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: $2,622 in Bergen versus $2,776 in Trondheim.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,948 in Bergen versus $4,121 in Trondheim.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,274 in Bergen versus $5,465 in Trondheim.

Living in Bergen costs roughly 6% less than in Trondheim, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 95% above, Trondheim 107% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.22 NOK 239

$22.39 NOK 213

12.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 NOK 965

$119 NOK 1,131

-14.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.97 NOK 180

$14.04 NOK 133

35.11%

Cappuccino

$5.55 NOK 52.6

$4.72 NOK 44.83

17.58%

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

$3.17 NOK 30.10

$3.62 NOK 34.35

-12.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 NOK 28.56

$2.94 NOK 27.88

2.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.86 NOK 113

$10.68 NOK 101

11.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.58 NOK 90.9

$11.73 NOK 111

-18.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.69 NOK 25.50

$2.64 NOK 25.03

1.89%

White Bread (500g)

$3.44 NOK 32.66

$3.52 NOK 33.36

-2.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.88 NOK 27.34

$3.96 NOK 37.59

-27.27%

Eggs

$5.03 NOK 47.75

$4.56 NOK 43.28

10.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 NOK 132

$12.35 NOK 117

13.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.99 NOK 152

$15.21 NOK 144

5.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.79 NOK 264

$28.37 NOK 269

-2.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.79 NOK 35.95

$3.78 NOK 35.84

0.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.95 NOK 27.98

$2.83 NOK 26.84

4.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.59 NOK 34.03

$2.64 NOK 25.01

35.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.70 NOK 54.1

$5.31 NOK 50.4

7.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.62 NOK 24.85

$2.87 NOK 27.27

-8.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.87 NOK 27.29

$3.18 NOK 30.19

-9.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.91 NOK 27.63

$3.24 NOK 30.73

-10.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 NOK 20.34

$2.52 NOK 23.97

-15.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.78 NOK 159

$15.32 NOK 145

9.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.96 NOK 170

$18.36 NOK 174

-2.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.44 NOK 32.68

$3.72 NOK 35.28

-7.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 NOK 40.97

$4.83 NOK 45.88

-10.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.44 NOK 42.14

$4.75 NOK 45.11

-6.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.0 NOK 759

$93.7 NOK 889

-14.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.23 NOK 145

$14.89 NOK 141

2.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.27 NOK 21.55

$2.19 NOK 20.78

3.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$72.5 NOK 688

$87.8 NOK 833

-17.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 NOK 20.93

$2.22 NOK 21.08

-0.45%

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

$35.9K NOK 340.3K

$32.2K NOK 306.0K

11.20%

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

$42.9K NOK 407.0K

$42.5K NOK 403.0K

0.99%

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

$243 NOK 2,311

$328 NOK 3,118

-25.89%

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

$38.80 NOK 368

$43.15 NOK 410

-10.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.3 NOK 620

$75.0 NOK 712

-12.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 NOK 514

$42.27 NOK 401

28.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.54 NOK 375

$46.32 NOK 440

-14.64%

Cinema Ticket

$20.20 NOK 192

$17.14 NOK 163

17.85%

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

$282 NOK 2,677

$322 NOK 3,059

-12.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K NOK 119.9K

$8,553 NOK 81.2K

47.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.9 NOK 863

$113 NOK 1,076

-19.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 NOK 531

$47.89 NOK 455

16.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 NOK 1,064

$126 NOK 1,195

-10.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$147 NOK 1,391

$134 NOK 1,269

9.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 NOK 12.3K

$1,396 NOK 13.2K

-7.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$973 NOK 9,238

$1,055 NOK 10.0K

-7.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,994 NOK 18.9K

$2,233 NOK 21.2K

-10.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,568 NOK 14.9K

$1,689 NOK 16.0K

-7.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,844 NOK 74.4K

$6,157 NOK 58.4K

27.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,587 NOK 43.5K

$4,848 NOK 46.0K

-5.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,531 NOK 43.0K

$4,264 NOK 40.5K

6.27%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Trondheim: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,295 in Bergen and $1,396 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 $119 in Trondheim for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $490 vs $490 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 Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 6% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Bergen pays 6% more on average, 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: $1,295 in Bergen versus $1,396 in Trondheim. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $282 in Bergen versus $322 in Trondheim. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Trondheim pay roughly 0% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

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