Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Steinkjer Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Steinkjer

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,650 in Bergen versus $2,011 in Steinkjer.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,988 in Bergen versus $3,053 in Steinkjer.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,327 in Bergen versus $4,095 in Steinkjer.

Living in Bergen is roughly 32% more expensive than in Steinkjer, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 98% above, Steinkjer 51% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.72 NOK 248

$22.75 NOK 219

13.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$103 NOK 994

$55.3 NOK 533

86.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.51 NOK 188

$13.35 NOK 129

46.14%

Cappuccino

$5.42 NOK 52.3

$4.44 NOK 42.78

22.07%

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

$3.20 NOK 30.86

$3.68 NOK 35.51

-13.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 NOK 27.90

$2.95 NOK 28.42

-2.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.82 NOK 114

$10.31 NOK 99.4

14.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.78 NOK 94.3

$6.15 NOK 59.3

59.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.65 NOK 25.56

$1.99 NOK 19.23

33.17%

White Bread (500g)

$3.28 NOK 31.62

$3.65 NOK 35.24

-10.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.88 NOK 27.80

$3.03 NOK 29.19

-4.95%

Eggs

$4.90 NOK 47.29

$4.49 NOK 43.33

9.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.20 NOK 137

$10.31 NOK 99.5

37.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.06 NOK 155

$14.95 NOK 144

7.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.21 NOK 272

$28.55 NOK 275

-1.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.94 NOK 38.03

$3.76 NOK 36.24

4.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.96 NOK 28.55

$2.26 NOK 21.80

30.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.75 NOK 36.21

$2.63 NOK 25.34

42.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.62 NOK 54.2

$5.08 NOK 49.02

10.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.73 NOK 26.32

$1.99 NOK 19.15

37.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.91 NOK 28.07

$2.01 NOK 19.35

44.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 NOK 27.03

$2.60 NOK 25.12

7.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 NOK 20.66

$2.40 NOK 23.17

-10.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.95 NOK 163

$14.01 NOK 135

20.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.26 NOK 166

$18.06 NOK 174

-4.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.30 NOK 31.84

$3.59 NOK 34.64

-8.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 NOK 42.22

$4.60 NOK 44.38

-4.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.47 NOK 43.12

$3.93 NOK 37.88

13.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.2 NOK 783

$74.7 NOK 720

8.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.23 NOK 147

$15.06 NOK 145

1.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.25 NOK 21.68

$2.20 NOK 21.19

2.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$72.5 NOK 700

$87.7 NOK 845

-17.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 NOK 20.53

$2.04 NOK 19.68

4.41%

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

$35.3K NOK 340.8K

$31.4K NOK 303.2K

12.39%

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

$43.1K NOK 415.5K

$42.5K NOK 410.2K

1.30%

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

$242 NOK 2,336

$150 NOK 1,447

61.49%

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

$38.51 NOK 371

$42.93 NOK 414

-10.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.7 NOK 624

$50.6 NOK 488

27.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.9 NOK 520

$30.69 NOK 296

75.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.36 NOK 389

$35.73 NOK 345

12.96%

Cinema Ticket

$20.20 NOK 195

$15.06 NOK 145

34.13%

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

$286 NOK 2,756

$330 NOK 3,185

-13.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K NOK 121.1K

$8,521 NOK 82.2K

47.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.1 NOK 878

$50.4 NOK 486

80.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.5 NOK 535

$30.83 NOK 297

80.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 NOK 1,072

$60.3 NOK 581

84.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$145 NOK 1,401

$132 NOK 1,273

10.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,284 NOK 12.4K

$1,011 NOK 9,749

26.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$976 NOK 9,408

$657 NOK 6,337

48.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,019 NOK 19.5K

$1,530 NOK 14.8K

31.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,558 NOK 15.0K

$1,026 NOK 9,892

51.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,575 NOK 73.0K

$6,066 NOK 58.5K

24.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,645 NOK 44.8K

$3,692 NOK 35.6K

25.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,344 NOK 41.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.85

1.5

223.33%

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

Last update for Bergen: July 12, 2026

Last update for Steinkjer: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,284 in Bergen and $1,011 in Steinkjer. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $103 in Bergen vs $55.0 in Steinkjer for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $489 vs $459 per month, with Steinkjer 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 Steinkjer: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Steinkjer is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 32% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,975 in Bergen and $3,017 in Steinkjer to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,284 in Bergen versus $1,011 in Steinkjer. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $286 in Bergen versus $330 in Steinkjer. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Bergen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,011 in Steinkjer versus $2,650 in Bergen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Steinkjer but tight or insufficient in Bergen. The gap between the two cities makes Steinkjer the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Steinkjer 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 Steinkjer 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 Steinkjer gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.