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: $2,658 in Bergen versus $2,452 in Grimstad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,013 in Bergen versus $3,553 in Grimstad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,368 in Bergen versus $4,654 in Grimstad.

Living in Bergen is roughly 8% more expensive than in Grimstad, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 100% above, Grimstad 84% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.18 NOK 242

$22.92 NOK 220

9.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 NOK 982

$50.8 NOK 488

101.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.35 NOK 186

$14.84 NOK 142

30.39%

Cappuccino

$5.34 NOK 51.2

$4.47 NOK 42.89

19.46%

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

$3.24 NOK 31.04

$3.99 NOK 38.24

-18.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 NOK 27.79

$3.32 NOK 31.81

-12.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.61 NOK 111

$12.32 NOK 118

-5.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.63 NOK 92.4

$10.31 NOK 98.9

-6.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.71 NOK 26.00

$2.30 NOK 22.11

17.83%

White Bread (500g)

$3.44 NOK 33.02

$3.23 NOK 30.99

6.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.79 NOK 26.75

$2.95 NOK 28.35

-5.42%

Eggs

$5.03 NOK 48.24

$3.13 NOK 29.98

60.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.95 NOK 134

$10.76 NOK 103

29.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.55 NOK 149

$13.86 NOK 133

12.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.87 NOK 267

$15.99 NOK 153

74.30%

Apples (1kg)

$3.81 NOK 36.51

$2.00 NOK 19.15

90.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.96 NOK 28.39

$2.22 NOK 21.33

33.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.58 NOK 34.37

$3.43 NOK 32.87

4.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.51 NOK 52.9

$3.96 NOK 37.97

39.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.60 NOK 24.98

$2.50 NOK 24.01

4.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.75 NOK 26.39

$2.63 NOK 25.22

4.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.77 NOK 26.56

$2.79 NOK 26.75

-0.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 NOK 20.25

$1.75 NOK 16.78

20.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.74 NOK 161

$17.01 NOK 163

-1.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.70 NOK 170

$15.50 NOK 149

14.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.39 NOK 32.48

$3.37 NOK 32.35

0.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 NOK 41.24

$4.38 NOK 41.97

-1.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.37 NOK 41.93

$5.20 NOK 49.91

-15.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.8 NOK 766

$74.7 NOK 717

6.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.20 NOK 146

$10.04 NOK 96.3

51.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 NOK 21.11

$1.41 NOK 13.52

56.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$72.6 NOK 697

$42.65 NOK 409

70.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 NOK 21.23

$2.26 NOK 21.65

-2.21%

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

$35.8K NOK 343.5K

$35.5K NOK 340.8K

0.79%

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

$43.7K NOK 419.0K

$43.4K NOK 416.7K

0.56%

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

$244 NOK 2,341

$299 NOK 2,864

-18.26%

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

$38.05 NOK 365

$28.29 NOK 271

34.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.4 NOK 627

$55.0 NOK 528

18.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 NOK 519

$49.39 NOK 474

9.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.77 NOK 381

$35.26 NOK 338

12.79%

Cinema Ticket

$19.90 NOK 191

$15.14 NOK 145

31.44%

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

$284 NOK 2,723

$267 NOK 2,565

6.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K NOK 123.6K

$14.7K NOK 141.3K

-12.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.5 NOK 888

$49.96 NOK 479

85.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.7 NOK 534

$61.3 NOK 588

-9.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 NOK 1,080

$99.9 NOK 959

12.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 NOK 1,376

$165 NOK 1,580

-12.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 NOK 12.5K

$1,227 NOK 11.8K

6.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$997 NOK 9,565

$894 NOK 8,576

11.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,032 NOK 19.5K

$1,789 NOK 17.2K

13.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 NOK 15.3K

$1,541 NOK 14.8K

3.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,558 NOK 72.5K

$4,700 NOK 45.1K

60.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,679 NOK 44.9K

$3,305 NOK 31.7K

41.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,385 NOK 42.1K

$4,443 NOK 42.6K

-1.30%

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: July 28, 2026

Last update for Grimstad: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,304 in Bergen and $1,227 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 $485 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 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 1% lower in Grimstad. 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: $1,304 in Bergen versus $1,227 in Grimstad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $284 in Bergen versus $267 in Grimstad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% 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 8% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.