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: $2,948 in Bergen versus $2,417 in Hamar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,449 in Bergen versus $3,870 in Hamar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,950 in Bergen versus $5,324 in Hamar.

Living in Bergen is roughly 22% more expensive than in Hamar, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 115% above, Hamar 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.70 NOK 233

$21.27 NOK 200

16.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$139 NOK 1,311

$130 NOK 1,221

7.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.86 NOK 149

$16.05 NOK 151

-1.18%

Cappuccino

$5.68 NOK 53.5

$6.13 NOK 57.7

-7.34%

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

$5.31 NOK 50.0

$4.14 NOK 39.05

28.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 NOK 42.69

$3.35 NOK 31.56

35.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.85 NOK 121

$12.03 NOK 113

6.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.60 NOK 99.9

$8.43 NOK 79.4

25.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.33 NOK 21.95

$2.51 NOK 23.66

-7.17%

White Bread (500g)

$3.90 NOK 36.77

$3.03 NOK 28.54

28.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.57 NOK 33.67

$2.13 NOK 20.04

67.61%

Eggs

$6.62 NOK 62.4

$5.90 NOK 55.6

12.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.02 NOK 142

$11.32 NOK 107

32.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.61 NOK 166

$12.64 NOK 119

39.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$35.64 NOK 336

$29.76 NOK 280

19.76%

Apples (1kg)

$4.02 NOK 37.88

$3.40 NOK 32.05

18.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 NOK 26.64

$2.66 NOK 25.06

6.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.67 NOK 34.54

$3.18 NOK 29.97

15.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.50 NOK 51.8

$5.98 NOK 56.3

-8.03%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 NOK 23.99

$2.51 NOK 23.69

1.59%

Onion (1kg)

$3.30 NOK 31.10

$2.54 NOK 23.94

29.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.94 NOK 27.70

$2.13 NOK 20.03

38.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 NOK 17.95

$2.02 NOK 19.06

-5.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.18 NOK 171

$19.26 NOK 181

-5.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.23 NOK 172

$16.86 NOK 159

8.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.52 NOK 33.20

$3.61 NOK 34.01

-2.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 NOK 41.32

$4.37 NOK 41.22

0.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.12 NOK 48.20

$4.68 NOK 44.10

9.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.2 NOK 850

$69.9 NOK 658

29.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.62 NOK 119

$12.00 NOK 113

5.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 NOK 18.43

$1.86 NOK 17.52

5.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$74.5 NOK 702

$71.9 NOK 677

3.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.37 NOK 22.33

$2.36 NOK 22.25

0.42%

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

$49.1K NOK 462.5K

$48.5K NOK 457.0K

1.20%

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

$44.2K NOK 416.9K

$46.2K NOK 434.9K

-4.13%

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

$288 NOK 2,717

$227 NOK 2,137

27.14%

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

$31.45 NOK 296

$32.60 NOK 307

-3.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.6 NOK 741

$56.7 NOK 534

38.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.85 NOK 432

$57.8 NOK 544

-20.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$43.68 NOK 412

$30.57 NOK 288

42.89%

Cinema Ticket

$19.64 NOK 185

$19.33 NOK 182

1.60%

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

$245 NOK 2,309

$217 NOK 2,044

13.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K NOK 115.2K

$16.0K NOK 150.5K

-23.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 NOK 1,008

$101 NOK 950

6.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 NOK 511

$60.8 NOK 572

-10.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 NOK 1,181

$133 NOK 1,254

-5.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$170 NOK 1,602

$105 NOK 991

61.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 NOK 14.1K

$1,235 NOK 11.6K

21.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,104 NOK 10.4K

$882 NOK 8,309

25.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,481 NOK 23.4K

$1,635 NOK 15.4K

51.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,780 NOK 16.8K

$1,540 NOK 14.5K

15.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,757 NOK 73.1K

$4,449 NOK 41.9K

74.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,967 NOK 46.8K

$3,468 NOK 32.7K

43.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,712 NOK 44.4K

$4,256 NOK 40.1K

10.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.31

4.98

6.63%

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

Last update for Bergen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Hamar: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,496 in Bergen and $1,235 in Hamar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 11% 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 $130 in Hamar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $534 vs $455 per month, with Hamar 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 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 22% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 11% 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 $1,235 in Hamar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $245 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 17% higher in Bergen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,417 in Hamar versus $2,948 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 22% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.