Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Kirkenes

For one person, living is cheaper in Kirkenes: $2,754 a month against $3,086 in Bergen, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

146

Cost of Living Index in Bergen
Learn more

Bergen Living Index
131

Cost of Living Index in Kirkenes
Learn more

Kirkenes Living Index

Jump to prices

Bergen

🇳🇴 Norway

$3,086

/mo nomad

Kirkenes

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,754

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bergen and in Kirkenes

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Bergen and in Kirkenes actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,086 in Bergen versus $2,754 in Kirkenes.

Bergen $3,086
Kirkenes $2,754

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,601 in Bergen versus $4,154 in Kirkenes.

Bergen $4,601
Kirkenes $4,154

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,117 in Bergen versus $5,555 in Kirkenes.

Bergen $6,117
Kirkenes $5,555

Living in Bergen is roughly 12% more expensive than in Kirkenes, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 128% above, Kirkenes 104% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.42 NOK 227

$21.60 NOK 201

13.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$140 NOK 1,306

$109 NOK 1,017

28.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.86 NOK 148

$16.30 NOK 152

-2.70%

Cappuccino

$5.53 NOK 51.4

$5.45 NOK 50.7

1.47%

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

$5.30 NOK 49.31

$4.12 NOK 38.31

28.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.72 NOK 43.91

$3.25 NOK 30.20

45.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.62 NOK 117

$12.03 NOK 112

4.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.66 NOK 99.1

$10.87 NOK 101

-1.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 NOK 21.06

$2.59 NOK 24.08

-12.74%

White Bread (500g)

$3.90 NOK 36.30

$3.80 NOK 35.38

2.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.62 NOK 33.65

$3.82 NOK 35.52

-5.24%

Eggs

$6.67 NOK 62.0

$4.98 NOK 46.33

33.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.80 NOK 138

$13.70 NOK 127

8.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.76 NOK 165

$15.78 NOK 147

12.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$37.47 NOK 348

$31.48 NOK 293

19.03%

Apples (1kg)

$4.11 NOK 38.19

$3.48 NOK 32.34

18.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.67 NOK 24.84

$2.63 NOK 24.47

1.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 NOK 32.28

$3.51 NOK 32.67

-1.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.70 NOK 53.0

$5.05 NOK 47.00

12.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 NOK 23.76

$2.68 NOK 24.97

-4.85%

Onion (1kg)

$3.34 NOK 31.07

$2.85 NOK 26.47

17.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.95 NOK 27.45

$3.06 NOK 28.42

-3.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 NOK 17.34

$2.32 NOK 21.55

-19.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.04 NOK 168

$17.94 NOK 167

0.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.81 NOK 184

$16.93 NOK 157

17.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.66 NOK 34.07

$3.52 NOK 32.74

3.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 NOK 42.15

$4.39 NOK 40.81

3.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.61 NOK 52.2

$4.84 NOK 44.99

15.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.2 NOK 820

$85.5 NOK 795

3.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.63 NOK 117

$12.11 NOK 113

4.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 NOK 17.54

$1.86 NOK 17.29

1.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$73.0 NOK 679

$72.1 NOK 671

1.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.41 NOK 22.41

$2.44 NOK 22.69

-1.23%

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

$49.5K NOK 460.8K

$49.3K NOK 458.3K

0.54%

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

$44.6K NOK 415.0K

$44.8K NOK 416.7K

-0.41%

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

$292 NOK 2,719

$281 NOK 2,616

3.94%

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

$35.42 NOK 329

$34.86 NOK 324

1.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.0 NOK 734

$55.8 NOK 519

41.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.83 NOK 436

$50.6 NOK 470

-7.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.17 NOK 411

$38.16 NOK 355

15.75%

Cinema Ticket

$19.31 NOK 180

$17.46 NOK 162

10.60%

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

$243 NOK 2,257

$240 NOK 2,230

1.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.5K NOK 144.6K

$13.1K NOK 121.5K

18.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$115 NOK 1,068

$103 NOK 954

11.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.2 NOK 513

$58.0 NOK 540

-4.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 NOK 1,084

$129 NOK 1,196

-9.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 NOK 1,511

$163 NOK 1,519

-0.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,613 NOK 15.0K

$1,273 NOK 11.8K

26.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,283 NOK 11.9K

$1,068 NOK 9,938

20.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,639 NOK 24.5K

$2,081 NOK 19.4K

26.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,911 NOK 17.8K

$1,737 NOK 16.2K

10.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,204 NOK 76.3K

$6,544 NOK 60.9K

25.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,269 NOK 49.0K

$4,307 NOK 40.1K

22.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,937 NOK 45.9K

$5,330 NOK 49.6K

-7.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.27

4.94

6.68%

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

Last update for Bergen: November 3, 2026

Last update for Kirkenes: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Bergen

$1.3K 41.6%

Kirkenes

$1.1K 38.8% 16.7% $214

Groceries & Markets

Bergen

$543 17.6%

Kirkenes

$500 18.2% 7.9% $43

Eating Out

Bergen

$434 14.1%

Kirkenes

$398 14.5% 8.2% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bergen

$407 13.2%

Kirkenes

$372 13.5% 8.6% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Bergen

$202 6.6%

Kirkenes

$204 7.4% 0.8% $1.6

Getting Around

Bergen

$133 4.3%

Kirkenes

$126 4.6% 4.9% $6.5

Sport & Entertainment

Bergen

$85 2.8%

Kirkenes

$85 3.1% 0% $0

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,613 in Bergen and $1,273 in Kirkenes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kirkenes pays 8% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $140 in Bergen vs $109 in Kirkenes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $543 vs $500 per month, with Kirkenes cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇴 Bergen

🇳🇴 Kirkenes

🕒 Local time

05:39 5:39 AM

Same time as Bergen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

292,482

3,500

💱 Currency

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 NOK = 10.75 USD

100 NOK = 9.58 EUR

100 NOK = 10.75 USD

100 NOK = 9.58 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bergen Kirkenes 1,540 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Bergen
Kirkenes

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 about 11% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 7% lower in Bergen. 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: $1,613 in Bergen versus $1,273 in Kirkenes. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $243 in Bergen versus $240 in Kirkenes. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% 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.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Bergen and Kirkenes are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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.