Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Kongsberg Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Kongsberg

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,622 in Bergen versus $2,388 in Kongsberg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,948 in Bergen versus $3,537 in Kongsberg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,274 in Bergen versus $4,687 in Kongsberg.

Living in Bergen is roughly 10% more expensive than Kongsberg, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 95% above, Kongsberg 78% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.22 NOK 239

$22.05 NOK 209

14.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 NOK 965

$70.1 NOK 665

44.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.97 NOK 180

$13.43 NOK 127

41.25%

Cappuccino

$5.55 NOK 52.6

$4.82 NOK 45.73

15.15%

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

$3.17 NOK 30.10

$2.46 NOK 23.35

28.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 NOK 28.56

$2.21 NOK 20.98

36.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.86 NOK 113

$9.13 NOK 86.6

29.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.58 NOK 90.9

$10.07 NOK 95.6

-4.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.69 NOK 25.50

$2.20 NOK 20.90

22.27%

White Bread (500g)

$3.44 NOK 32.66

$3.14 NOK 29.85

9.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.88 NOK 27.34

$3.31 NOK 31.38

-12.99%

Eggs

$5.03 NOK 47.75

$4.79 NOK 45.45

5.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 NOK 132

$10.56 NOK 100

32.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.99 NOK 152

$11.80 NOK 112

35.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.79 NOK 264

$18.13 NOK 172

53.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.79 NOK 35.95

$3.11 NOK 29.47

21.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.95 NOK 27.98

$2.26 NOK 21.45

30.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.59 NOK 34.03

$3.30 NOK 31.34

8.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.70 NOK 54.1

$4.16 NOK 39.50

37.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.62 NOK 24.85

$2.27 NOK 21.56

15.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.87 NOK 27.29

$2.16 NOK 20.50

32.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.91 NOK 27.63

$2.98 NOK 28.28

-2.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 NOK 20.34

$1.88 NOK 17.87

13.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.78 NOK 159

$17.04 NOK 162

-1.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.96 NOK 170

$15.62 NOK 148

14.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.44 NOK 32.68

$3.18 NOK 30.14

8.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 NOK 40.97

$3.76 NOK 35.72

14.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.44 NOK 42.14

$2.51 NOK 23.84

76.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.0 NOK 759

$91.6 NOK 869

-12.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.23 NOK 145

$9.92 NOK 94.2

53.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.27 NOK 21.55

$1.40 NOK 13.33

62.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$72.5 NOK 688

$29.84 NOK 283

143.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 NOK 20.93

$2.11 NOK 20.07

4.74%

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

$35.9K NOK 340.3K

$38.2K NOK 362.9K

-6.22%

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

$42.9K NOK 407.0K

$41.3K NOK 391.9K

3.86%

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

$243 NOK 2,311

$219 NOK 2,078

11.18%

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

$38.80 NOK 368

$27.18 NOK 258

42.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.3 NOK 620

$38.57 NOK 366

69.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 NOK 514

$43.84 NOK 416

23.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.54 NOK 375

$53.3 NOK 506

-25.79%

Cinema Ticket

$20.20 NOK 192

$20.31 NOK 193

-0.54%

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

$282 NOK 2,677

$312 NOK 2,961

-9.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K NOK 119.9K

$3,700 NOK 35.1K

241.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.9 NOK 863

$89.0 NOK 844

2.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 NOK 531

$52.9 NOK 502

5.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 NOK 1,064

$158 NOK 1,501

-29.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$147 NOK 1,391

$160 NOK 1,515

-8.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 NOK 12.3K

$1,021 NOK 9,694

26.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$973 NOK 9,238

$910 NOK 8,642

6.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,994 NOK 18.9K

$1,720 NOK 16.3K

15.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,568 NOK 14.9K

$1,589 NOK 15.1K

-1.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,844 NOK 74.4K

$6,266 NOK 59.5K

25.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,587 NOK 43.5K

$4,167 NOK 39.5K

10.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,531 NOK 43.0K

$3,562 NOK 33.8K

27.21%

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 Kongsberg: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,295 in Bergen and $1,021 in Kongsberg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 27% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $102 in Bergen vs $70.0 in Kongsberg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $490 vs $394 per month, with Kongsberg 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 Kongsberg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kongsberg is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Bergen pays 27% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,295 in Bergen versus $1,021 in Kongsberg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $282 in Bergen versus $312 in Kongsberg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Bergen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,388 in Kongsberg versus $2,622 in Bergen, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Kongsberg but tight or insufficient in Bergen. The gap between the two cities makes Kongsberg the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Kongsberg 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 Kongsberg 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 Kongsberg 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.