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: $2,658 in Bergen versus $2,190 in Halden.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,013 in Bergen versus $3,589 in Halden.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,368 in Bergen versus $4,988 in Halden.

Living in Bergen is roughly 21% more expensive than in Halden, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 100% above, Halden 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.18 NOK 239

$20.20 NOK 192

24.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 NOK 970

$99.9 NOK 947

2.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.35 NOK 183

$11.94 NOK 113

62.06%

Cappuccino

$5.34 NOK 50.7

$4.57 NOK 43.34

16.85%

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

$3.24 NOK 30.68

$3.58 NOK 33.91

-9.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 NOK 27.47

$2.96 NOK 28.04

-2.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.61 NOK 110

$10.08 NOK 95.6

15.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.63 NOK 91.3

$9.30 NOK 88.2

3.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.71 NOK 25.70

$2.29 NOK 21.73

18.34%

White Bread (500g)

$3.44 NOK 32.64

$3.13 NOK 29.64

9.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.79 NOK 26.44

$3.00 NOK 28.46

-7.00%

Eggs

$5.03 NOK 47.68

$4.24 NOK 40.16

18.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.95 NOK 132

$12.54 NOK 119

11.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.55 NOK 147

$14.86 NOK 141

4.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.87 NOK 264

$31.30 NOK 297

-10.96%

Apples (1kg)

$3.81 NOK 36.09

$3.54 NOK 33.55

7.63%

Banana (1kg)

$2.96 NOK 28.07

$2.51 NOK 23.78

17.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.58 NOK 33.98

$3.30 NOK 31.28

8.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.51 NOK 52.3

$4.40 NOK 41.72

25.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.60 NOK 24.70

$2.54 NOK 24.13

2.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.75 NOK 26.09

$2.58 NOK 24.51

6.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.77 NOK 26.26

$2.73 NOK 25.93

1.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 NOK 20.02

$1.61 NOK 15.24

31.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.74 NOK 159

$14.90 NOK 141

12.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.70 NOK 168

$16.34 NOK 155

8.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.39 NOK 32.11

$2.65 NOK 25.14

27.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 NOK 40.77

$3.87 NOK 36.71

11.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.37 NOK 41.45

$4.36 NOK 41.35

0.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.8 NOK 757

$59.5 NOK 565

34.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.20 NOK 144

$10.08 NOK 95.6

50.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 NOK 20.87

$1.43 NOK 13.60

53.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$72.6 NOK 689

$41.87 NOK 397

73.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 NOK 20.98

$2.15 NOK 20.41

2.79%

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

$35.8K NOK 339.6K

$35.7K NOK 338.4K

0.33%

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

$43.7K NOK 414.2K

$43.0K NOK 408.0K

1.52%

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

$244 NOK 2,314

$306 NOK 2,903

-20.30%

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

$38.05 NOK 361

$30.76 NOK 292

23.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.4 NOK 620

$40.18 NOK 381

62.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 NOK 513

$53.0 NOK 503

2.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.77 NOK 377

$35.49 NOK 337

12.06%

Cinema Ticket

$19.90 NOK 189

$15.82 NOK 150

25.79%

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

$284 NOK 2,692

$272 NOK 2,577

4.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K NOK 122.2K

$14.9K NOK 141.5K

-13.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.5 NOK 877

$96.4 NOK 914

-3.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.7 NOK 528

$67.0 NOK 635

-16.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 NOK 1,067

$122 NOK 1,153

-7.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 NOK 1,360

$121 NOK 1,147

18.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 NOK 12.4K

$923 NOK 8,748

41.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$997 NOK 9,455

$662 NOK 6,276

50.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,032 NOK 19.3K

$1,915 NOK 18.2K

6.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 NOK 15.1K

$1,594 NOK 15.1K

0.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,558 NOK 71.7K

$5,937 NOK 56.3K

27.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,679 NOK 44.4K

$3,943 NOK 37.4K

18.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,385 NOK 41.6K

$3,386 NOK 32.1K

29.48%

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: July 28, 2026

Last update for Halden: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,304 in Bergen and $923 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 $100 in Halden for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $485 vs $454 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 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 29% 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: $1,304 in Bergen versus $923 in Halden. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $284 in Bergen versus $272 in Halden. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Bergen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,190 in Halden versus $2,658 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 21% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.