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: $2,688 in Bergen versus $2,155 in Halden.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,981 in Bergen versus $3,640 in Halden.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,273 in Bergen versus $5,126 in Halden.

Living in Bergen is roughly 25% more expensive than Halden, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 101% above, Halden 61% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.64 NOK 239

$20.21 NOK 188

26.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 NOK 948

$100.0 NOK 932

1.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.93 NOK 176

$12.32 NOK 115

53.65%

Cappuccino

$5.60 NOK 52.2

$4.53 NOK 42.25

23.62%

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

$3.11 NOK 28.95

$3.50 NOK 32.59

-11.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 NOK 27.05

$3.01 NOK 28.03

-3.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.69 NOK 109

$9.75 NOK 90.9

19.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.43 NOK 87.9

$8.87 NOK 82.6

6.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.75 NOK 25.64

$2.27 NOK 21.16

21.15%

White Bread (500g)

$3.30 NOK 30.73

$3.02 NOK 28.12

9.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.81 NOK 26.16

$2.99 NOK 27.91

-6.02%

Eggs

$4.86 NOK 45.27

$4.25 NOK 39.64

14.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.19 NOK 132

$12.16 NOK 113

16.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.59 NOK 145

$14.71 NOK 137

5.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.20 NOK 263

$31.79 NOK 296

-11.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.87 NOK 36.11

$3.53 NOK 32.87

9.63%

Banana (1kg)

$3.06 NOK 28.54

$2.50 NOK 23.26

22.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.61 NOK 33.64

$3.30 NOK 30.78

9.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.57 NOK 51.9

$4.47 NOK 41.62

24.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.70 NOK 25.18

$2.43 NOK 22.67

11.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.86 NOK 26.65

$2.62 NOK 24.46

9.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 NOK 25.89

$2.77 NOK 25.86

0.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 NOK 19.77

$1.64 NOK 15.29

29.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.39 NOK 153

$14.57 NOK 136

12.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.35 NOK 171

$17.06 NOK 159

7.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.27 NOK 30.52

$2.66 NOK 24.83

22.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 NOK 40.95

$3.83 NOK 35.67

14.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.43 NOK 41.24

$4.32 NOK 40.27

2.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.3 NOK 758

$59.9 NOK 558

35.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.40 NOK 144

$10.24 NOK 95.4

50.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.29 NOK 21.30

$1.38 NOK 12.85

65.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$73.1 NOK 681

$42.09 NOK 392

73.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 NOK 20.02

$2.18 NOK 20.36

-1.38%

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

$35.0K NOK 326.4K

$36.1K NOK 336.5K

-2.99%

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

$42.3K NOK 394.4K

$42.9K NOK 400.0K

-1.40%

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

$245 NOK 2,284

$303 NOK 2,829

-19.27%

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

$38.87 NOK 362

$29.81 NOK 278

30.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.9 NOK 605

$40.04 NOK 373

62.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.3 NOK 515

$55.0 NOK 513

0.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.54 NOK 369

$35.13 NOK 327

12.55%

Cinema Ticket

$20.55 NOK 192

$15.79 NOK 147

30.15%

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

$279 NOK 2,597

$272 NOK 2,539

2.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K NOK 120.8K

$14.5K NOK 135.0K

-10.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.8 NOK 837

$94.3 NOK 879

-4.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.2 NOK 515

$65.7 NOK 613

-15.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 NOK 1,061

$126 NOK 1,171

-9.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 NOK 1,340

$123 NOK 1,144

17.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 NOK 12.0K

$918 NOK 8,557

40.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$967 NOK 9,014

$651 NOK 6,063

48.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,994 NOK 18.6K

$1,954 NOK 18.2K

2.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 NOK 14.7K

$1,600 NOK 14.9K

-1.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,978 NOK 74.4K

$6,002 NOK 55.9K

32.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 NOK 46.6K

$4,592 NOK 42.8K

8.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,447 NOK 41.4K

$3,565 NOK 33.2K

24.76%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Halden: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,287 in Bergen and $918 in Halden. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 25% 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 $489 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 25% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Bergen pays 25% 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: $1,287 in Bergen versus $918 in Halden. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $279 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 8% higher in Bergen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,155 in Halden versus $2,688 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 25% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.