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: $2,622 in Bergen versus $2,297 in Holmestrand.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,948 in Bergen versus $3,561 in Holmestrand.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,274 in Bergen versus $4,826 in Holmestrand.

Living in Bergen is roughly 14% more expensive than Holmestrand, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 95% above, Holmestrand 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.22 NOK 239

$19.11 NOK 181

31.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 NOK 965

$99.4 NOK 943

2.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.97 NOK 180

$13.51 NOK 128

40.41%

Cappuccino

$5.55 NOK 52.6

$4.90 NOK 46.47

13.27%

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

$3.17 NOK 30.10

$2.06 NOK 19.52

53.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 NOK 28.56

$2.07 NOK 19.69

45.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.86 NOK 113

$9.18 NOK 87.1

29.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.58 NOK 90.9

$9.51 NOK 90.3

0.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.69 NOK 25.50

$1.59 NOK 15.11

69.18%

White Bread (500g)

$3.44 NOK 32.66

$3.27 NOK 30.99

5.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.88 NOK 27.34

$2.06 NOK 19.60

39.81%

Eggs

$5.03 NOK 47.75

$4.01 NOK 38.07

25.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 NOK 132

$10.84 NOK 103

28.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.99 NOK 152

$13.95 NOK 132

14.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.79 NOK 264

$40.21 NOK 382

-30.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.79 NOK 35.95

$1.98 NOK 18.77

91.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.95 NOK 27.98

$2.33 NOK 22.15

26.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.59 NOK 34.03

$3.32 NOK 31.51

8.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.70 NOK 54.1

$2.36 NOK 22.41

141.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.62 NOK 24.85

$0.77 NOK 7.33

240.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.87 NOK 27.29

$1.29 NOK 12.22

122.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.91 NOK 27.63

$3.01 NOK 28.55

-3.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 NOK 20.34

$1.83 NOK 17.33

16.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.78 NOK 159

$14.13 NOK 134

18.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.96 NOK 170

$18.61 NOK 177

-3.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.44 NOK 32.68

$3.01 NOK 28.60

14.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 NOK 40.97

$3.92 NOK 37.21

10.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.44 NOK 42.14

$4.13 NOK 39.19

7.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.0 NOK 759

$73.0 NOK 692

9.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.23 NOK 145

$8.90 NOK 84.4

71.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.27 NOK 21.55

$0.95 NOK 9.01

138.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$72.5 NOK 688

$102 NOK 970

-29.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 NOK 20.93

$2.12 NOK 20.12

4.25%

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

$35.9K NOK 340.3K

$38.3K NOK 363.7K

-6.43%

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

$42.9K NOK 407.0K

$34.4K NOK 326.1K

24.82%

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

$243 NOK 2,311

$216 NOK 2,052

12.63%

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

$38.80 NOK 368

$44.01 NOK 418

-11.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.3 NOK 620

$37.22 NOK 353

75.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 NOK 514

$48.95 NOK 465

10.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.54 NOK 375

$34.80 NOK 330

13.62%

Cinema Ticket

$20.20 NOK 192

$14.91 NOK 142

35.48%

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

$282 NOK 2,677

$310 NOK 2,941

-8.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K NOK 119.9K

$10.3K NOK 97.3K

23.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.9 NOK 863

$110 NOK 1,040

-17.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 NOK 531

$29.87 NOK 284

87.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 NOK 1,064

$98.2 NOK 932

14.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$147 NOK 1,391

$133 NOK 1,264

10.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 NOK 12.3K

$1,213 NOK 11.5K

6.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$973 NOK 9,238

$906 NOK 8,597

7.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,994 NOK 18.9K

$1,846 NOK 17.5K

7.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,568 NOK 14.9K

$1,527 NOK 14.5K

2.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,844 NOK 74.4K

$6,481 NOK 61.5K

21.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,587 NOK 43.5K

$3,913 NOK 37.1K

17.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,531 NOK 43.0K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Holmestrand: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,295 in Bergen and $1,213 in Holmestrand. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $102 in Bergen vs $99.0 in Holmestrand for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $490 vs $444 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 14% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,933 in Bergen and $3,445 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: $1,295 in Bergen versus $1,213 in Holmestrand. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $282 in Bergen versus $310 in Holmestrand. 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.

At $2,297 in Holmestrand versus $2,622 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 14% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.