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: $2,688 in Bergen versus $2,300 in Kongsberg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,981 in Bergen versus $3,510 in Kongsberg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,273 in Bergen versus $4,721 in Kongsberg.

Living in Bergen is roughly 17% more expensive than Kongsberg, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 101% above, Kongsberg 72% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.64 NOK 239

$21.91 NOK 204

17.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 NOK 948

$70.9 NOK 661

43.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.93 NOK 176

$13.25 NOK 123

42.87%

Cappuccino

$5.60 NOK 52.2

$4.99 NOK 46.54

12.22%

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

$3.11 NOK 28.95

$2.45 NOK 22.85

26.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 NOK 27.05

$2.24 NOK 20.88

29.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.69 NOK 109

$9.06 NOK 84.5

29.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.43 NOK 87.9

$10.00 NOK 93.2

-5.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.75 NOK 25.64

$2.09 NOK 19.46

31.58%

White Bread (500g)

$3.30 NOK 30.73

$3.05 NOK 28.40

8.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.81 NOK 26.16

$3.30 NOK 30.74

-14.85%

Eggs

$4.86 NOK 45.27

$4.69 NOK 43.72

3.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.19 NOK 132

$10.45 NOK 97.4

35.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.59 NOK 145

$12.04 NOK 112

29.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.20 NOK 263

$18.33 NOK 171

53.85%

Apples (1kg)

$3.87 NOK 36.11

$3.16 NOK 29.49

22.47%

Banana (1kg)

$3.06 NOK 28.54

$2.28 NOK 21.24

34.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.61 NOK 33.64

$3.26 NOK 30.39

10.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.57 NOK 51.9

$4.22 NOK 39.31

31.99%

Potato (1kg)

$2.70 NOK 25.18

$2.21 NOK 20.61

22.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.86 NOK 26.65

$2.15 NOK 20.00

33.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 NOK 25.89

$2.88 NOK 26.83

-3.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 NOK 19.77

$1.90 NOK 17.67

11.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.39 NOK 153

$17.13 NOK 160

-4.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.35 NOK 171

$16.32 NOK 152

12.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.27 NOK 30.52

$3.17 NOK 29.53

3.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 NOK 40.95

$3.89 NOK 36.24

12.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.43 NOK 41.24

$2.54 NOK 23.70

74.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.3 NOK 758

$89.4 NOK 833

-8.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.40 NOK 144

$10.03 NOK 93.5

53.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.29 NOK 21.30

$1.38 NOK 12.85

65.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$73.1 NOK 681

$29.84 NOK 278

144.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 NOK 20.02

$2.12 NOK 19.74

1.42%

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

$35.0K NOK 326.4K

$38.4K NOK 357.8K

-8.77%

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

$42.3K NOK 394.4K

$40.0K NOK 372.4K

5.90%

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

$245 NOK 2,284

$215 NOK 2,006

13.86%

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

$38.87 NOK 362

$27.74 NOK 259

40.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.9 NOK 605

$37.36 NOK 348

73.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.3 NOK 515

$43.95 NOK 410

25.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.54 NOK 369

$53.6 NOK 500

-26.27%

Cinema Ticket

$20.55 NOK 192

$19.86 NOK 185

3.47%

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

$279 NOK 2,597

$302 NOK 2,815

-7.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K NOK 120.8K

$3,684 NOK 34.3K

251.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.8 NOK 837

$88.4 NOK 824

1.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.2 NOK 515

$51.7 NOK 482

6.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 NOK 1,061

$159 NOK 1,482

-28.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 NOK 1,340

$163 NOK 1,515

-11.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 NOK 12.0K

$1,000 NOK 9,319

28.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$967 NOK 9,014

$882 NOK 8,224

9.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,994 NOK 18.6K

$1,721 NOK 16.0K

15.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 NOK 14.7K

$1,562 NOK 14.6K

0.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,978 NOK 74.4K

$6,290 NOK 58.6K

26.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 NOK 46.6K

$4,376 NOK 40.8K

14.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,447 NOK 41.4K

$3,682 NOK 34.3K

20.80%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Kongsberg: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,287 in Bergen and $1,000 in Kongsberg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 21% 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 $71.0 in Kongsberg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $489 vs $395 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 17% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Bergen pays 21% 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: $1,287 in Bergen versus $1,000 in Kongsberg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $279 in Bergen versus $302 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 $2,300 in Kongsberg versus $2,688 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 17% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.