Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Haugesund Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Haugesund

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,658 in Bergen versus $2,476 in Haugesund.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,013 in Bergen versus $3,729 in Haugesund.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,368 in Bergen versus $4,982 in Haugesund.

Living in Bergen is roughly 7% more expensive than in Haugesund, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 100% above, Haugesund 86% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.18 NOK 239

$21.54 NOK 204

16.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 NOK 970

$102 NOK 972

-0.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.35 NOK 183

$13.46 NOK 128

43.76%

Cappuccino

$5.34 NOK 50.7

$4.68 NOK 44.42

14.10%

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

$3.24 NOK 30.68

$3.09 NOK 29.28

4.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 NOK 27.47

$2.95 NOK 27.97

-1.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.61 NOK 110

$10.67 NOK 101

8.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.63 NOK 91.3

$9.37 NOK 88.9

2.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.71 NOK 25.70

$2.10 NOK 19.92

29.05%

White Bread (500g)

$3.44 NOK 32.64

$3.32 NOK 31.44

3.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.79 NOK 26.44

$2.84 NOK 26.92

-1.76%

Eggs

$5.03 NOK 47.68

$4.51 NOK 42.80

11.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.95 NOK 132

$11.33 NOK 107

23.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.55 NOK 147

$14.51 NOK 138

7.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.87 NOK 264

$28.07 NOK 266

-0.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.81 NOK 36.09

$3.06 NOK 29.00

24.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.96 NOK 28.07

$2.15 NOK 20.40

37.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.58 NOK 33.98

$3.60 NOK 34.15

-0.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.51 NOK 52.3

$4.11 NOK 38.97

34.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.60 NOK 24.70

$2.74 NOK 25.98

-5.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.75 NOK 26.09

$2.81 NOK 26.63

-2.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.77 NOK 26.26

$2.91 NOK 27.61

-4.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 NOK 20.02

$2.14 NOK 20.31

-1.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.74 NOK 159

$16.29 NOK 154

2.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.70 NOK 168

$14.27 NOK 135

24.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.39 NOK 32.11

$3.30 NOK 31.31

2.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 NOK 40.77

$4.29 NOK 40.71

0.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.37 NOK 41.45

$3.61 NOK 34.22

21.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.8 NOK 757

$65.4 NOK 620

22.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.20 NOK 144

$14.39 NOK 136

5.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 NOK 20.87

$1.51 NOK 14.33

45.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$72.6 NOK 689

$54.8 NOK 520

32.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 NOK 20.98

$2.15 NOK 20.40

2.79%

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

$35.8K NOK 339.6K

$35.3K NOK 335.2K

1.31%

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

$43.7K NOK 414.2K

$40.0K NOK 379.1K

9.24%

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

$244 NOK 2,314

$243 NOK 2,301

0.56%

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

$38.05 NOK 361

$38.85 NOK 368

-2.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.4 NOK 620

$55.6 NOK 527

17.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 NOK 513

$44.68 NOK 424

21.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.77 NOK 377

$35.94 NOK 341

10.66%

Cinema Ticket

$19.90 NOK 189

$16.34 NOK 155

21.79%

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

$284 NOK 2,692

$280 NOK 2,654

1.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K NOK 122.2K

$2,941 NOK 27.9K

338.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.5 NOK 877

$83.2 NOK 789

11.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.7 NOK 528

$55.5 NOK 527

0.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 NOK 1,067

$94.7 NOK 898

18.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 NOK 1,360

$147 NOK 1,394

-2.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 NOK 12.4K

$1,640 NOK 15.5K

-20.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$997 NOK 9,455

$1,022 NOK 9,686

-2.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,032 NOK 19.3K

$2,061 NOK 19.5K

-1.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 NOK 15.1K

$1,549 NOK 14.7K

3.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,558 NOK 71.7K

$4,218 NOK 40.0K

79.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,679 NOK 44.4K

$4,596 NOK 43.6K

1.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,385 NOK 41.6K

$3,941 NOK 37.4K

11.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.85

3.98

21.86%

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

Last update for Bergen: July 28, 2026

Last update for Haugesund: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,304 in Bergen and $1,640 in Haugesund. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 11% 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 $102 in Haugesund. Groceries flip the comparison at $485 vs $442, with Haugesund 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 Haugesund: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Haugesund is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 11% 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 $1,640 in Haugesund. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $284 in Bergen versus $280 in Haugesund. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Bergen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Haugesund is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Haugesund 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 Haugesund 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 Haugesund gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.