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: $2,688 in Bergen versus $2,493 in Haugesund.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,981 in Bergen versus $3,755 in Haugesund.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,273 in Bergen versus $5,017 in Haugesund.

Living in Bergen is roughly 8% more expensive than Haugesund, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 101% above, Haugesund 86% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.64 NOK 239

$21.11 NOK 197

21.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 NOK 948

$102 NOK 949

-0.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.93 NOK 176

$13.84 NOK 129

36.78%

Cappuccino

$5.60 NOK 52.2

$4.76 NOK 44.32

17.65%

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

$3.11 NOK 28.95

$3.10 NOK 28.89

0.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 NOK 27.05

$2.94 NOK 27.44

-1.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.69 NOK 109

$10.69 NOK 99.6

9.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.43 NOK 87.9

$9.37 NOK 87.3

0.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.75 NOK 25.64

$2.14 NOK 19.96

28.50%

White Bread (500g)

$3.30 NOK 30.73

$3.40 NOK 31.68

-2.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.81 NOK 26.16

$2.92 NOK 27.20

-3.77%

Eggs

$4.86 NOK 45.27

$4.63 NOK 43.13

4.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.19 NOK 132

$11.45 NOK 107

23.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.59 NOK 145

$14.62 NOK 136

6.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.20 NOK 263

$28.26 NOK 263

-0.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.87 NOK 36.11

$3.09 NOK 28.77

25.24%

Banana (1kg)

$3.06 NOK 28.54

$2.07 NOK 19.33

47.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.61 NOK 33.64

$3.73 NOK 34.80

-3.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.57 NOK 51.9

$4.27 NOK 39.76

30.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.70 NOK 25.18

$2.68 NOK 24.98

0.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.86 NOK 26.65

$2.81 NOK 26.18

1.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 NOK 25.89

$2.89 NOK 26.90

-3.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 NOK 19.77

$2.11 NOK 19.68

0.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.39 NOK 153

$16.36 NOK 152

0.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.35 NOK 171

$14.81 NOK 138

23.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.27 NOK 30.52

$3.44 NOK 32.06

-4.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 NOK 40.95

$4.26 NOK 39.71

3.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.43 NOK 41.24

$3.64 NOK 33.88

21.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.3 NOK 758

$65.9 NOK 614

23.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.40 NOK 144

$13.89 NOK 130

10.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.29 NOK 21.30

$1.52 NOK 14.16

50.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$73.1 NOK 681

$55.4 NOK 516

31.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 NOK 20.02

$2.24 NOK 20.83

-4.02%

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

$35.0K NOK 326.4K

$35.2K NOK 328.5K

-0.63%

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

$42.3K NOK 394.4K

$40.3K NOK 375.9K

4.92%

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

$245 NOK 2,284

$239 NOK 2,229

2.43%

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

$38.87 NOK 362

$37.95 NOK 354

2.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.9 NOK 605

$55.7 NOK 519

16.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.3 NOK 515

$44.63 NOK 416

23.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.54 NOK 369

$35.42 NOK 330

11.63%

Cinema Ticket

$20.55 NOK 192

$16.32 NOK 152

25.92%

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

$279 NOK 2,597

$289 NOK 2,694

-3.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K NOK 120.8K

$2,876 NOK 26.8K

350.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.8 NOK 837

$81.2 NOK 757

10.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.2 NOK 515

$54.7 NOK 510

0.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 NOK 1,061

$93.1 NOK 868

22.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 NOK 1,340

$147 NOK 1,371

-2.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 NOK 12.0K

$1,648 NOK 15.4K

-21.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$967 NOK 9,014

$1,043 NOK 9,720

-7.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,994 NOK 18.6K

$2,061 NOK 19.2K

-3.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 NOK 14.7K

$1,541 NOK 14.4K

2.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,978 NOK 74.4K

$4,555 NOK 42.5K

75.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 NOK 46.6K

$4,752 NOK 44.3K

5.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,447 NOK 41.4K

$3,882 NOK 36.2K

14.57%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Haugesund: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,287 in Bergen and $1,648 in Haugesund. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 15% 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 $489 vs $448, 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 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Bergen pays 15% 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: $1,287 in Bergen versus $1,648 in Haugesund. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $279 in Bergen versus $289 in Haugesund. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% 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 8% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.