Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Harstad Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Harstad

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,594 in Bergen versus $2,485 in Harstad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,948 in Bergen versus $3,699 in Harstad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,302 in Bergen versus $4,912 in Harstad.

Living in Bergen is roughly 4% more expensive than Harstad, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 94% above, Harstad 85% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.44 NOK 237

$13.48 NOK 125

88.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 NOK 940

$123 NOK 1,145

-17.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.61 NOK 182

$15.11 NOK 140

29.78%

Cappuccino

$5.50 NOK 51.2

$5.99 NOK 55.7

-8.18%

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

$3.13 NOK 29.10

$3.44 NOK 31.99

-9.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 NOK 28.17

$3.07 NOK 28.55

-1.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.80 NOK 110

$11.11 NOK 103

6.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.60 NOK 89.3

$11.20 NOK 104

-14.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.65 NOK 24.65

$2.33 NOK 21.67

13.73%

White Bread (500g)

$3.31 NOK 30.83

$3.16 NOK 29.38

4.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.91 NOK 27.11

$3.10 NOK 28.84

-6.13%

Eggs

$4.83 NOK 44.96

$4.28 NOK 39.79

12.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 NOK 130

$10.56 NOK 98.2

32.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.71 NOK 146

$15.15 NOK 141

3.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.27 NOK 263

$38.04 NOK 354

-25.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.78 NOK 35.17

$3.88 NOK 36.12

-2.58%

Banana (1kg)

$3.09 NOK 28.72

$2.77 NOK 25.80

11.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.61 NOK 33.55

$3.52 NOK 32.72

2.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.57 NOK 51.8

$4.64 NOK 43.16

20.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.71 NOK 25.24

$1.99 NOK 18.54

36.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.75 NOK 25.59

$2.05 NOK 19.10

34.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 NOK 26.07

$2.68 NOK 24.91

4.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 NOK 19.60

$1.76 NOK 16.40

19.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.40 NOK 153

$15.25 NOK 142

7.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.27 NOK 170

$16.36 NOK 152

11.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.31 NOK 30.80

$3.62 NOK 33.66

-8.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 NOK 40.14

$4.53 NOK 42.14

-4.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.51 NOK 41.91

$6.03 NOK 56.1

-25.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.4 NOK 757

$79.3 NOK 737

2.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.23 NOK 142

$12.82 NOK 119

18.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.23 NOK 20.75

$1.44 NOK 13.41

54.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$73.6 NOK 684

$50.5 NOK 470

45.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 NOK 19.90

$2.13 NOK 19.78

0.47%

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

$34.9K NOK 324.7K

$33.5K NOK 311.9K

4.10%

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

$43.1K NOK 400.6K

$30.4K NOK 282.3K

41.89%

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

$240 NOK 2,227

$159 NOK 1,480

50.47%

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

$38.14 NOK 355

$33.50 NOK 312

13.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.2 NOK 606

$76.7 NOK 714

-15.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.7 NOK 509

$48.47 NOK 451

12.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.54 NOK 368

$35.46 NOK 330

11.51%

Cinema Ticket

$20.28 NOK 189

$16.65 NOK 155

21.80%

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

$280 NOK 2,606

$336 NOK 3,125

-16.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K NOK 118.2K

$5,048 NOK 47.0K

151.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.3 NOK 849

$77.2 NOK 718

18.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.5 NOK 516

$32.68 NOK 304

69.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 NOK 1,037

$117 NOK 1,089

-4.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$146 NOK 1,358

$135 NOK 1,260

7.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,308 NOK 12.2K

$1,331 NOK 12.4K

-1.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$971 NOK 9,034

$1,021 NOK 9,498

-4.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 NOK 19.0K

$2,200 NOK 20.5K

-6.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 NOK 14.3K

$1,443 NOK 13.4K

6.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,924 NOK 73.7K

$5,987 NOK 55.7K

32.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,854 NOK 45.1K

$4,636 NOK 43.1K

4.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,333 NOK 40.3K

$3,563 NOK 33.1K

21.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.85

4.27

13.58%

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

Last update for Bergen: April 21, 2026

Last update for Harstad: April 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,308 in Bergen and $1,331 in Harstad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 22% 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: $101 in Bergen vs $123 in Harstad. Groceries flip the comparison at $487 vs $481, with Harstad 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 Harstad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Harstad is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 4% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Bergen pays 22% 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: $1,308 in Bergen versus $1,331 in Harstad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $280 in Bergen versus $336 in Harstad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Bergen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Harstad is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Harstad 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 Harstad 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 Harstad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.