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: $2,658 in Bergen versus $2,394 in Kirkenes.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,013 in Bergen versus $3,777 in Kirkenes.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,368 in Bergen versus $5,161 in Kirkenes.

Living in Bergen is roughly 11% more expensive than in Kirkenes, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 100% above, Kirkenes 80% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.18 NOK 239

$25.12 NOK 238

0.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 NOK 970

$99.6 NOK 945

2.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.35 NOK 183

$13.86 NOK 131

39.61%

Cappuccino

$5.34 NOK 50.7

$4.86 NOK 46.05

9.88%

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

$3.24 NOK 30.68

$3.07 NOK 29.14

5.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 NOK 27.47

$2.79 NOK 26.48

3.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.61 NOK 110

$9.94 NOK 94.3

16.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.63 NOK 91.3

$9.89 NOK 93.8

-2.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.71 NOK 25.70

$2.25 NOK 21.38

20.44%

White Bread (500g)

$3.44 NOK 32.64

$3.28 NOK 31.05

4.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.79 NOK 26.44

$3.22 NOK 30.55

-13.35%

Eggs

$5.03 NOK 47.68

$4.50 NOK 42.72

11.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.95 NOK 132

$12.00 NOK 114

16.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.55 NOK 147

$14.74 NOK 140

5.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.87 NOK 264

$28.01 NOK 266

-0.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.81 NOK 36.09

$3.54 NOK 33.61

7.63%

Banana (1kg)

$2.96 NOK 28.07

$2.36 NOK 22.36

25.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.58 NOK 33.98

$3.30 NOK 31.25

8.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.51 NOK 52.3

$4.42 NOK 41.91

24.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.60 NOK 24.70

$2.47 NOK 23.41

5.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.75 NOK 26.09

$2.51 NOK 23.78

9.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.77 NOK 26.26

$2.84 NOK 26.95

-2.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 NOK 20.02

$1.86 NOK 17.60

13.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.74 NOK 159

$15.07 NOK 143

11.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.70 NOK 168

$20.20 NOK 192

-12.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.39 NOK 32.11

$3.34 NOK 31.67

1.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 NOK 40.77

$4.08 NOK 38.68

5.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.37 NOK 41.45

$4.33 NOK 41.10

0.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.8 NOK 757

$73.4 NOK 696

8.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.20 NOK 144

$10.01 NOK 94.9

51.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 NOK 20.87

$1.40 NOK 13.26

57.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$72.6 NOK 689

$46.47 NOK 441

56.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 NOK 20.98

$2.12 NOK 20.08

4.25%

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

$35.8K NOK 339.6K

$35.2K NOK 334.2K

1.61%

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

$43.7K NOK 414.2K

$38.1K NOK 361.6K

14.55%

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

$244 NOK 2,314

$238 NOK 2,256

2.56%

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

$38.05 NOK 361

$38.95 NOK 369

-2.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.4 NOK 620

$56.3 NOK 534

16.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 NOK 513

$50.1 NOK 475

8.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.77 NOK 377

$34.84 NOK 330

14.15%

Cinema Ticket

$19.90 NOK 189

$11.03 NOK 105

80.42%

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

$284 NOK 2,692

$286 NOK 2,708

-0.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K NOK 122.2K

$10.1K NOK 95.8K

27.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.5 NOK 877

$94.3 NOK 894

-1.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.7 NOK 528

$51.8 NOK 491

7.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 NOK 1,067

$107 NOK 1,012

5.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 NOK 1,360

$153 NOK 1,450

-6.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 NOK 12.4K

$1,191 NOK 11.3K

9.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$997 NOK 9,455

$883 NOK 8,376

12.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,032 NOK 19.3K

$1,826 NOK 17.3K

11.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 NOK 15.1K

$1,521 NOK 14.4K

4.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,558 NOK 71.7K

$5,838 NOK 55.4K

29.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,679 NOK 44.4K

$3,974 NOK 37.7K

17.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,385 NOK 41.6K

$5,114 NOK 48.5K

-14.26%

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: July 28, 2026

Last update for Kirkenes: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,304 in Bergen and $1,191 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 $100 in Kirkenes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $485 vs $458 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 11% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 17% lower in Kirkenes. 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: $1,304 in Bergen versus $1,191 in Kirkenes. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $284 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 6% higher in Bergen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Kirkenes is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 11% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.