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: $2,948 in Bergen versus $2,690 in Kongsberg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,449 in Bergen versus $4,006 in Kongsberg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,950 in Bergen versus $5,323 in Kongsberg.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 115% above, Kongsberg 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.70 NOK 233

$21.13 NOK 199

16.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$139 NOK 1,310

$74.0 NOK 697

87.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.86 NOK 149

$16.39 NOK 154

-3.23%

Cappuccino

$5.68 NOK 53.5

$5.30 NOK 49.92

7.17%

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

$5.31 NOK 49.99

$4.09 NOK 38.50

29.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 NOK 42.68

$3.40 NOK 32.05

33.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.85 NOK 121

$11.78 NOK 111

9.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.60 NOK 99.9

$10.66 NOK 100

-0.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.33 NOK 21.94

$2.64 NOK 24.85

-11.74%

White Bread (500g)

$3.90 NOK 36.76

$3.18 NOK 29.94

22.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.57 NOK 33.67

$4.71 NOK 44.38

-24.20%

Eggs

$6.62 NOK 62.4

$5.10 NOK 48.08

29.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.02 NOK 141

$11.08 NOK 104

35.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.61 NOK 166

$12.49 NOK 118

40.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$35.64 NOK 336

$18.77 NOK 177

89.88%

Apples (1kg)

$4.02 NOK 37.87

$3.29 NOK 31.01

22.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 NOK 26.64

$2.66 NOK 25.06

6.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.67 NOK 34.53

$3.53 NOK 33.29

3.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.50 NOK 51.8

$4.93 NOK 46.41

11.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 NOK 23.99

$2.69 NOK 25.37

-5.20%

Onion (1kg)

$3.30 NOK 31.09

$2.54 NOK 23.91

29.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.94 NOK 27.69

$3.07 NOK 28.94

-4.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 NOK 17.95

$2.46 NOK 23.17

-22.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.18 NOK 171

$18.05 NOK 170

0.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.23 NOK 172

$16.19 NOK 153

12.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.52 NOK 33.19

$3.50 NOK 32.98

0.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 NOK 41.31

$3.99 NOK 37.57

10.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.12 NOK 48.19

$3.18 NOK 29.95

61.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.2 NOK 850

$96.1 NOK 906

-6.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.62 NOK 119

$12.44 NOK 117

1.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 NOK 18.42

$1.85 NOK 17.40

5.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$74.5 NOK 702

$31.91 NOK 301

133.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.37 NOK 22.33

$2.34 NOK 22.07

1.28%

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

$49.1K NOK 462.4K

$48.9K NOK 460.8K

0.34%

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

$44.2K NOK 416.8K

$44.8K NOK 421.9K

-1.20%

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

$288 NOK 2,716

$323 NOK 3,045

-10.79%

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

$31.45 NOK 296

$28.89 NOK 272

8.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.6 NOK 741

$56.3 NOK 530

39.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.85 NOK 432

$47.47 NOK 447

-3.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$43.68 NOK 411

$56.7 NOK 534

-22.92%

Cinema Ticket

$19.64 NOK 185

$19.37 NOK 182

1.39%

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

$245 NOK 2,309

$250 NOK 2,355

-1.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K NOK 115.2K

$3,926 NOK 37.0K

211.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 NOK 1,007

$94.5 NOK 890

13.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 NOK 511

$56.1 NOK 529

-3.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 NOK 1,181

$135 NOK 1,275

-7.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$170 NOK 1,601

$158 NOK 1,489

7.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 NOK 14.1K

$1,088 NOK 10.2K

37.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,104 NOK 10.4K

$1,058 NOK 9,970

4.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,481 NOK 23.4K

$2,046 NOK 19.3K

21.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,780 NOK 16.8K

$1,712 NOK 16.1K

3.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,757 NOK 73.1K

$6,368 NOK 60.0K

21.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,967 NOK 46.8K

$4,275 NOK 40.3K

16.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,712 NOK 44.4K

$3,695 NOK 34.8K

27.54%

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 Kongsberg: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,496 in Bergen and $1,088 in Kongsberg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 28% 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: $139 in Bergen vs $74.0 in Kongsberg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $534 vs $433 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, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 28% higher in Bergen, 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: $1,496 in Bergen versus $1,088 in Kongsberg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $245 in Bergen versus $250 in Kongsberg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Bergen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,690 in Kongsberg versus $2,948 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.