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: $2,650 in Bergen versus $2,965 in Tromso.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,988 in Bergen versus $4,410 in Tromso.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,327 in Bergen versus $5,854 in Tromso.

Living in Bergen costs roughly 11% less than in Tromso, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 98% above, Tromso 122% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.72 NOK 248

$33.12 NOK 319

-22.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$103 NOK 993

$121 NOK 1,162

-14.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.51 NOK 188

$14.95 NOK 144

30.50%

Cappuccino

$5.42 NOK 52.2

$6.11 NOK 58.9

-11.29%

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

$3.20 NOK 30.82

$4.51 NOK 43.47

-29.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 NOK 27.87

$3.36 NOK 32.34

-13.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.82 NOK 114

$11.31 NOK 109

4.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.78 NOK 94.2

$11.00 NOK 106

-11.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.65 NOK 25.54

$2.49 NOK 24.03

6.43%

White Bread (500g)

$3.28 NOK 31.58

$3.19 NOK 30.74

2.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.88 NOK 27.77

$3.47 NOK 33.42

-17.00%

Eggs

$4.90 NOK 47.23

$4.86 NOK 46.83

0.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.20 NOK 137

$11.61 NOK 112

22.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.06 NOK 155

$15.21 NOK 147

5.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.21 NOK 272

$37.68 NOK 363

-25.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.94 NOK 37.99

$3.86 NOK 37.14

2.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.96 NOK 28.52

$2.81 NOK 27.09

5.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.75 NOK 36.17

$3.56 NOK 34.34

5.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.62 NOK 54.2

$5.16 NOK 49.66

8.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.73 NOK 26.29

$2.98 NOK 28.74

-8.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.91 NOK 28.04

$3.56 NOK 34.29

-18.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 NOK 27.00

$2.68 NOK 25.84

4.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 NOK 20.64

$1.75 NOK 16.88

22.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.95 NOK 163

$15.11 NOK 146

12.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.26 NOK 166

$18.35 NOK 177

-5.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.30 NOK 31.80

$3.64 NOK 35.02

-9.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 NOK 42.18

$4.55 NOK 43.78

-3.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.47 NOK 43.07

$4.69 NOK 45.14

-4.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.2 NOK 783

$59.5 NOK 573

36.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.23 NOK 147

$12.71 NOK 122

19.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.25 NOK 21.66

$1.09 NOK 10.47

106.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$72.5 NOK 699

$50.8 NOK 489

42.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 NOK 20.51

$2.23 NOK 21.51

-4.48%

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

$35.3K NOK 340.4K

$33.1K NOK 318.6K

6.84%

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

$43.1K NOK 415.0K

$36.6K NOK 352.4K

17.78%

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

$242 NOK 2,333

$252 NOK 2,425

-3.78%

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

$38.51 NOK 371

$47.54 NOK 458

-18.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.7 NOK 623

$75.9 NOK 731

-14.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.9 NOK 520

$47.75 NOK 460

12.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.36 NOK 389

$39.56 NOK 381

2.02%

Cinema Ticket

$20.20 NOK 195

$16.45 NOK 158

22.80%

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

$286 NOK 2,753

$334 NOK 3,212

-14.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K NOK 121.0K

$7,348 NOK 70.8K

70.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.1 NOK 878

$91.0 NOK 877

0.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.5 NOK 535

$33.49 NOK 323

65.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 NOK 1,071

$134 NOK 1,287

-16.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$145 NOK 1,400

$133 NOK 1,278

9.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,284 NOK 12.4K

$1,352 NOK 13.0K

-5.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$976 NOK 9,397

$1,258 NOK 12.1K

-22.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,019 NOK 19.4K

$2,549 NOK 24.6K

-20.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,558 NOK 15.0K

$1,815 NOK 17.5K

-14.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,575 NOK 73.0K

$8,817 NOK 84.9K

-14.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,645 NOK 44.7K

$5,188 NOK 50.0K

-10.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,344 NOK 41.8K

$4,066 NOK 39.2K

6.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.85

4.27

13.58%

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

Last update for Bergen: July 12, 2026

Last update for Tromso: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,284 in Bergen and $1,352 in Tromso. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 7% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $103 in Bergen vs $121 in Tromso for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $489 vs $502 per month, with Bergen 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 Tromso: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bergen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 7% 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: $1,284 in Bergen versus $1,352 in Tromso. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $286 in Bergen versus $334 in Tromso. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% 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 12% less than in Tromso. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.