Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Holmestrand

For one person, living is cheaper in Holmestrand: $2,962 a month against $3,093 in Bergen, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Bergen
Learn more

Bergen Living Index
141

Cost of Living Index in Holmestrand
Learn more

Holmestrand Living Index

Jump to prices

Bergen

🇳🇴 Norway

$3,093

/mo nomad

Holmestrand

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,962

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bergen and in Holmestrand

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 Holmestrand actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,093 in Bergen versus $2,962 in Holmestrand.

Bergen $3,093
Holmestrand $2,962

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,619 in Bergen versus $4,320 in Holmestrand.

Bergen $4,619
Holmestrand $4,320

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,145 in Bergen versus $5,678 in Holmestrand.

Bergen $6,145
Holmestrand $5,678

Living in Bergen is roughly 4% more expensive than in Holmestrand, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 127% above, Holmestrand 118% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.85 NOK 222

$21.38 NOK 199

11.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$141 NOK 1,313

$129 NOK 1,202

9.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.30 NOK 151

$16.34 NOK 152

-0.24%

Cappuccino

$5.62 NOK 52.2

$5.96 NOK 55.3

-5.70%

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

$5.19 NOK 48.23

$4.52 NOK 42.02

14.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.57 NOK 42.47

$3.51 NOK 32.63

30.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.92 NOK 120

$11.99 NOK 111

7.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.71 NOK 99.5

$12.82 NOK 119

-16.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.35 NOK 21.79

$2.63 NOK 24.39

-10.65%

White Bread (500g)

$3.83 NOK 35.60

$4.35 NOK 40.40

-11.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.45 NOK 32.02

$4.82 NOK 44.80

-28.42%

Eggs

$6.67 NOK 62.0

$6.16 NOK 57.3

8.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.89 NOK 138

$15.02 NOK 140

-0.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.88 NOK 166

$15.70 NOK 146

13.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$37.65 NOK 350

$31.92 NOK 297

17.95%

Apples (1kg)

$4.10 NOK 38.11

$3.45 NOK 32.03

18.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.80 NOK 26.03

$2.68 NOK 24.94

4.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.70 NOK 34.38

$3.64 NOK 33.78

1.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.54 NOK 51.5

$6.00 NOK 55.8

-7.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.46 NOK 22.90

$2.76 NOK 25.64

-10.87%

Onion (1kg)

$3.41 NOK 31.67

$2.89 NOK 26.87

17.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.08 NOK 28.60

$3.25 NOK 30.18

-5.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 NOK 17.02

$2.44 NOK 22.67

-25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.65 NOK 164

$19.30 NOK 179

-8.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.73 NOK 183

$17.17 NOK 160

14.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.83 NOK 35.56

$3.45 NOK 32.04

11.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 NOK 41.24

$4.26 NOK 39.60

4.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.32 NOK 49.47

$4.21 NOK 39.11

26.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.0 NOK 827

$95.4 NOK 887

-6.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.82 NOK 119

$12.16 NOK 113

5.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 NOK 18.14

$1.85 NOK 17.23

5.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$74.9 NOK 696

$71.0 NOK 659

5.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.41 NOK 22.36

$2.51 NOK 23.36

-3.98%

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

$50.1K NOK 465.1K

$49.9K NOK 463.8K

0.30%

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

$44.8K NOK 415.9K

$44.8K NOK 415.8K

0.03%

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

$292 NOK 2,709

$436 NOK 4,055

-33.19%

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

$33.90 NOK 315

$34.38 NOK 319

-1.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.1 NOK 790

$55.8 NOK 519

52.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.43 NOK 450

$44.21 NOK 411

9.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.06 NOK 409

$42.90 NOK 399

2.70%

Cinema Ticket

$19.28 NOK 179

$20.72 NOK 193

-6.95%

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

$251 NOK 2,331

$244 NOK 2,268

2.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K NOK 111.2K

$16.1K NOK 149.9K

-25.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$108 NOK 1,000

$103 NOK 960

4.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 NOK 521

$62.2 NOK 578

-9.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 NOK 1,116

$134 NOK 1,242

-10.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$166 NOK 1,541

$162 NOK 1,504

2.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,627 NOK 15.1K

$1,064 NOK 9,889

52.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,283 NOK 11.9K

$1,072 NOK 9,955

19.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,668 NOK 24.8K

$2,238 NOK 20.8K

19.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,928 NOK 17.9K

$1,495 NOK 13.9K

28.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,228 NOK 76.4K

$5,639 NOK 52.4K

45.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,382 NOK 50.0K

$4,569 NOK 42.5K

17.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,732 NOK 44.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.27

4.94

6.68%

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

Last update for Bergen: October 26, 2026

Last update for Holmestrand: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bergen

$1.3K 41.5%

Holmestrand

$1.1K 36.2% 16.5% $212

Groceries & Markets

Bergen

$545 17.6%

Holmestrand

$527 17.8% 3.3% $18

Eating Out

Bergen

$432 14%

Holmestrand

$409 13.8% 5.3% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bergen

$411 13.3%

Holmestrand

$527 17.8% 28.3% $116

Clothing & Footwear

Bergen

$202 6.5%

Holmestrand

$207 7% 2.5% $5.1

Getting Around

Bergen

$133 4.3%

Holmestrand

$134 4.5% 0.6% $0.8

Sport & Entertainment

Bergen

$87 2.8%

Holmestrand

$86 2.9% 1.5% $1.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,627 in Bergen and $1,064 in Holmestrand. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $141 in Bergen vs $129 in Holmestrand for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $545 vs $527 per month, with Holmestrand cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇴 Bergen

🇳🇴 Holmestrand

🕒 Local time

01:13 1:13 AM

Same time as Bergen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

292,482

26,932

💱 Currency

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 NOK = 10.76 USD

100 NOK = 9.67 EUR

100 NOK = 10.76 USD

100 NOK = 9.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bergen Holmestrand 280 km

From you

Bergen
Holmestrand

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 Holmestrand: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Holmestrand is about 4% cheaper overall, especially in utilities, eating out, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $4,640 in Bergen and $4,442 in Holmestrand to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,627 in Bergen versus $1,064 in Holmestrand. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $251 in Bergen versus $244 in Holmestrand. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% 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. Holmestrand 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 Holmestrand are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.