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: $2,948 in Bergen versus $3,009 in Trondheim.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,449 in Bergen versus $4,335 in Trondheim.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,950 in Bergen versus $5,661 in Trondheim.

Living in Bergen costs roughly 2% less than in Trondheim, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 115% above, Trondheim 120% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.70 NOK 233

$20.98 NOK 198

17.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$139 NOK 1,311

$110 NOK 1,036

26.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.86 NOK 149

$15.84 NOK 149

0.13%

Cappuccino

$5.68 NOK 53.5

$5.62 NOK 52.9

1.07%

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

$5.31 NOK 50.0

$5.77 NOK 54.4

-7.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 NOK 42.69

$4.37 NOK 41.15

3.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.85 NOK 121

$13.62 NOK 128

-5.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.60 NOK 99.9

$13.21 NOK 124

-19.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.33 NOK 21.95

$2.59 NOK 24.38

-10.04%

White Bread (500g)

$3.90 NOK 36.77

$3.55 NOK 33.49

9.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.57 NOK 33.67

$3.90 NOK 36.79

-8.46%

Eggs

$6.62 NOK 62.4

$4.88 NOK 46.01

35.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.02 NOK 142

$13.49 NOK 127

11.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.61 NOK 166

$16.46 NOK 155

6.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$35.64 NOK 336

$32.40 NOK 305

10.00%

Apples (1kg)

$4.02 NOK 37.88

$3.89 NOK 36.66

3.34%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 NOK 26.64

$2.94 NOK 27.67

-3.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.67 NOK 34.54

$4.00 NOK 37.69

-8.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.50 NOK 51.8

$5.77 NOK 54.3

-4.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 NOK 23.99

$2.89 NOK 27.23

-11.76%

Onion (1kg)

$3.30 NOK 31.10

$3.14 NOK 29.57

5.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.94 NOK 27.70

$2.87 NOK 27.07

2.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 NOK 17.95

$2.25 NOK 21.23

-15.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.18 NOK 171

$18.01 NOK 170

0.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.23 NOK 172

$19.22 NOK 181

-5.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.52 NOK 33.20

$3.54 NOK 33.33

-0.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 NOK 41.32

$4.69 NOK 44.19

-6.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.12 NOK 48.20

$4.88 NOK 46.00

4.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.2 NOK 850

$102 NOK 963

-11.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.62 NOK 119

$9.49 NOK 89.4

32.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 NOK 18.43

$1.61 NOK 15.15

21.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$74.5 NOK 702

$61.3 NOK 577

21.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.37 NOK 22.33

$2.38 NOK 22.41

-0.42%

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

$49.1K NOK 462.5K

$47.1K NOK 444.0K

4.17%

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

$44.2K NOK 416.9K

$46.4K NOK 437.1K

-4.63%

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

$288 NOK 2,717

$282 NOK 2,655

2.32%

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

$31.45 NOK 296

$36.46 NOK 344

-13.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.6 NOK 741

$83.6 NOK 787

-5.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.85 NOK 432

$44.16 NOK 416

3.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$43.68 NOK 412

$41.28 NOK 389

5.81%

Cinema Ticket

$19.64 NOK 185

$21.08 NOK 199

-6.83%

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

$245 NOK 2,309

$304 NOK 2,861

-19.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K NOK 115.2K

$4,455 NOK 42.0K

174.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 NOK 1,008

$110 NOK 1,040

-3.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 NOK 511

$52.7 NOK 496

3.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 NOK 1,181

$124 NOK 1,172

0.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$170 NOK 1,602

$158 NOK 1,485

7.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 NOK 14.1K

0.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,104 NOK 10.4K

$1,236 NOK 11.6K

-10.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,481 NOK 23.4K

$2,253 NOK 21.2K

10.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,780 NOK 16.8K

$1,690 NOK 15.9K

5.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,757 NOK 73.1K

$6,555 NOK 61.8K

18.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,967 NOK 46.8K

$5,105 NOK 48.1K

-2.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,712 NOK 44.4K

$4,338 NOK 40.9K

8.64%

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: September 12, 2026

Last update for Trondheim: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,496 in Bergen and $1,496 in Trondheim. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 9% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $139 in Bergen vs $110 in Trondheim for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $534 vs $517 per month, with Trondheim 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 Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 9% 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: $1,496 in Bergen versus $1,496 in Trondheim. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $245 in Bergen versus $304 in Trondheim. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Trondheim pay roughly 3% 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 2% less than in Trondheim. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.