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: $2,622 in Bergen versus $2,374 in Hamar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,948 in Bergen versus $3,743 in Hamar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,274 in Bergen versus $5,112 in Hamar.

Living in Bergen is roughly 10% more expensive than Hamar, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 95% above, Hamar 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.22 NOK 239

$25.11 NOK 238

0.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 NOK 965

$123 NOK 1,165

-17.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.97 NOK 180

$15.06 NOK 143

25.96%

Cappuccino

$5.55 NOK 52.6

$5.01 NOK 47.54

10.78%

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

$3.17 NOK 30.10

$4.22 NOK 40.03

-24.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 NOK 28.56

$3.25 NOK 30.86

-7.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.86 NOK 113

$12.22 NOK 116

-2.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.58 NOK 90.9

$8.22 NOK 78.1

16.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.69 NOK 25.50

$2.10 NOK 19.95

28.10%

White Bread (500g)

$3.44 NOK 32.66

$2.99 NOK 28.38

15.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.88 NOK 27.34

$2.04 NOK 19.36

41.18%

Eggs

$5.03 NOK 47.75

$4.95 NOK 46.99

1.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 NOK 132

$10.38 NOK 98.5

34.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.99 NOK 152

$11.90 NOK 113

34.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.79 NOK 264

$30.60 NOK 290

-9.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.79 NOK 35.95

$3.58 NOK 33.97

5.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.95 NOK 27.98

$2.53 NOK 23.97

16.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.59 NOK 34.03

$2.90 NOK 27.50

23.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.70 NOK 54.1

$5.08 NOK 48.27

12.20%

Potato (1kg)

$2.62 NOK 24.85

$2.37 NOK 22.46

10.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.87 NOK 27.29

$2.36 NOK 22.38

21.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.91 NOK 27.63

$2.03 NOK 19.31

43.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 NOK 20.34

$1.95 NOK 18.54

9.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.78 NOK 159

$17.52 NOK 166

-4.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.96 NOK 170

$18.70 NOK 177

-3.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.44 NOK 32.68

$3.48 NOK 33.02

-1.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 NOK 40.97

$4.18 NOK 39.66

3.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.44 NOK 42.14

$4.56 NOK 43.25

-2.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.0 NOK 759

$64.1 NOK 609

24.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.23 NOK 145

$9.94 NOK 94.3

53.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.27 NOK 21.55

$1.39 NOK 13.16

63.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$72.5 NOK 688

$42.55 NOK 404

70.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 NOK 20.93

$2.12 NOK 20.16

4.25%

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

$35.9K NOK 340.3K

$36.3K NOK 344.7K

-1.29%

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

$42.9K NOK 407.0K

$42.7K NOK 405.3K

0.41%

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

$243 NOK 2,311

$217 NOK 2,063

11.99%

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

$38.80 NOK 368

$30.76 NOK 292

26.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.3 NOK 620

$56.4 NOK 536

15.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 NOK 514

$56.5 NOK 536

-4.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.54 NOK 375

$27.99 NOK 266

41.26%

Cinema Ticket

$20.20 NOK 192

$18.07 NOK 172

11.79%

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

$282 NOK 2,677

$206 NOK 1,960

36.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K NOK 119.9K

$14.8K NOK 140.2K

-14.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.9 NOK 863

$104 NOK 985

-12.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 NOK 531

$60.2 NOK 572

-7.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 NOK 1,064

$125 NOK 1,185

-10.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$147 NOK 1,391

$99.8 NOK 947

46.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 NOK 12.3K

$1,171 NOK 11.1K

10.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$973 NOK 9,238

$820 NOK 7,783

18.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,994 NOK 18.9K

$1,528 NOK 14.5K

30.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,568 NOK 14.9K

$1,423 NOK 13.5K

10.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,844 NOK 74.4K

$6,022 NOK 57.2K

30.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,587 NOK 43.5K

$4,514 NOK 42.8K

1.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,531 NOK 43.0K

$4,257 NOK 40.4K

6.44%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Hamar: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,295 in Bergen and $1,171 in Hamar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 6% 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 $123 in Hamar. Groceries flip the comparison at $490 vs $438, 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 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Bergen pays 6% 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: $1,295 in Bergen versus $1,171 in Hamar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $282 in Bergen versus $206 in Hamar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Bergen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,374 in Hamar versus $2,622 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.

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 10% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.