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: $2,948 in Bergen versus $2,674 in Kirkenes.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,449 in Bergen versus $4,114 in Kirkenes.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,950 in Bergen versus $5,555 in Kirkenes.

Living in Bergen is roughly 10% more expensive than in Kirkenes, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 115% above, Kirkenes 95% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.70 NOK 233

$21.17 NOK 200

16.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$139 NOK 1,311

$121 NOK 1,144

14.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.86 NOK 149

$14.15 NOK 133

12.08%

Cappuccino

$5.68 NOK 53.5

$6.19 NOK 58.3

-8.24%

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

$5.31 NOK 50.0

$3.98 NOK 37.49

33.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 NOK 42.69

$2.94 NOK 27.67

54.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.85 NOK 121

$11.21 NOK 106

14.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.60 NOK 99.9

$10.16 NOK 95.7

4.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.33 NOK 21.95

$2.27 NOK 21.42

2.64%

White Bread (500g)

$3.90 NOK 36.77

$3.75 NOK 35.33

4.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.57 NOK 33.67

$3.53 NOK 33.29

1.13%

Eggs

$6.62 NOK 62.4

$4.72 NOK 44.46

40.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.02 NOK 142

$13.38 NOK 126

12.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.61 NOK 166

$17.02 NOK 160

3.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$35.64 NOK 336

$33.06 NOK 312

7.80%

Apples (1kg)

$4.02 NOK 37.88

$3.52 NOK 33.17

14.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 NOK 26.64

$2.54 NOK 23.94

11.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.67 NOK 34.54

$3.25 NOK 30.64

12.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.50 NOK 51.8

$4.60 NOK 43.38

19.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 NOK 23.99

$2.89 NOK 27.24

-11.76%

Onion (1kg)

$3.30 NOK 31.10

$2.78 NOK 26.15

18.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.94 NOK 27.70

$2.65 NOK 24.95

10.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 NOK 17.95

$2.52 NOK 23.72

-24.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.18 NOK 171

$19.43 NOK 183

-6.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.23 NOK 172

$19.38 NOK 183

-5.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.52 NOK 33.20

$3.92 NOK 36.91

-10.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 NOK 41.32

$4.74 NOK 44.67

-7.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.12 NOK 48.20

$4.16 NOK 39.21

23.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.2 NOK 850

$86.9 NOK 819

3.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.62 NOK 119

$12.14 NOK 114

3.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 NOK 18.43

$1.68 NOK 15.88

16.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$74.5 NOK 702

$76.6 NOK 721

-2.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.37 NOK 22.33

$2.38 NOK 22.39

-0.42%

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

$49.1K NOK 462.5K

$47.6K NOK 448.4K

3.15%

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

$44.2K NOK 416.9K

$43.5K NOK 410.1K

1.67%

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

$288 NOK 2,717

$276 NOK 2,602

4.42%

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

$31.45 NOK 296

$28.22 NOK 266

11.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.6 NOK 741

$64.5 NOK 608

21.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.85 NOK 432

$55.1 NOK 519

-16.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$43.68 NOK 412

$36.03 NOK 339

21.23%

Cinema Ticket

$19.64 NOK 185

$17.35 NOK 163

13.20%

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

$245 NOK 2,309

$230 NOK 2,167

6.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K NOK 115.2K

$14.3K NOK 134.7K

-14.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 NOK 1,008

$96.2 NOK 907

11.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 NOK 511

$65.1 NOK 614

-16.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 NOK 1,181

$126 NOK 1,185

-0.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$170 NOK 1,602

$173 NOK 1,635

-2.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 NOK 14.1K

$1,353 NOK 12.8K

10.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,104 NOK 10.4K

$1,066 NOK 10.0K

3.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,481 NOK 23.4K

$2,225 NOK 21.0K

11.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,780 NOK 16.8K

$1,682 NOK 15.8K

5.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,757 NOK 73.1K

$6,295 NOK 59.3K

23.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,967 NOK 46.8K

$4,187 NOK 39.5K

18.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,712 NOK 44.4K

$5,402 NOK 50.9K

-12.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.31

4.98

6.63%

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

Last update for Bergen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Kirkenes: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,496 in Bergen and $1,353 in Kirkenes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kirkenes pays 15% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $139 in Bergen vs $121 in Kirkenes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $534 vs $509 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. The 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 15% 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: $1,496 in Bergen versus $1,353 in Kirkenes. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $245 in Bergen versus $230 in Kirkenes. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% 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 10% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.