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: $2,942 in Bergen versus $2,843 in Holmestrand.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,473 in Bergen versus $4,373 in Holmestrand.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,004 in Bergen versus $5,903 in Holmestrand.

Living in Bergen is roughly 3% more expensive than in Holmestrand, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 113% above, Holmestrand 106% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.62 NOK 228

$21.68 NOK 201

13.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$140 NOK 1,294

$130 NOK 1,203

7.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.47 NOK 153

$16.34 NOK 152

0.80%

Cappuccino

$5.92 NOK 54.9

$5.91 NOK 54.8

0.17%

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

$5.17 NOK 48.00

$4.23 NOK 39.27

22.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 NOK 42.96

$3.36 NOK 31.21

37.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.94 NOK 120

$11.75 NOK 109

10.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.70 NOK 99.3

$13.11 NOK 122

-18.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.48 NOK 22.99

$2.66 NOK 24.69

-6.77%

White Bread (500g)

$3.82 NOK 35.42

$4.16 NOK 38.60

-8.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.47 NOK 32.20

$4.66 NOK 43.25

-25.54%

Eggs

$6.75 NOK 62.6

$6.17 NOK 57.3

9.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.20 NOK 141

$14.72 NOK 137

3.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.60 NOK 163

$15.47 NOK 144

13.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$35.27 NOK 327

$30.67 NOK 285

15.00%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 NOK 38.35

$3.31 NOK 30.72

24.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.86 NOK 26.52

$2.68 NOK 24.85

6.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.60 NOK 33.43

$3.65 NOK 33.84

-1.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.80 NOK 53.8

$6.18 NOK 57.3

-6.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.52 NOK 23.33

$2.62 NOK 24.32

-3.82%

Onion (1kg)

$3.34 NOK 31.01

$2.85 NOK 26.44

17.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.93 NOK 27.19

$3.14 NOK 29.13

-6.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 NOK 19.07

$2.51 NOK 23.28

-17.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.04 NOK 167

$19.52 NOK 181

-7.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.63 NOK 173

$16.62 NOK 154

12.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.56 NOK 33.06

$3.49 NOK 32.41

2.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 NOK 39.64

$4.38 NOK 40.60

-2.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.21 NOK 48.37

$4.84 NOK 44.94

7.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.0 NOK 826

$85.3 NOK 791

4.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.91 NOK 120

$12.18 NOK 113

5.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 NOK 17.66

$1.93 NOK 17.87

-1.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$75.3 NOK 698

$72.4 NOK 671

3.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.36 NOK 21.94

$2.24 NOK 20.79

5.36%

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

$49.9K NOK 463.0K

$49.1K NOK 455.6K

1.61%

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

$44.8K NOK 415.9K

$45.0K NOK 417.5K

-0.38%

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

$296 NOK 2,747

$423 NOK 3,920

-29.91%

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

$31.98 NOK 297

$32.30 NOK 300

-0.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.9 NOK 732

$56.9 NOK 528

38.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.57 NOK 423

$50.7 NOK 470

-10.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.44 NOK 412

$38.04 NOK 353

16.82%

Cinema Ticket

$19.31 NOK 179

$19.34 NOK 179

-0.16%

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

$250 NOK 2,323

$247 NOK 2,288

1.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K NOK 114.1K

$16.1K NOK 149.4K

-23.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 NOK 1,013

$102 NOK 950

6.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.7 NOK 516

$62.7 NOK 582

-11.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 NOK 1,128

$135 NOK 1,256

-10.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$171 NOK 1,588

$160 NOK 1,480

7.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,542 NOK 14.3K

$1,229 NOK 11.4K

25.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,118 NOK 10.4K

$1,053 NOK 9,764

6.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,485 NOK 23.1K

$2,062 NOK 19.1K

20.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,767 NOK 16.4K

$1,724 NOK 16.0K

2.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,803 NOK 72.4K

$6,541 NOK 60.7K

19.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,910 NOK 45.5K

$4,202 NOK 39.0K

16.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,848 NOK 45.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.31

4.96

7.06%

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

Last update for Bergen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Holmestrand: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,542 in Bergen and $1,229 in Holmestrand. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $140 in Bergen vs $130 in Holmestrand for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $539 vs $519 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, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $4,412 in Bergen and $4,265 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: $1,542 in Bergen versus $1,229 in Holmestrand. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $250 in Bergen versus $247 in Holmestrand. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% 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.

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 3% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.