Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Halden Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Halden

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,622 in Bergen versus $2,189 in Halden.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,948 in Bergen versus $3,588 in Halden.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,274 in Bergen versus $4,987 in Halden.

Living in Bergen is roughly 20% more expensive than Halden, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 95% above, Halden 63% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.22 NOK 239

$20.15 NOK 191

25.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 NOK 965

$101 NOK 963

0.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.97 NOK 180

$12.06 NOK 115

57.30%

Cappuccino

$5.55 NOK 52.6

$4.57 NOK 43.37

21.44%

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

$3.17 NOK 30.10

$3.64 NOK 34.58

-12.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 NOK 28.56

$3.11 NOK 29.49

-3.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.86 NOK 113

$10.07 NOK 95.6

17.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.58 NOK 90.9

$9.16 NOK 87.0

4.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.69 NOK 25.50

$2.21 NOK 20.98

21.72%

White Bread (500g)

$3.44 NOK 32.66

$3.11 NOK 29.51

10.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.88 NOK 27.34

$2.86 NOK 27.19

0.70%

Eggs

$5.03 NOK 47.75

$4.23 NOK 40.15

18.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 NOK 132

$12.47 NOK 118

11.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.99 NOK 152

$14.61 NOK 139

9.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.79 NOK 264

$31.51 NOK 299

-11.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.79 NOK 35.95

$3.52 NOK 33.41

7.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.95 NOK 27.98

$2.50 NOK 23.74

18.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.59 NOK 34.03

$3.29 NOK 31.21

9.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.70 NOK 54.1

$4.40 NOK 41.79

29.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.62 NOK 24.85

$2.52 NOK 23.95

3.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.87 NOK 27.29

$2.71 NOK 25.73

5.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.91 NOK 27.63

$2.79 NOK 26.51

4.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 NOK 20.34

$1.65 NOK 15.62

29.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.78 NOK 159

$14.85 NOK 141

13.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.96 NOK 170

$17.04 NOK 162

5.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.44 NOK 32.68

$2.61 NOK 24.76

31.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 NOK 40.97

$3.91 NOK 37.10

10.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.44 NOK 42.14

$4.37 NOK 41.51

1.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.0 NOK 759

$61.2 NOK 581

30.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.23 NOK 145

$10.09 NOK 95.7

50.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.27 NOK 21.55

$1.44 NOK 13.66

57.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$72.5 NOK 688

$42.16 NOK 400

72.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 NOK 20.93

$2.10 NOK 19.94

5.24%

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

$35.9K NOK 340.3K

$35.6K NOK 338.4K

0.57%

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

$42.9K NOK 407.0K

$43.4K NOK 412.0K

-1.22%

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

$243 NOK 2,311

$306 NOK 2,904

-20.43%

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

$38.80 NOK 368

$29.87 NOK 284

29.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.3 NOK 620

$40.15 NOK 381

62.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 NOK 514

$54.0 NOK 513

0.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.54 NOK 375

$35.37 NOK 336

11.79%

Cinema Ticket

$20.20 NOK 192

$15.58 NOK 148

29.65%

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

$282 NOK 2,677

$274 NOK 2,600

2.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K NOK 119.9K

$15.0K NOK 142.5K

-15.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.9 NOK 863

$95.9 NOK 911

-5.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 NOK 531

$64.8 NOK 615

-13.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 NOK 1,064

$125 NOK 1,189

-10.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$147 NOK 1,391

$122 NOK 1,160

19.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 NOK 12.3K

$927 NOK 8,800

39.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$973 NOK 9,238

$654 NOK 6,204

48.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,994 NOK 18.9K

$1,953 NOK 18.5K

2.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,568 NOK 14.9K

$1,643 NOK 15.6K

-4.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,844 NOK 74.4K

$6,032 NOK 57.2K

30.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,587 NOK 43.5K

$4,516 NOK 42.9K

1.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,531 NOK 43.0K

$3,500 NOK 33.2K

29.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.85

4.75

2.11%

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

Last update for Bergen: June 7, 2026

Last update for Halden: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,295 in Bergen and $927 in Halden. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 29% 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: $102 in Bergen vs $101 in Halden for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $490 vs $453 per month, with Halden 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 Halden: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Halden is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 20% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Bergen pays 29% more on average, 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: $1,295 in Bergen versus $927 in Halden. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $282 in Bergen versus $274 in Halden. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Bergen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,189 in Halden versus $2,622 in Bergen, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Halden but tight or insufficient in Bergen. The gap between the two cities makes Halden the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Halden 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 Halden 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 Halden gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.