Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Kirkenes Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Kirkenes

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,688 in Bergen versus $2,463 in Kirkenes.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,981 in Bergen versus $3,726 in Kirkenes.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,273 in Bergen versus $4,989 in Kirkenes.

Living in Bergen is roughly 9% more expensive than Kirkenes, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 101% above, Kirkenes 84% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.64 NOK 239

$25.11 NOK 234

2.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 NOK 948

$99.7 NOK 929

1.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.93 NOK 176

$13.54 NOK 126

39.81%

Cappuccino

$5.60 NOK 52.2

$4.89 NOK 45.58

14.52%

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

$3.11 NOK 28.95

$3.12 NOK 29.08

-0.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 NOK 27.05

$2.79 NOK 25.96

3.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.69 NOK 109

$10.04 NOK 93.6

16.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.43 NOK 87.9

$9.42 NOK 87.8

0.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.75 NOK 25.64

$2.28 NOK 21.24

20.61%

White Bread (500g)

$3.30 NOK 30.73

$3.32 NOK 30.94

-0.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.81 NOK 26.16

$3.33 NOK 31.02

-15.62%

Eggs

$4.86 NOK 45.27

$4.52 NOK 42.11

7.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.19 NOK 132

$12.26 NOK 114

15.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.59 NOK 145

$14.46 NOK 135

7.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.20 NOK 263

$28.34 NOK 264

-0.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.87 NOK 36.11

$3.60 NOK 33.60

7.50%

Banana (1kg)

$3.06 NOK 28.54

$2.40 NOK 22.41

27.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.61 NOK 33.64

$3.28 NOK 30.57

10.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.57 NOK 51.9

$4.51 NOK 41.99

23.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.70 NOK 25.18

$2.41 NOK 22.48

12.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.86 NOK 26.65

$2.55 NOK 23.72

12.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 NOK 25.89

$2.74 NOK 25.57

1.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 NOK 19.77

$1.84 NOK 17.15

15.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.39 NOK 153

$15.23 NOK 142

7.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.35 NOK 171

$18.33 NOK 171

0.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.27 NOK 30.52

$3.42 NOK 31.92

-4.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 NOK 40.95

$4.01 NOK 37.38

9.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.43 NOK 41.24

$4.16 NOK 38.77

6.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.3 NOK 758

$73.6 NOK 686

10.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.40 NOK 144

$10.23 NOK 95.3

50.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.29 NOK 21.30

$1.39 NOK 12.92

64.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$73.1 NOK 681

$46.30 NOK 431

57.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 NOK 20.02

$2.22 NOK 20.68

-3.15%

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

$35.0K NOK 326.4K

$35.6K NOK 331.6K

-1.55%

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

$42.3K NOK 394.4K

$38.9K NOK 363.0K

8.65%

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

$245 NOK 2,284

$241 NOK 2,250

1.49%

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

$38.87 NOK 362

$38.64 NOK 360

0.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.9 NOK 605

$55.3 NOK 515

17.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.3 NOK 515

$50.3 NOK 468

9.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.54 NOK 369

$35.46 NOK 330

11.51%

Cinema Ticket

$20.55 NOK 192

$10.87 NOK 101

89.05%

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

$279 NOK 2,597

$284 NOK 2,645

-1.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K NOK 120.8K

$10.2K NOK 95.0K

27.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.8 NOK 837

$97.8 NOK 911

-8.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.2 NOK 515

$53.3 NOK 497

3.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 NOK 1,061

$108 NOK 1,009

5.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 NOK 1,340

$153 NOK 1,423

-5.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 NOK 12.0K

$1,204 NOK 11.2K

6.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$967 NOK 9,014

$908 NOK 8,459

6.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,994 NOK 18.6K

$1,827 NOK 17.0K

9.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 NOK 14.7K

$1,532 NOK 14.3K

2.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,978 NOK 74.4K

$6,083 NOK 56.7K

31.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 NOK 46.6K

$4,504 NOK 42.0K

11.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,447 NOK 41.4K

$5,470 NOK 51.0K

-18.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.85

4.38

10.73%

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

Last update for Bergen: April 25, 2026

Last update for Kirkenes: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,287 in Bergen and $1,204 in Kirkenes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kirkenes pays 23% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $102 in Bergen vs $100 in Kirkenes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $489 vs $457 per month, with Kirkenes 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 Kirkenes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kirkenes is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Kirkenes earns 23% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,287 in Bergen versus $1,204 in Kirkenes. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $279 in Bergen versus $284 in Kirkenes. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Bergen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,463 in Kirkenes versus $2,688 in Bergen, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Kirkenes but tight or insufficient in Bergen. The gap between the two cities makes Kirkenes the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Kirkenes 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 Kirkenes 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 Kirkenes gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.