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: $2,658 in Bergen versus $2,409 in Harstad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,013 in Bergen versus $3,726 in Harstad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,368 in Bergen versus $5,042 in Harstad.

Living in Bergen is roughly 10% more expensive than in Harstad, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 100% above, Harstad 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.18 NOK 239

$13.75 NOK 130

83.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 NOK 970

$121 NOK 1,147

-15.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.35 NOK 183

$14.90 NOK 141

29.87%

Cappuccino

$5.34 NOK 50.7

$6.15 NOK 58.3

-13.17%

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

$3.24 NOK 30.68

$3.48 NOK 33.02

-6.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 NOK 27.47

$2.99 NOK 28.39

-3.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.61 NOK 110

$11.09 NOK 105

4.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.63 NOK 91.3

$11.02 NOK 104

-12.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.71 NOK 25.70

$2.36 NOK 22.35

14.83%

White Bread (500g)

$3.44 NOK 32.64

$3.24 NOK 30.76

6.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.79 NOK 26.44

$3.05 NOK 28.94

-8.52%

Eggs

$5.03 NOK 47.68

$4.12 NOK 39.10

22.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.95 NOK 132

$10.32 NOK 97.9

35.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.55 NOK 147

$15.36 NOK 146

1.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.87 NOK 264

$37.92 NOK 360

-26.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.81 NOK 36.09

$3.86 NOK 36.57

-1.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.96 NOK 28.07

$2.67 NOK 25.35

10.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.58 NOK 33.98

$3.57 NOK 33.90

0.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.51 NOK 52.3

$4.42 NOK 41.89

24.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.60 NOK 24.70

$1.97 NOK 18.71

31.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.75 NOK 26.09

$2.06 NOK 19.50

33.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.77 NOK 26.26

$2.65 NOK 25.12

4.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 NOK 20.02

$1.77 NOK 16.81

19.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.74 NOK 159

$14.88 NOK 141

12.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.70 NOK 168

$15.60 NOK 148

13.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.39 NOK 32.11

$3.67 NOK 34.77

-7.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 NOK 40.77

$4.65 NOK 44.10

-7.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.37 NOK 41.45

$5.94 NOK 56.3

-26.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.8 NOK 757

$79.2 NOK 751

0.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.20 NOK 144

$12.40 NOK 118

22.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 NOK 20.87

$1.40 NOK 13.31

57.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$72.6 NOK 689

$50.3 NOK 477

44.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 NOK 20.98

$2.23 NOK 21.15

-0.90%

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

$35.8K NOK 339.6K

$33.0K NOK 313.2K

8.41%

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

$43.7K NOK 414.2K

$30.8K NOK 292.1K

41.78%

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

$244 NOK 2,314

$161 NOK 1,530

51.29%

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

$38.05 NOK 361

$33.09 NOK 314

14.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.4 NOK 620

$74.4 NOK 706

-12.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 NOK 513

$48.47 NOK 460

11.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.77 NOK 377

$34.73 NOK 329

14.51%

Cinema Ticket

$19.90 NOK 189

$16.56 NOK 157

20.17%

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

$284 NOK 2,692

$328 NOK 3,107

-13.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K NOK 122.2K

$4,983 NOK 47.2K

158.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.5 NOK 877

$74.9 NOK 711

23.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.7 NOK 528

$32.93 NOK 312

69.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 NOK 1,067

$115 NOK 1,087

-1.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 NOK 1,360

$132 NOK 1,253

8.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 NOK 12.4K

$1,290 NOK 12.2K

1.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$997 NOK 9,455

$1,019 NOK 9,659

-2.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,032 NOK 19.3K

$2,174 NOK 20.6K

-6.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 NOK 15.1K

$1,449 NOK 13.7K

10.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,558 NOK 71.7K

$5,899 NOK 55.9K

28.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,679 NOK 44.4K

$4,054 NOK 38.4K

15.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,385 NOK 41.6K

$3,382 NOK 32.1K

29.66%

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: July 28, 2026

Last update for Harstad: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,304 in Bergen and $1,290 in Harstad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 30% 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 $121 in Harstad. Groceries flip the comparison at $485 vs $479, 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 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 30% 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: $1,304 in Bergen versus $1,290 in Harstad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $284 in Bergen versus $328 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 10% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.