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: $2,658 in Bergen versus $2,359 in Holmestrand.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,013 in Bergen versus $3,603 in Holmestrand.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,368 in Bergen versus $4,846 in Holmestrand.

Living in Bergen is roughly 13% more expensive than in Holmestrand, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 100% above, Holmestrand 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.18 NOK 242

$19.56 NOK 188

28.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 NOK 982

$100 NOK 959

2.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.35 NOK 186

$13.39 NOK 128

44.51%

Cappuccino

$5.34 NOK 51.2

$4.85 NOK 46.48

10.10%

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

$3.24 NOK 31.04

$1.97 NOK 18.90

64.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 NOK 27.79

$1.98 NOK 18.95

46.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.61 NOK 111

$9.17 NOK 88.0

26.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.63 NOK 92.4

$9.41 NOK 90.2

2.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.71 NOK 26.00

$1.65 NOK 15.86

64.24%

White Bread (500g)

$3.44 NOK 33.02

$3.29 NOK 31.59

4.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.79 NOK 26.75

$1.96 NOK 18.82

42.35%

Eggs

$5.03 NOK 48.24

$4.17 NOK 39.96

20.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.95 NOK 134

$11.15 NOK 107

25.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.55 NOK 149

$14.10 NOK 135

10.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.87 NOK 267

$40.17 NOK 385

-30.62%

Apples (1kg)

$3.81 NOK 36.51

$1.99 NOK 19.09

91.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.96 NOK 28.39

$2.34 NOK 22.42

26.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.58 NOK 34.37

$3.17 NOK 30.38

12.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.51 NOK 52.9

$2.37 NOK 22.70

132.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.60 NOK 24.98

$0.80 NOK 7.63

225.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.75 NOK 26.39

$1.35 NOK 12.97

103.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.77 NOK 26.56

$2.84 NOK 27.27

-2.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 NOK 20.25

$1.92 NOK 18.43

9.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.74 NOK 161

$13.92 NOK 134

20.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.70 NOK 170

$17.98 NOK 172

-1.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.39 NOK 32.48

$3.00 NOK 28.80

13.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 NOK 41.24

$4.03 NOK 38.63

6.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.37 NOK 41.93

$4.21 NOK 40.39

3.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.8 NOK 766

$74.7 NOK 716

6.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.20 NOK 146

$9.04 NOK 86.7

68.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 NOK 21.11

$0.94 NOK 9.02

134.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$72.6 NOK 697

$99.3 NOK 952

-26.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 NOK 21.23

$2.12 NOK 20.30

4.25%

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

$35.8K NOK 343.5K

$38.3K NOK 367.3K

-6.49%

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

$43.7K NOK 419.0K

$33.5K NOK 321.7K

30.27%

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

$244 NOK 2,341

$219 NOK 2,104

11.28%

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

$38.05 NOK 365

$43.10 NOK 413

-11.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.4 NOK 627

$38.56 NOK 370

69.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 NOK 519

$48.42 NOK 464

11.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.77 NOK 381

$35.31 NOK 339

12.63%

Cinema Ticket

$19.90 NOK 191

$15.14 NOK 145

31.44%

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

$284 NOK 2,723

$302 NOK 2,899

-6.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K NOK 123.6K

$10.1K NOK 97.3K

27.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.5 NOK 888

$110 NOK 1,051

-15.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.7 NOK 534

$30.04 NOK 288

85.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 NOK 1,080

$98.6 NOK 946

14.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 NOK 1,376

$133 NOK 1,280

7.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 NOK 12.5K

$1,217 NOK 11.7K

7.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$997 NOK 9,565

$899 NOK 8,625

10.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,032 NOK 19.5K

$1,795 NOK 17.2K

13.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 NOK 15.3K

$1,556 NOK 14.9K

2.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,558 NOK 72.5K

$5,686 NOK 54.5K

32.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,679 NOK 44.9K

$3,422 NOK 32.8K

36.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,385 NOK 42.1K

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: July 28, 2026

Last update for Holmestrand: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,304 in Bergen and $1,217 in Holmestrand. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $102 in Bergen vs $100 in Holmestrand for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $485 vs $445 per month, with Holmestrand cheaper across the board.

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 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,987 in Bergen and $3,538 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: $1,304 in Bergen versus $1,217 in Holmestrand. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $284 in Bergen versus $302 in Holmestrand. 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.

At $2,359 in Holmestrand versus $2,658 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 13% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.