Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Holmestrand Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Holmestrand

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,594 in Bergen versus $2,359 in Holmestrand.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,948 in Bergen versus $3,585 in Holmestrand.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,302 in Bergen versus $4,811 in Holmestrand.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 94% above, Holmestrand 76% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.44 NOK 237

$18.88 NOK 176

34.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 NOK 940

$101 NOK 943

-0.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.61 NOK 182

$13.22 NOK 123

48.34%

Cappuccino

$5.50 NOK 51.2

$5.02 NOK 46.68

9.56%

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

$3.13 NOK 29.10

$1.98 NOK 18.38

58.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 NOK 28.17

$2.05 NOK 19.02

47.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.80 NOK 110

$9.17 NOK 85.3

28.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.60 NOK 89.3

$9.77 NOK 90.9

-1.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.65 NOK 24.65

$1.66 NOK 15.43

59.64%

White Bread (500g)

$3.31 NOK 30.83

$3.32 NOK 30.87

-0.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.91 NOK 27.11

$2.05 NOK 19.09

41.95%

Eggs

$4.83 NOK 44.96

$3.94 NOK 36.68

22.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 NOK 130

$11.16 NOK 104

25.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.71 NOK 146

$14.18 NOK 132

10.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.27 NOK 263

$41.11 NOK 382

-31.23%

Apples (1kg)

$3.78 NOK 35.17

$2.08 NOK 19.30

81.73%

Banana (1kg)

$3.09 NOK 28.72

$2.32 NOK 21.57

33.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.61 NOK 33.55

$3.26 NOK 30.33

10.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.57 NOK 51.8

$2.49 NOK 23.16

123.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.71 NOK 25.24

$0.79 NOK 7.39

243.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.75 NOK 25.59

$1.34 NOK 12.43

105.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 NOK 26.07

$2.86 NOK 26.60

-2.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 NOK 19.60

$1.85 NOK 17.21

14.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.40 NOK 153

$14.02 NOK 130

16.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.27 NOK 170

$18.81 NOK 175

-2.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.31 NOK 30.80

$3.00 NOK 27.92

10.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 NOK 40.14

$4.02 NOK 37.36

7.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.51 NOK 41.91

$4.35 NOK 40.42

3.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.4 NOK 757

$73.0 NOK 679

11.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.23 NOK 142

$8.66 NOK 80.5

75.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.23 NOK 20.75

$0.97 NOK 8.99

129.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$73.6 NOK 684

$102 NOK 949

-27.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 NOK 19.90

$2.13 NOK 19.78

0.47%

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

$34.9K NOK 324.7K

$38.2K NOK 355.0K

-8.54%

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

$43.1K NOK 400.6K

$34.2K NOK 317.8K

26.05%

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

$240 NOK 2,227

$219 NOK 2,032

9.59%

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

$38.14 NOK 355

$42.93 NOK 399

-11.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.2 NOK 606

$38.27 NOK 356

70.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.7 NOK 509

$48.71 NOK 453

12.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.54 NOK 368

$36.08 NOK 336

9.59%

Cinema Ticket

$20.28 NOK 189

$14.94 NOK 139

35.74%

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

$280 NOK 2,606

$303 NOK 2,814

-7.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K NOK 118.2K

$10.1K NOK 94.1K

25.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.3 NOK 849

$112 NOK 1,038

-18.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.5 NOK 516

$30.85 NOK 287

79.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 NOK 1,037

$99.9 NOK 929

11.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$146 NOK 1,358

$129 NOK 1,200

13.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,308 NOK 12.2K

$1,206 NOK 11.2K

8.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$971 NOK 9,034

$878 NOK 8,168

10.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 NOK 19.0K

$1,800 NOK 16.7K

13.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 NOK 14.3K

$1,543 NOK 14.4K

-0.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,924 NOK 73.7K

$6,023 NOK 56.0K

31.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,854 NOK 45.1K

$4,461 NOK 41.5K

8.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,333 NOK 40.3K

$3,733 NOK 34.7K

16.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.85

142.50%

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

Last update for Bergen: April 21, 2026

Last update for Holmestrand: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,308 in Bergen and $1,206 in Holmestrand. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 16% 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: $101 in Bergen vs $101 in Holmestrand. Groceries flip the comparison at $487 vs $451, with Holmestrand 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 Holmestrand: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Holmestrand is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Bergen pays 16% 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: $1,308 in Bergen versus $1,206 in Holmestrand. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $280 in Bergen versus $303 in Holmestrand. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Bergen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,359 in Holmestrand versus $2,594 in Bergen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Holmestrand but tight or insufficient in Bergen. The gap between the two cities makes Holmestrand the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Holmestrand 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 Holmestrand 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 Holmestrand 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.