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: $2,658 in Bergen versus $2,375 in Kongsberg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,013 in Bergen versus $3,557 in Kongsberg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,368 in Bergen versus $4,738 in Kongsberg.

Living in Bergen is roughly 12% more expensive than in Kongsberg, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 100% above, Kongsberg 78% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.18 NOK 239

$22.09 NOK 209

13.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 NOK 970

$72.1 NOK 683

42.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.35 NOK 183

$13.09 NOK 124

47.82%

Cappuccino

$5.34 NOK 50.7

$4.82 NOK 45.67

10.79%

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

$3.24 NOK 30.68

$2.50 NOK 23.72

29.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 NOK 27.47

$2.15 NOK 20.41

34.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.61 NOK 110

$9.30 NOK 88.2

24.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.63 NOK 91.3

$10.13 NOK 96.1

-4.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.71 NOK 25.70

$2.16 NOK 20.50

25.46%

White Bread (500g)

$3.44 NOK 32.64

$3.10 NOK 29.36

10.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.79 NOK 26.44

$3.33 NOK 31.60

-16.22%

Eggs

$5.03 NOK 47.68

$4.83 NOK 45.77

4.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.95 NOK 132

$10.29 NOK 97.6

35.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.55 NOK 147

$11.69 NOK 111

33.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.87 NOK 264

$18.20 NOK 173

53.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.81 NOK 36.09

$3.04 NOK 28.87

25.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.96 NOK 28.07

$2.35 NOK 22.25

25.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.58 NOK 33.98

$3.34 NOK 31.67

7.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.51 NOK 52.3

$4.12 NOK 39.04

33.74%

Potato (1kg)

$2.60 NOK 24.70

$2.21 NOK 20.92

17.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.75 NOK 26.09

$2.21 NOK 20.96

24.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.77 NOK 26.26

$2.97 NOK 28.12

-6.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 NOK 20.02

$1.92 NOK 18.24

9.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.74 NOK 159

$17.05 NOK 162

-1.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.70 NOK 168

$15.55 NOK 147

13.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.39 NOK 32.11

$3.32 NOK 31.50

2.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 NOK 40.77

$3.85 NOK 36.49

11.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.37 NOK 41.45

$2.47 NOK 23.37

76.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.8 NOK 757

$88.3 NOK 838

-9.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.20 NOK 144

$10.01 NOK 94.9

51.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 NOK 20.87

$1.44 NOK 13.67

52.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$72.6 NOK 689

$30.84 NOK 292

135.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 NOK 20.98

$2.12 NOK 20.12

4.25%

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

$35.8K NOK 339.6K

$37.8K NOK 358.2K

-5.20%

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

$43.7K NOK 414.2K

$41.0K NOK 389.0K

6.48%

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

$244 NOK 2,314

$220 NOK 2,085

10.97%

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

$38.05 NOK 361

$27.19 NOK 258

39.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.4 NOK 620

$38.66 NOK 367

69.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 NOK 513

$44.59 NOK 423

21.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.77 NOK 377

$54.5 NOK 516

-26.99%

Cinema Ticket

$19.90 NOK 189

$19.86 NOK 188

0.20%

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

$284 NOK 2,692

$304 NOK 2,886

-6.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K NOK 122.2K

$3,645 NOK 34.6K

253.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.5 NOK 877

$88.6 NOK 840

4.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.7 NOK 528

$52.0 NOK 493

7.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 NOK 1,067

$159 NOK 1,503

-28.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 NOK 1,360

$164 NOK 1,554

-12.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 NOK 12.4K

$988 NOK 9,368

31.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$997 NOK 9,455

$896 NOK 8,501

11.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,032 NOK 19.3K

$1,769 NOK 16.8K

14.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 NOK 15.1K

$1,551 NOK 14.7K

2.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,558 NOK 71.7K

$5,933 NOK 56.3K

27.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,679 NOK 44.4K

$4,082 NOK 38.7K

14.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,385 NOK 41.6K

$3,556 NOK 33.7K

23.29%

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: July 28, 2026

Last update for Kongsberg: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,304 in Bergen and $988 in Kongsberg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 23% 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 $72.0 in Kongsberg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $485 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 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 23% 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: $1,304 in Bergen versus $988 in Kongsberg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $284 in Bergen versus $304 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 $2,375 in Kongsberg versus $2,658 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 12% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.