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: $2,907 in Bergen versus $2,748 in Steinkjer.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,400 in Bergen versus $3,954 in Steinkjer.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,894 in Bergen versus $5,161 in Steinkjer.

Living in Bergen is roughly 6% more expensive than in Steinkjer, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 112% above, Steinkjer 100% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.49 NOK 237

$21.44 NOK 199

18.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$141 NOK 1,305

$59.4 NOK 551

136.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.21 NOK 150

$14.16 NOK 131

14.48%

Cappuccino

$5.63 NOK 52.3

$4.96 NOK 46.07

13.51%

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

$5.28 NOK 49.00

$5.74 NOK 53.3

-8.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 NOK 43.97

$4.23 NOK 39.25

12.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.91 NOK 120

$10.62 NOK 98.6

21.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.52 NOK 97.7

$6.55 NOK 60.8

60.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.48 NOK 23.00

$2.59 NOK 24.08

-4.25%

White Bread (500g)

$3.83 NOK 35.57

$3.56 NOK 33.06

7.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.58 NOK 33.20

$3.88 NOK 35.99

-7.73%

Eggs

$6.70 NOK 62.2

$4.85 NOK 45.01

38.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.27 NOK 142

$13.50 NOK 125

13.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.52 NOK 163

$16.65 NOK 155

5.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$35.05 NOK 325

$29.88 NOK 277

17.30%

Apples (1kg)

$4.22 NOK 39.14

$4.05 NOK 37.56

4.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.71 NOK 25.17

$2.92 NOK 27.11

-7.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.72 NOK 34.55

$3.94 NOK 36.58

-5.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.61 NOK 52.1

$5.69 NOK 52.8

-1.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.56 NOK 23.73

$2.95 NOK 27.36

-13.22%

Onion (1kg)

$3.48 NOK 32.27

$3.05 NOK 28.35

14.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.03 NOK 28.12

$2.94 NOK 27.29

3.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 NOK 18.44

$2.26 NOK 21.02

-11.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.89 NOK 166

$17.78 NOK 165

0.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.74 NOK 174

$18.66 NOK 173

0.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.62 NOK 33.58

$3.67 NOK 34.11

-1.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.24 NOK 39.39

$4.53 NOK 42.06

-6.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.17 NOK 47.97

$4.31 NOK 40.05

19.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.2 NOK 837

$87.0 NOK 808

3.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.70 NOK 118

$9.58 NOK 89.0

32.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 NOK 17.68

$1.67 NOK 15.55

13.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$73.1 NOK 679

$61.8 NOK 574

18.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 NOK 20.82

$2.34 NOK 21.72

-4.27%

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

$49.8K NOK 462.0K

$46.0K NOK 426.8K

8.24%

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

$43.8K NOK 406.7K

$45.9K NOK 426.2K

-4.58%

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

$286 NOK 2,653

$276 NOK 2,564

3.48%

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

$31.94 NOK 297

$36.55 NOK 339

-12.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.6 NOK 729

$83.1 NOK 772

-5.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.64 NOK 414

$53.6 NOK 498

-16.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$43.59 NOK 405

$42.75 NOK 397

1.96%

Cinema Ticket

$19.25 NOK 179

$16.01 NOK 149

20.24%

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

$241 NOK 2,234

$303 NOK 2,814

-20.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K NOK 110.9K

$4,430 NOK 41.1K

169.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 NOK 991

$110 NOK 1,017

-2.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 NOK 504

$51.0 NOK 473

6.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 NOK 1,141

$122 NOK 1,132

0.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$169 NOK 1,571

$162 NOK 1,503

4.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,514 NOK 14.1K

$1,247 NOK 11.6K

21.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,119 NOK 10.4K

$1,129 NOK 10.5K

-0.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,489 NOK 23.1K

$1,832 NOK 17.0K

35.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,758 NOK 16.3K

$1,898 NOK 17.6K

-7.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,741 NOK 71.9K

$6,007 NOK 55.8K

28.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,935 NOK 45.8K

$3,779 NOK 35.1K

30.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,828 NOK 44.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.31

5.32

-0.19%

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

Last update for Bergen: August 30, 2026

Last update for Steinkjer: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,514 in Bergen and $1,247 in Steinkjer. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $141 in Bergen vs $59.0 in Steinkjer for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $538 vs $510 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. The 6% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $4,361 in Bergen and $4,122 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: $1,514 in Bergen versus $1,247 in Steinkjer. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $241 in Bergen versus $303 in Steinkjer. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Bergen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Steinkjer is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 6% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.