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: $2,622 in Bergen versus $2,490 in Kirkenes.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,948 in Bergen versus $3,765 in Kirkenes.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,274 in Bergen versus $5,040 in Kirkenes.

Living in Bergen is roughly 5% more expensive than Kirkenes, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 95% above, Kirkenes 85% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.22 NOK 239

$25.28 NOK 240

-0.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 NOK 965

$101 NOK 962

0.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.97 NOK 180

$13.75 NOK 131

37.96%

Cappuccino

$5.55 NOK 52.6

$4.79 NOK 45.48

15.87%

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

$3.17 NOK 30.10

$3.12 NOK 29.65

1.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 NOK 28.56

$2.83 NOK 26.84

6.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.86 NOK 113

$9.95 NOK 94.4

19.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.58 NOK 90.9

$9.83 NOK 93.3

-2.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.69 NOK 25.50

$2.25 NOK 21.39

19.56%

White Bread (500g)

$3.44 NOK 32.66

$3.28 NOK 31.18

4.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.88 NOK 27.34

$3.33 NOK 31.62

-13.51%

Eggs

$5.03 NOK 47.75

$4.28 NOK 40.67

17.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 NOK 132

$12.06 NOK 114

15.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.99 NOK 152

$14.83 NOK 141

7.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.79 NOK 264

$27.83 NOK 264

-0.14%

Apples (1kg)

$3.79 NOK 35.95

$3.44 NOK 32.64

10.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.95 NOK 27.98

$2.39 NOK 22.73

23.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.59 NOK 34.03

$3.28 NOK 31.10

9.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.70 NOK 54.1

$4.42 NOK 41.93

28.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.62 NOK 24.85

$2.47 NOK 23.46

6.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.87 NOK 27.29

$2.48 NOK 23.49

15.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.91 NOK 27.63

$2.76 NOK 26.22

5.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 NOK 20.34

$1.91 NOK 18.16

12.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.78 NOK 159

$15.43 NOK 146

8.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.96 NOK 170

$17.61 NOK 167

1.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.44 NOK 32.68

$3.40 NOK 32.29

1.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 NOK 40.97

$4.13 NOK 39.17

4.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.44 NOK 42.14

$4.21 NOK 39.93

5.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.0 NOK 759

$74.2 NOK 704

7.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.23 NOK 145

$9.94 NOK 94.4

53.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.27 NOK 21.55

$1.43 NOK 13.62

58.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$72.5 NOK 688

$46.28 NOK 439

56.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 NOK 20.93

$2.22 NOK 21.05

-0.45%

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

$35.9K NOK 340.3K

$35.6K NOK 338.0K

0.67%

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

$42.9K NOK 407.0K

$38.3K NOK 363.6K

11.93%

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

$243 NOK 2,311

$237 NOK 2,254

2.51%

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

$38.80 NOK 368

$38.75 NOK 368

0.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.3 NOK 620

$56.4 NOK 535

15.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 NOK 514

$48.64 NOK 462

11.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.54 NOK 375

$35.52 NOK 337

11.32%

Cinema Ticket

$20.20 NOK 192

$10.95 NOK 104

84.47%

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

$282 NOK 2,677

$286 NOK 2,719

-1.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K NOK 119.9K

$10.1K NOK 96.0K

24.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.9 NOK 863

$97.3 NOK 923

-6.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 NOK 531

$52.8 NOK 501

5.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 NOK 1,064

$110 NOK 1,046

1.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$147 NOK 1,391

$149 NOK 1,414

-1.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 NOK 12.3K

$1,193 NOK 11.3K

8.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$973 NOK 9,238

$893 NOK 8,480

8.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,994 NOK 18.9K

$1,856 NOK 17.6K

7.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,568 NOK 14.9K

$1,545 NOK 14.7K

1.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,844 NOK 74.4K

$5,944 NOK 56.4K

31.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,587 NOK 43.5K

$4,413 NOK 41.9K

3.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,531 NOK 43.0K

$5,289 NOK 50.2K

-14.33%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Kirkenes: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,295 in Bergen and $1,193 in Kirkenes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kirkenes pays 17% 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 $101 in Kirkenes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $490 vs $453 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 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Kirkenes earns 17% 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: $1,295 in Bergen versus $1,193 in Kirkenes. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $282 in Bergen versus $286 in Kirkenes. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Bergen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,490 in Kirkenes versus $2,622 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 5% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.