Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Hamar

For one person, living is cheaper in Hamar: $2,461 a month against $3,093 in Bergen, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Bergen
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Bergen Living Index
118

Cost of Living Index in Hamar
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Hamar Living Index

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Bergen

🇳🇴 Norway

$3,093

/mo nomad

Hamar

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,461

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bergen and in Hamar

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Bergen and in Hamar actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,093 in Bergen versus $2,461 in Hamar.

Bergen $3,093
Hamar $2,461

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,619 in Bergen versus $3,857 in Hamar.

Bergen $4,619
Hamar $3,857

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,145 in Bergen versus $5,253 in Hamar.

Bergen $6,145
Hamar $5,253

Living in Bergen is roughly 26% more expensive than in Hamar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 127% above, Hamar 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.85 NOK 220

$21.67 NOK 200

10.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$141 NOK 1,302

$129 NOK 1,191

9.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.30 NOK 150

$16.21 NOK 149

0.56%

Cappuccino

$5.62 NOK 51.8

$5.89 NOK 54.3

-4.58%

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

$5.19 NOK 47.85

$4.52 NOK 41.67

14.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.57 NOK 42.13

$3.39 NOK 31.23

34.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.92 NOK 119

$12.04 NOK 111

7.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.71 NOK 98.7

$8.70 NOK 80.2

23.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.35 NOK 21.62

$2.56 NOK 23.60

-8.20%

White Bread (500g)

$3.83 NOK 35.32

$3.10 NOK 28.60

23.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.45 NOK 31.77

$2.10 NOK 19.32

64.29%

Eggs

$6.67 NOK 61.5

$6.23 NOK 57.5

7.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.89 NOK 137

$11.12 NOK 102

33.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.88 NOK 165

$12.62 NOK 116

41.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$37.65 NOK 347

$31.47 NOK 290

19.64%

Apples (1kg)

$4.10 NOK 37.80

$3.36 NOK 30.98

22.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.80 NOK 25.82

$2.77 NOK 25.55

1.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.70 NOK 34.11

$3.08 NOK 28.43

20.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.54 NOK 51.1

$6.17 NOK 56.9

-10.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.46 NOK 22.72

$2.50 NOK 23.08

-1.60%

Onion (1kg)

$3.41 NOK 31.42

$2.61 NOK 24.08

30.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.08 NOK 28.37

$2.19 NOK 20.23

40.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 NOK 16.88

$2.01 NOK 18.51

-8.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.65 NOK 163

$19.50 NOK 180

-9.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.73 NOK 182

$16.93 NOK 156

16.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.83 NOK 35.28

$3.55 NOK 32.77

7.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 NOK 40.91

$4.38 NOK 40.37

1.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.32 NOK 49.07

$4.66 NOK 42.91

14.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.0 NOK 820

$69.2 NOK 638

28.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.82 NOK 118

$12.31 NOK 113

4.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 NOK 18.00

$1.93 NOK 17.80

1.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$74.9 NOK 690

$72.8 NOK 671

2.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.41 NOK 22.18

$2.39 NOK 22.02

0.84%

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

$50.1K NOK 461.4K

$49.6K NOK 457.0K

0.97%

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

$44.8K NOK 412.6K

$46.3K NOK 426.5K

-3.27%

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

$292 NOK 2,688

$230 NOK 2,120

26.76%

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

$33.90 NOK 312

$34.38 NOK 317

-1.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.1 NOK 784

$55.1 NOK 507

54.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.43 NOK 446

$59.1 NOK 545

-18.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.06 NOK 406

$29.46 NOK 272

49.56%

Cinema Ticket

$19.28 NOK 178

$20.16 NOK 186

-4.37%

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

$251 NOK 2,312

$217 NOK 1,997

15.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K NOK 110.4K

$16.1K NOK 148.0K

-25.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$108 NOK 992

$104 NOK 960

3.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 NOK 517

$60.5 NOK 557

-7.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 NOK 1,107

$136 NOK 1,254

-11.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$166 NOK 1,529

$106 NOK 975

56.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,627 NOK 15.0K

$1,270 NOK 11.7K

28.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,283 NOK 11.8K

$884 NOK 8,149

45.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,668 NOK 24.6K

$1,595 NOK 14.7K

67.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,928 NOK 17.8K

$1,517 NOK 14.0K

27.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,228 NOK 75.8K

$4,359 NOK 40.2K

88.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,382 NOK 49.6K

$3,609 NOK 33.3K

49.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,732 NOK 43.6K

$4,415 NOK 40.7K

7.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.27

4.94

6.68%

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

Last update for Bergen: October 26, 2026

Last update for Hamar: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Bergen

$1.3K 41.5%

Hamar

$884 35.9% 31.1% $399

Groceries & Markets

Bergen

$545 17.6%

Hamar

$463 18.8% 15% $82

Eating Out

Bergen

$432 14%

Hamar

$402 16.3% 7% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bergen

$411 13.3%

Hamar

$319 13% 22.2% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Bergen

$202 6.5%

Hamar

$183 7.4% 9.6% $19

Getting Around

Bergen

$133 4.3%

Hamar

$110 4.5% 17.4% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Bergen

$87 2.8%

Hamar

$99 4% 14.3% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,627 in Bergen and $1,270 in Hamar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 7% 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: $141 in Bergen vs $129 in Hamar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $545 vs $463 per month, with Hamar cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇴 Bergen

🇳🇴 Hamar

🕒 Local time

11:18 11:18 AM

Same time as Bergen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

292,482

33,059

💱 Currency

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 NOK = 10.85 USD

100 NOK = 9.72 EUR

100 NOK = 10.85 USD

100 NOK = 9.72 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Bergen Hamar 320 km

From you

Bergen
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Hamar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hamar is about 20% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 7% 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: $1,627 in Bergen versus $1,270 in Hamar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $251 in Bergen versus $217 in Hamar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Bergen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,461 in Hamar versus $3,093 in Bergen, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Hamar but tight or insufficient in Bergen. The gap between the two cities makes Hamar the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Hamar 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.