK 19.37

86.06%

Banana (1kg)

$3.06 NOK 28.54

$2.22 NOK 20.68

37.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.61 NOK 33.64

$3.36 NOK 31.30

7.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.57 NOK 51.9

$4.02 NOK 37.46

38.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.70 NOK 25.18

$2.51 NOK 23.44

7.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.86 NOK 26.65

$2.60 NOK 24.27

10.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 NOK 25.89

$2.87 NOK 26.77

-3.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 NOK 19.77

$1.76 NOK 16.37

20.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.39 NOK 153

$17.29 NOK 161

-5.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.35 NOK 171

$16.07 NOK 150

14.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.27 NOK 30.52

$3.53 NOK 32.91

-7.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 NOK 40.95

$4.30 NOK 40.11

2.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.43 NOK 41.24

$4.95 NOK 46.17

-10.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.3 NOK 758

$77.4 NOK 722

5.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.40 NOK 144

$10.04 NOK 93.6

53.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.29 NOK 21.30

$1.38 NOK 12.90

65.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$73.1 NOK 681

$41.93 NOK 391

74.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 NOK 20.02

$2.20 NOK 20.48

-2.27%

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

$35.0K NOK 326.4K

$36.6K NOK 341.3K

-4.34%

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

$42.3K NOK 394.4K

$42.2K NOK 392.9K

0.39%

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

$245 NOK 2,284

$301 NOK 2,809

-18.71%

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

$38.87 NOK 362

$27.46 NOK 256

41.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.9 NOK 605

$56.3 NOK 524

15.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.3 NOK 515

$48.47 NOK 452

14.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.54 NOK 369

$35.24 NOK 328

12.20%

Cinema Ticket

$20.55 NOK 192

$15.20 NOK 142

35.20%

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

$279 NOK 2,597

$273 NOK 2,545

2.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K NOK 120.8K

$15.0K NOK 139.3K

-13.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.8 NOK 837

$50.7 NOK 473

77.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.2 NOK 515

$60.4 NOK 563

-8.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 NOK 1,061

$101 NOK 937

13.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 NOK 1,340

$167 NOK 1,557

-13.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 NOK 12.0K

$1,215 NOK 11.3K

5.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$967 NOK 9,014

$905 NOK 8,437

6.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,994 NOK 18.6K

$1,789 NOK 16.7K

11.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 NOK 14.7K

$1,551 NOK 14.5K

1.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,978 NOK 74.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 NOK 46.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,447 NOK 41.4K

$4,492 NOK 41.9K

-1.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.85

4.9

-1.02%

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

Last update for Bergen: April 25, 2026

Last update for Grimstad: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,287 in Bergen and $1,215 in Grimstad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Grimstad pays 1% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $102 in Bergen vs $51.0 in Grimstad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $489 vs $388 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, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Grimstad earns 1% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,287 in Bergen versus $1,215 in Grimstad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $279 in Bergen versus $273 in Grimstad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% 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. Grimstad is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 12% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.