Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Trondheim Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Trondheim

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,658 in Bergen versus $2,745 in Trondheim.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,013 in Bergen versus $4,170 in Trondheim.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,368 in Bergen versus $5,595 in Trondheim.

Living in Bergen costs roughly 3% less than in Trondheim, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 100% above, Trondheim 106% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.18 NOK 239

$22.21 NOK 211

13.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 NOK 970

$123 NOK 1,162

-16.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.35 NOK 183

$14.44 NOK 137

34.00%

Cappuccino

$5.34 NOK 50.7

$4.82 NOK 45.75

10.79%

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

$3.24 NOK 30.68

$3.67 NOK 34.84

-11.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 NOK 27.47

$2.99 NOK 28.34

-3.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.61 NOK 110

$10.80 NOK 102

7.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.63 NOK 91.3

$11.45 NOK 109

-15.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.71 NOK 25.70

$2.51 NOK 23.79

7.97%

White Bread (500g)

$3.44 NOK 32.64

$3.65 NOK 34.58

-5.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.79 NOK 26.44

$3.86 NOK 36.62

-27.72%

Eggs

$5.03 NOK 47.68

$4.59 NOK 43.49

9.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.95 NOK 132

$12.21 NOK 116

14.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.55 NOK 147

$14.92 NOK 141

4.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.87 NOK 264

$28.37 NOK 269

-1.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.81 NOK 36.09

$3.77 NOK 35.76

1.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.96 NOK 28.07

$2.97 NOK 28.21

-0.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.58 NOK 33.98

$2.64 NOK 25.00

35.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.51 NOK 52.3

$5.01 NOK 47.50

9.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.60 NOK 24.70

$2.97 NOK 28.20

-12.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.75 NOK 26.09

$3.22 NOK 30.53

-14.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.77 NOK 26.26

$3.20 NOK 30.33

-13.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 NOK 20.02

$2.50 NOK 23.68

-15.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.74 NOK 159

$15.41 NOK 146

8.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.70 NOK 168

$18.42 NOK 175

-3.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.39 NOK 32.11

$3.66 NOK 34.68

-7.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 NOK 40.77

$4.84 NOK 45.87

-11.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.37 NOK 41.45

$4.57 NOK 43.37

-4.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.8 NOK 757

$93.7 NOK 889

-14.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.20 NOK 144

$15.40 NOK 146

-1.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 NOK 20.87

$2.26 NOK 21.40

-2.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$72.6 NOK 689

$89.5 NOK 848

-18.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 NOK 20.98

$2.12 NOK 20.06

4.25%

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

$35.8K NOK 339.6K

$32.4K NOK 306.8K

10.66%

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

$43.7K NOK 414.2K

$43.1K NOK 409.0K

1.27%

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

$244 NOK 2,314

$323 NOK 3,059

-24.35%

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

$38.05 NOK 361

$43.23 NOK 410

-11.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.4 NOK 620

$76.7 NOK 727

-14.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 NOK 513

$42.53 NOK 403

27.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.77 NOK 377

$46.79 NOK 444

-15.00%

Cinema Ticket

$19.90 NOK 189

$17.26 NOK 164

15.30%

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

$284 NOK 2,692

$321 NOK 3,044

-11.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K NOK 122.2K

$8,375 NOK 79.4K

53.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.5 NOK 877

$110 NOK 1,044

-15.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.7 NOK 528

$47.48 NOK 450

17.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 NOK 1,067

$128 NOK 1,214

-12.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 NOK 1,360

$132 NOK 1,248

8.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 NOK 12.4K

$1,371 NOK 13.0K

-4.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$997 NOK 9,455

$1,079 NOK 10.2K

-7.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,032 NOK 19.3K

$2,269 NOK 21.5K

-10.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 NOK 15.1K

$1,685 NOK 16.0K

-5.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,558 NOK 71.7K

$6,109 NOK 57.9K

23.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,679 NOK 44.4K

$4,952 NOK 47.0K

-5.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,385 NOK 41.6K

$4,148 NOK 39.3K

5.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.85

4.32

12.27%

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

Last update for Bergen: July 28, 2026

Last update for Trondheim: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,304 in Bergen and $1,371 in Trondheim. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 6% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $102 in Bergen vs $123 in Trondheim for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $485 vs $487 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 Trondheim: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bergen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 6% 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 $1,371 in Trondheim. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $284 in Bergen versus $321 in Trondheim. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 0% higher in Trondheim. 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 Trondheim, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Bergen and Trondheim 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 3% less than in Trondheim. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.