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: $2,948 in Bergen versus $2,626 in Harstad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,449 in Bergen versus $3,908 in Harstad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,950 in Bergen versus $5,189 in Harstad.

Living in Bergen is roughly 12% more expensive than in Harstad, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 115% above, Harstad 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.70 NOK 233

$14.17 NOK 134

74.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$139 NOK 1,311

$109 NOK 1,027

27.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.86 NOK 149

$16.17 NOK 152

-1.92%

Cappuccino

$5.68 NOK 53.5

$6.56 NOK 61.9

-13.41%

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

$5.31 NOK 50.0

$3.84 NOK 36.18

38.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 NOK 42.69

$3.18 NOK 29.98

42.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.85 NOK 121

$12.72 NOK 120

1.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.60 NOK 99.9

$13.91 NOK 131

-23.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.33 NOK 21.95

$2.58 NOK 24.32

-9.69%

White Bread (500g)

$3.90 NOK 36.77

$3.48 NOK 32.77

12.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.57 NOK 33.67

$3.30 NOK 31.06

8.18%

Eggs

$6.62 NOK 62.4

$4.58 NOK 43.18

44.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.02 NOK 142

$11.19 NOK 105

34.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.61 NOK 166

$15.09 NOK 142

16.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$35.64 NOK 336

$42.47 NOK 400

-16.08%

Apples (1kg)

$4.02 NOK 37.88

$4.24 NOK 39.94

-5.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 NOK 26.64

$2.94 NOK 27.73

-3.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.67 NOK 34.54

$3.82 NOK 35.95

-3.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.50 NOK 51.8

$4.79 NOK 45.12

14.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 NOK 23.99

$2.16 NOK 20.37

18.06%

Onion (1kg)

$3.30 NOK 31.10

$2.17 NOK 20.48

52.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.94 NOK 27.70

$3.02 NOK 28.50

-2.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 NOK 17.95

$2.41 NOK 22.71

-20.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.18 NOK 171

$16.82 NOK 158

8.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.23 NOK 172

$15.81 NOK 149

15.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.52 NOK 33.20

$4.04 NOK 38.03

-12.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 NOK 41.32

$4.98 NOK 46.97

-11.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.12 NOK 48.20

$6.22 NOK 58.6

-17.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.2 NOK 850

$84.4 NOK 796

6.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.62 NOK 119

$16.02 NOK 151

-21.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 NOK 18.43

$1.84 NOK 17.32

6.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$74.5 NOK 702

$56.9 NOK 536

30.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.37 NOK 22.33

$2.25 NOK 21.20

5.33%

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

$49.1K NOK 462.5K

$37.6K NOK 354.3K

30.55%

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

$44.2K NOK 416.9K

$32.0K NOK 301.4K

38.31%

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

$288 NOK 2,717

$168 NOK 1,582

71.76%

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

$31.45 NOK 296

$34.80 NOK 328

-9.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.6 NOK 741

$81.9 NOK 771

-3.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.85 NOK 432

$51.1 NOK 482

-10.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$43.68 NOK 412

$37.78 NOK 356

15.62%

Cinema Ticket

$19.64 NOK 185

$17.55 NOK 165

11.91%

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

$245 NOK 2,309

$246 NOK 2,319

-0.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K NOK 115.2K

$5,377 NOK 50.7K

127.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 NOK 1,008

$68.7 NOK 647

55.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 NOK 511

$36.02 NOK 339

50.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 NOK 1,181

$124 NOK 1,170

0.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$170 NOK 1,602

$168 NOK 1,580

1.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 NOK 14.1K

$1,387 NOK 13.1K

7.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,104 NOK 10.4K

$1,092 NOK 10.3K

1.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,481 NOK 23.4K

$2,321 NOK 21.9K

6.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,780 NOK 16.8K

$1,530 NOK 14.4K

16.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,757 NOK 73.1K

$6,192 NOK 58.3K

25.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,967 NOK 46.8K

$4,126 NOK 38.9K

20.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,712 NOK 44.4K

$3,607 NOK 34.0K

30.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.31

6.20%

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

Last update for Bergen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Harstad: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,496 in Bergen and $1,387 in Harstad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 31% 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 $109 in Harstad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $534 vs $520 per month, with Harstad 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 Harstad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Harstad is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear. The 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 31% 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 $1,387 in Harstad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $245 in Bergen versus $246 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 12% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.