Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Tromso Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Tromso

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,907 in Bergen versus $3,167 in Tromso.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,400 in Bergen versus $4,757 in Tromso.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,894 in Bergen versus $6,347 in Tromso.

Living in Bergen costs roughly 8% less than in Tromso, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 112% above, Tromso 130% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.49 NOK 238

$35.46 NOK 330

-28.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$141 NOK 1,309

$106 NOK 990

32.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.21 NOK 151

$16.00 NOK 149

1.31%

Cappuccino

$5.63 NOK 52.5

$6.85 NOK 63.9

-17.81%

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

$5.28 NOK 49.18

$4.80 NOK 44.68

10.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 NOK 44.12

$3.78 NOK 35.19

25.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.91 NOK 120

$13.00 NOK 121

-0.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.52 NOK 98.0

$13.99 NOK 130

-24.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.48 NOK 23.08

$2.49 NOK 23.17

-0.40%

White Bread (500g)

$3.83 NOK 35.70

$3.38 NOK 31.46

13.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.58 NOK 33.31

$3.91 NOK 36.42

-8.44%

Eggs

$6.70 NOK 62.5

$5.18 NOK 48.25

29.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.27 NOK 142

$11.98 NOK 112

27.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.52 NOK 163

$14.78 NOK 138

18.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$35.05 NOK 327

$42.37 NOK 395

-17.28%

Apples (1kg)

$4.22 NOK 39.28

$4.21 NOK 39.27

0.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.71 NOK 25.26

$3.04 NOK 28.29

-10.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.72 NOK 34.67

$5.54 NOK 51.7

-32.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.61 NOK 52.3

$6.18 NOK 57.6

-9.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.56 NOK 23.82

$3.63 NOK 33.86

-29.48%

Onion (1kg)

$3.48 NOK 32.38

$4.81 NOK 44.83

-27.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.03 NOK 28.22

$3.02 NOK 28.13

0.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 NOK 18.50

$2.16 NOK 20.08

-7.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.89 NOK 167

$16.36 NOK 152

9.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.74 NOK 175

$16.27 NOK 152

15.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.62 NOK 33.70

$4.06 NOK 37.82

-10.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.24 NOK 39.52

$4.87 NOK 45.36

-12.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.17 NOK 48.14

$5.02 NOK 46.75

2.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.2 NOK 840

$68.5 NOK 638

31.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.70 NOK 118

$16.00 NOK 149

-20.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 NOK 17.74

$2.13 NOK 19.84

-10.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$73.1 NOK 681

$57.3 NOK 533

27.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 NOK 20.90

$2.24 NOK 20.83

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

$49.8K NOK 463.6K

$48.9K NOK 455.7K

1.73%

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

$43.8K NOK 408.1K

$45.1K NOK 420.3K

-2.90%

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

$286 NOK 2,662

$261 NOK 2,429

9.59%

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

$31.94 NOK 298

$50.3 NOK 468

-36.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.6 NOK 732

$84.9 NOK 791

-7.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.64 NOK 416

$51.5 NOK 480

-13.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$43.59 NOK 406

$48.67 NOK 453

-10.44%

Cinema Ticket

$19.25 NOK 179

$17.57 NOK 164

9.56%

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

$241 NOK 2,242

$323 NOK 3,006

-25.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K NOK 111.3K

$7,674 NOK 71.5K

55.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 NOK 994

$66.9 NOK 623

59.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 NOK 506

$36.05 NOK 336

50.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 NOK 1,145

$148 NOK 1,377

-16.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$169 NOK 1,576

$170 NOK 1,580

-0.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,514 NOK 14.1K

$1,578 NOK 14.7K

-4.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,119 NOK 10.4K

$1,278 NOK 11.9K

-12.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,489 NOK 23.2K

$2,730 NOK 25.4K

-8.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,758 NOK 16.4K

$2,025 NOK 18.9K

-13.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,741 NOK 72.1K

$6,913 NOK 64.4K

11.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,935 NOK 46.0K

$5,394 NOK 50.3K

-8.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,828 NOK 45.0K

$4,206 NOK 39.2K

14.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.31

5.01

5.99%

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

Last update for Bergen: August 30, 2026

Last update for Tromso: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,514 in Bergen and $1,578 in Tromso. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 15% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $141 in Bergen vs $106 in Tromso. Groceries flip the comparison at $538 vs $545, with Bergen cheaper for home cooking.

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 Tromso: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bergen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 15% 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: $1,514 in Bergen versus $1,578 in Tromso. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $241 in Bergen versus $323 in Tromso. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Tromso. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Bergen is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Bergen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Tromso, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Bergen and Tromso 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 Bergen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Tromso. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.