Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Harstad

For one person, living is cheaper in Harstad: $2,611 a month against $3,093 in Bergen, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Bergen
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Bergen Living Index
127

Cost of Living Index in Harstad
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Harstad Living Index

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Bergen

🇳🇴 Norway

$3,093

/mo nomad

Harstad

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,611

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bergen and in Harstad

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Bergen and in Harstad actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,093 in Bergen versus $2,611 in Harstad.

Bergen $3,093
Harstad $2,611

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,619 in Bergen versus $3,888 in Harstad.

Bergen $4,619
Harstad $3,888

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,145 in Bergen versus $5,164 in Harstad.

Bergen $6,145
Harstad $5,164

Living in Bergen is roughly 18% more expensive than in Harstad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 127% above, Harstad 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.85 NOK 219

$14.27 NOK 131

67.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$141 NOK 1,298

$106 NOK 971

33.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.30 NOK 150

$15.97 NOK 147

2.07%

Cappuccino

$5.62 NOK 51.6

$6.27 NOK 57.6

-10.37%

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

$5.19 NOK 47.69

$3.70 NOK 34.03

40.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.57 NOK 42.00

$3.18 NOK 29.18

43.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.92 NOK 119

$12.77 NOK 117

1.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.71 NOK 98.4

$14.04 NOK 129

-23.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.35 NOK 21.55

$2.54 NOK 23.33

-7.48%

White Bread (500g)

$3.83 NOK 35.21

$3.39 NOK 31.10

12.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.45 NOK 31.66

$3.14 NOK 28.83

9.87%

Eggs

$6.67 NOK 61.3

$4.42 NOK 40.61

50.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.89 NOK 137

$11.37 NOK 104

30.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.88 NOK 164

$15.31 NOK 141

16.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$37.65 NOK 346

$41.97 NOK 386

-10.29%

Apples (1kg)

$4.10 NOK 37.68

$4.28 NOK 39.30

-4.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.80 NOK 25.74

$2.87 NOK 26.38

-2.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.70 NOK 34.00

$3.87 NOK 35.55

-4.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.54 NOK 50.9

$4.79 NOK 43.97

15.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.46 NOK 22.64

$2.21 NOK 20.33

11.31%

Onion (1kg)

$3.41 NOK 31.32

$2.18 NOK 20.03

56.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.08 NOK 28.28

$3.00 NOK 27.55

2.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 NOK 16.83

$2.34 NOK 21.49

-21.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.65 NOK 162

$16.41 NOK 151

7.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.73 NOK 181

$15.93 NOK 146

23.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.83 NOK 35.17

$3.90 NOK 35.82

-1.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 NOK 40.78

$4.89 NOK 44.90

-9.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.32 NOK 48.92

$6.17 NOK 56.7

-13.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.0 NOK 817

$84.1 NOK 772

5.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.82 NOK 118

$15.98 NOK 147

-19.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 NOK 17.94

$1.91 NOK 17.52

2.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$74.9 NOK 688

$58.0 NOK 533

29.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.41 NOK 22.11

$2.34 NOK 21.48

2.99%

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

$50.1K NOK 460.0K

$36.9K NOK 339.4K

35.52%

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

$44.8K NOK 411.3K

$31.6K NOK 290.4K

41.62%

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

$292 NOK 2,679

$173 NOK 1,587

68.79%

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

$33.90 NOK 311

$35.51 NOK 326

-4.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.1 NOK 782

$79.5 NOK 731

7.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.43 NOK 445

$49.72 NOK 457

-2.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.06 NOK 405

$36.95 NOK 339

19.24%

Cinema Ticket

$19.28 NOK 177

$17.75 NOK 163

8.62%

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

$251 NOK 2,305

$325 NOK 2,985

-22.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K NOK 110.0K

$5,295 NOK 48.6K

126.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$108 NOK 989

$68.8 NOK 632

56.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 NOK 515

$35.70 NOK 328

57.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 NOK 1,103

$121 NOK 1,115

-1.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$166 NOK 1,524

$170 NOK 1,563

-2.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,627 NOK 15.0K

$1,411 NOK 13.0K

15.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,283 NOK 11.8K

$1,053 NOK 9,673

21.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,668 NOK 24.5K

$2,352 NOK 21.6K

13.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,928 NOK 17.7K

$1,537 NOK 14.1K

25.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,228 NOK 75.6K

$6,396 NOK 58.8K

28.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,382 NOK 49.4K

$4,354 NOK 40.0K

23.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,732 NOK 43.5K

$3,511 NOK 32.3K

34.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.27

5.40%

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

Last update for Bergen: October 26, 2026

Last update for Harstad: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Bergen

$1.3K 41.5%

Harstad

$1.1K 40.3% 18% $231

Groceries & Markets

Bergen

$545 17.6%

Harstad

$516 19.8% 5.3% $29

Eating Out

Bergen

$432 14%

Harstad

$357 13.7% 17.4% $75

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bergen

$411 13.3%

Harstad

$288 11% 29.9% $123

Clothing & Footwear

Bergen

$202 6.5%

Harstad

$178 6.8% 11.9% $24

Getting Around

Bergen

$133 4.3%

Harstad

$134 5.1% 1% $1.4

Sport & Entertainment

Bergen

$87 2.8%

Harstad

$85 3.3% 2% $1.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,627 in Bergen and $1,411 in Harstad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 35% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $141 in Bergen vs $106 in Harstad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $545 vs $516 per month, with Harstad cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇴 Bergen

🇳🇴 Harstad

🕒 Local time

21:17 9:17 PM

Same time as Bergen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

292,482

25,119

💱 Currency

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 NOK = 10.88 USD

100 NOK = 9.75 EUR

100 NOK = 10.88 USD

100 NOK = 9.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Bergen Harstad 1,070 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Bergen
Harstad

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 about 16% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 35% 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: $1,627 in Bergen versus $1,411 in Harstad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $251 in Bergen versus $325 in Harstad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% 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.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Bergen and Harstad are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Harstad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.