Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Hamar Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Hamar

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,688 in Bergen versus $2,370 in Hamar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,981 in Bergen versus $3,691 in Hamar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,273 in Bergen versus $5,011 in Hamar.

Living in Bergen is roughly 13% more expensive than Hamar, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 101% above, Hamar 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.64 NOK 239

$25.45 NOK 237

0.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 NOK 948

$121 NOK 1,128

-15.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.93 NOK 176

$14.88 NOK 139

27.22%

Cappuccino

$5.60 NOK 52.2

$5.05 NOK 47.02

10.89%

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

$3.11 NOK 28.95

$4.10 NOK 38.25

-24.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 NOK 27.05

$3.18 NOK 29.62

-8.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.69 NOK 109

$12.08 NOK 113

-3.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.43 NOK 87.9

$7.94 NOK 74.0

18.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.75 NOK 25.64

$2.07 NOK 19.32

32.85%

White Bread (500g)

$3.30 NOK 30.73

$2.87 NOK 26.79

14.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.81 NOK 26.16

$2.07 NOK 19.30

35.75%

Eggs

$4.86 NOK 45.27

$4.97 NOK 46.29

-2.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.19 NOK 132

$10.69 NOK 99.6

32.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.59 NOK 145

$11.99 NOK 112

30.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.20 NOK 263

$31.44 NOK 293

-10.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.87 NOK 36.11

$3.48 NOK 32.45

11.21%

Banana (1kg)

$3.06 NOK 28.54

$2.61 NOK 24.32

17.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.61 NOK 33.64

$2.88 NOK 26.81

25.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.57 NOK 51.9

$5.16 NOK 48.05

7.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.70 NOK 25.18

$2.39 NOK 22.24

12.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.86 NOK 26.65

$2.45 NOK 22.84

16.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 NOK 25.89

$2.01 NOK 18.73

38.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 NOK 19.77

$1.94 NOK 18.10

9.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.39 NOK 153

$16.88 NOK 157

-2.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.35 NOK 171

$18.77 NOK 175

-2.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.27 NOK 30.52

$3.40 NOK 31.68

-3.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 NOK 40.95

$4.16 NOK 38.80

5.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.43 NOK 41.24

$4.48 NOK 41.76

-1.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.3 NOK 758

$65.2 NOK 607

24.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.40 NOK 144

$10.20 NOK 95.1

50.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.29 NOK 21.30

$1.40 NOK 13.07

63.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$73.1 NOK 681

$42.35 NOK 395

72.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 NOK 20.02

$2.10 NOK 19.60

2.38%

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

$35.0K NOK 326.4K

$36.9K NOK 344.0K

-5.09%

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

$42.3K NOK 394.4K

$43.4K NOK 404.4K

-2.48%

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

$245 NOK 2,284

$215 NOK 2,007

13.76%

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

$38.87 NOK 362

$31.45 NOK 293

23.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.9 NOK 605

$56.0 NOK 521

16.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.3 NOK 515

$55.9 NOK 521

-1.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.54 NOK 369

$27.85 NOK 260

41.97%

Cinema Ticket

$20.55 NOK 192

$17.91 NOK 167

14.74%

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

$279 NOK 2,597

$199 NOK 1,856

39.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K NOK 120.8K

$14.9K NOK 138.5K

-12.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.8 NOK 837

$105 NOK 982

-14.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.2 NOK 515

$61.6 NOK 574

-10.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 NOK 1,061

$124 NOK 1,157

-8.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 NOK 1,340

$99.8 NOK 930

43.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 NOK 12.0K

$1,168 NOK 10.9K

10.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$967 NOK 9,014

$847 NOK 7,898

14.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,994 NOK 18.6K

$1,489 NOK 13.9K

33.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 NOK 14.7K

$1,435 NOK 13.4K

9.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,978 NOK 74.4K

$4,391 NOK 40.9K

81.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 NOK 46.6K

$3,528 NOK 32.9K

41.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,447 NOK 41.4K

$4,348 NOK 40.5K

2.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.85

5.08

-4.53%

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

Last update for Bergen: April 25, 2026

Last update for Hamar: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,287 in Bergen and $1,168 in Hamar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 2% 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 $121 in Hamar. Groceries flip the comparison at $489 vs $441, with Hamar cheaper for home cooking.

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 cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Bergen pays 2% 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 $1,168 in Hamar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $279 in Bergen versus $199 in Hamar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Bergen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Hamar is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Hamar 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 Hamar 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 Hamar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.