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: $2,948 in Bergen versus $2,628 in Halden.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,449 in Bergen versus $4,035 in Halden.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,950 in Bergen versus $5,441 in Halden.

Living in Bergen is roughly 12% more expensive than in Halden, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 115% above, Halden 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.70 NOK 233

$21.40 NOK 202

15.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$139 NOK 1,311

$109 NOK 1,025

27.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.86 NOK 149

$12.62 NOK 119

25.67%

Cappuccino

$5.68 NOK 53.5

$4.93 NOK 46.47

15.21%

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

$5.31 NOK 50.0

$3.73 NOK 35.14

42.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 NOK 42.69

$3.16 NOK 29.77

43.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.85 NOK 121

$10.47 NOK 98.6

22.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.60 NOK 99.9

$9.93 NOK 93.5

6.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.33 NOK 21.95

$2.40 NOK 22.61

-2.92%

White Bread (500g)

$3.90 NOK 36.77

$4.12 NOK 38.85

-5.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.57 NOK 33.67

$4.34 NOK 40.93

-17.74%

Eggs

$6.62 NOK 62.4

$4.85 NOK 45.66

36.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.02 NOK 142

$14.83 NOK 140

1.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.61 NOK 166

$15.49 NOK 146

13.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$35.64 NOK 336

$30.80 NOK 290

15.71%

Apples (1kg)

$4.02 NOK 37.88

$3.41 NOK 32.11

17.89%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 NOK 26.64

$2.64 NOK 24.88

7.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.67 NOK 34.54

$3.61 NOK 33.98

1.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.50 NOK 51.8

$4.12 NOK 38.82

33.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 NOK 23.99

$2.62 NOK 24.66

-2.67%

Onion (1kg)

$3.30 NOK 31.10

$2.91 NOK 27.41

13.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.94 NOK 27.70

$3.18 NOK 29.97

-7.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 NOK 17.95

$2.12 NOK 19.99

-9.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.18 NOK 171

$15.60 NOK 147

16.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.23 NOK 172

$17.16 NOK 162

6.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.52 NOK 33.20

$2.76 NOK 26.04

27.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 NOK 41.32

$4.01 NOK 37.74

9.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.12 NOK 48.20

$4.94 NOK 46.56

3.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.2 NOK 850

$44.93 NOK 423

100.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.62 NOK 119

$12.30 NOK 116

2.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 NOK 18.43

$1.84 NOK 17.32

6.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$74.5 NOK 702

$70.1 NOK 660

6.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.37 NOK 22.33

$2.17 NOK 20.47

9.22%

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

$49.1K NOK 462.5K

$50.2K NOK 472.6K

-2.14%

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

$44.2K NOK 416.9K

$45.7K NOK 431.0K

-3.28%

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

$288 NOK 2,717

$425 NOK 4,001

-32.08%

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

$31.45 NOK 296

$31.85 NOK 300

-1.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.6 NOK 741

$57.0 NOK 537

37.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.85 NOK 432

$58.1 NOK 547

-21.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$43.68 NOK 412

$31.86 NOK 300

37.10%

Cinema Ticket

$19.64 NOK 185

$16.72 NOK 158

17.46%

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

$245 NOK 2,309

$244 NOK 2,301

0.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K NOK 115.2K

$15.8K NOK 148.5K

-22.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 NOK 1,008

$100 NOK 944

6.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 NOK 511

$62.7 NOK 591

-13.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 NOK 1,181

$138 NOK 1,304

-9.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$170 NOK 1,602

$131 NOK 1,233

29.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 NOK 14.1K

$961 NOK 9,055

55.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,104 NOK 10.4K

$858 NOK 8,082

28.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,481 NOK 23.4K

$1,943 NOK 18.3K

27.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,780 NOK 16.8K

$1,691 NOK 15.9K

5.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,757 NOK 73.1K

$2,168 NOK 20.4K

257.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,967 NOK 46.8K

$1,923 NOK 18.1K

158.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,712 NOK 44.4K

$3,561 NOK 33.6K

32.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.31

4.75

11.79%

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

Last update for Bergen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Halden: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,496 in Bergen and $961 in Halden. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 32% 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: $139 in Bergen vs $109 in Halden for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $534 vs $492 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, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 32% 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: $1,496 in Bergen versus $961 in Halden. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $245 in Bergen versus $244 in Halden. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Bergen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,628 in Halden versus $2,948 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 12% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.