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: $2,612 in Bergen versus $2,467 in Harstad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,989 in Bergen versus $3,691 in Harstad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,367 in Bergen versus $4,916 in Harstad.

Living in Bergen is roughly 6% more expensive than Harstad, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 96% above, Harstad 85% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.50 NOK 242

$13.36 NOK 127

90.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 NOK 953

$122 NOK 1,155

-17.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.48 NOK 184

$15.42 NOK 146

26.33%

Cappuccino

$5.59 NOK 53.0

$5.97 NOK 56.5

-6.37%

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

$3.22 NOK 30.50

$3.46 NOK 32.77

-6.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 NOK 28.83

$3.01 NOK 28.49

1.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.42 NOK 108

$11.30 NOK 107

1.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.86 NOK 93.4

$11.19 NOK 106

-11.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.63 NOK 24.96

$2.32 NOK 21.93

13.36%

White Bread (500g)

$3.41 NOK 32.29

$3.16 NOK 29.96

7.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.90 NOK 27.49

$2.96 NOK 27.99

-2.03%

Eggs

$4.99 NOK 47.31

$4.19 NOK 39.68

19.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.94 NOK 132

$10.48 NOK 99.2

33.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.90 NOK 151

$15.43 NOK 146

3.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.89 NOK 264

$37.07 NOK 351

-24.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.89 NOK 36.87

$4.03 NOK 38.13

-3.47%

Banana (1kg)

$3.08 NOK 29.18

$2.78 NOK 26.36

10.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.62 NOK 34.34

$3.48 NOK 32.96

4.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.76 NOK 54.6

$4.60 NOK 43.62

25.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 NOK 24.99

$1.97 NOK 18.62

34.01%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 NOK 27.32

$2.05 NOK 19.39

40.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 NOK 27.41

$2.63 NOK 24.93

9.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 NOK 20.31

$1.76 NOK 16.66

21.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.57 NOK 157

$14.68 NOK 139

12.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.71 NOK 168

$15.93 NOK 151

11.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.32 NOK 31.44

$3.53 NOK 33.46

-5.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 NOK 40.00

$4.53 NOK 42.88

-6.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.47 NOK 42.30

$5.96 NOK 56.4

-25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.3 NOK 751

$80.9 NOK 766

-2.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.50 NOK 147

$12.74 NOK 121

21.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.23 NOK 21.12

$1.38 NOK 13.05

61.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$73.3 NOK 695

$51.7 NOK 489

41.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 NOK 20.94

$2.11 NOK 19.98

4.74%

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

$35.1K NOK 332.9K

$33.2K NOK 314.9K

5.72%

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

$43.4K NOK 411.2K

$29.8K NOK 282.2K

45.72%

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

$244 NOK 2,312

$160 NOK 1,519

52.27%

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

$38.98 NOK 369

$33.10 NOK 314

17.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.7 NOK 612

$76.8 NOK 728

-15.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 NOK 514

$48.85 NOK 463

10.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.42 NOK 383

$35.27 NOK 334

14.60%

Cinema Ticket

$19.90 NOK 189

$16.38 NOK 155

21.49%

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

$288 NOK 2,730

$334 NOK 3,160

-13.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K NOK 121.9K

$5,051 NOK 47.8K

154.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.3 NOK 846

$75.2 NOK 712

18.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.2 NOK 532

$33.37 NOK 316

68.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 NOK 1,066

$116 NOK 1,099

-3.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$147 NOK 1,390

$133 NOK 1,259

10.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 NOK 12.0K

$1,322 NOK 12.5K

-4.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$979 NOK 9,277

$998 NOK 9,455

-1.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,054 NOK 19.5K

$2,177 NOK 20.6K

-5.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 NOK 14.7K

$1,456 NOK 13.8K

6.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,700 NOK 72.9K

$5,877 NOK 55.7K

31.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,716 NOK 44.7K

$4,180 NOK 39.6K

12.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,514 NOK 42.8K

$3,523 NOK 33.4K

28.13%

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: June 15, 2026

Last update for Harstad: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,268 in Bergen and $1,322 in Harstad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 28% 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 $122 in Harstad. Groceries flip the comparison at $490 vs $477, 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, Sport & Entertainment. The 6% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Bergen pays 28% 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: $1,268 in Bergen versus $1,322 in Harstad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $288 in Bergen versus $334 in Harstad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% 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 6% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.