Cost of Living Comparison Between Drammen and Bergen Cost of Living Comparison Between Drammen and Bergen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,693 in Drammen versus $2,948 in Bergen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,146 in Drammen versus $4,449 in Bergen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,599 in Drammen versus $5,950 in Bergen.

Living in Drammen costs roughly 9% less than in Bergen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Drammen 97% above, Bergen 115% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.36 NOK 201

$24.70 NOK 233

-13.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$127 NOK 1,197

$139 NOK 1,310

-8.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.24 NOK 106

$15.86 NOK 149

-29.13%

Cappuccino

$5.29 NOK 49.85

$5.68 NOK 53.5

-6.87%

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

$4.16 NOK 39.22

$5.31 NOK 49.99

-21.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 NOK 18.31

$4.53 NOK 42.68

-57.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.50 NOK 108

$12.85 NOK 121

-10.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.80 NOK 64.0

$10.60 NOK 99.9

-35.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.59 NOK 24.41

$2.33 NOK 21.94

11.16%

White Bread (500g)

$4.28 NOK 40.36

$3.90 NOK 36.76

9.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.84 NOK 45.57

$3.57 NOK 33.67

35.57%

Eggs

$4.71 NOK 44.36

$6.62 NOK 62.4

-28.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.87 NOK 131

$15.02 NOK 141

-7.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.35 NOK 145

$17.61 NOK 166

-12.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$30.12 NOK 284

$35.64 NOK 336

-15.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 NOK 32.73

$4.02 NOK 37.87

-13.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.78 NOK 26.17

$2.83 NOK 26.64

-1.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.65 NOK 34.36

$3.67 NOK 34.53

-0.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.89 NOK 55.5

$5.50 NOK 51.8

7.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.73 NOK 25.67

$2.55 NOK 23.99

7.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.85 NOK 26.87

$3.30 NOK 31.09

-13.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.24 NOK 30.49

$2.94 NOK 27.69

10.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 NOK 23.99

$1.91 NOK 17.95

33.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.36 NOK 164

$18.18 NOK 171

-4.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.30 NOK 154

$18.23 NOK 172

-10.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.61 NOK 34.04

$3.52 NOK 33.19

2.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.24 NOK 39.97

$4.39 NOK 41.31

-3.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.51 NOK 33.09

$5.12 NOK 48.19

-31.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.5 NOK 909

$90.2 NOK 850

6.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.03 NOK 113

$12.62 NOK 119

-4.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 NOK 17.87

$1.96 NOK 18.42

-3.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$71.9 NOK 677

$74.5 NOK 702

-3.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.34 NOK 22.05

$2.37 NOK 22.33

-1.27%

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

$47.0K NOK 442.4K

$49.1K NOK 462.4K

-4.31%

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

$45.8K NOK 431.7K

$44.2K NOK 416.8K

3.58%

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

$263 NOK 2,481

$288 NOK 2,716

-8.66%

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

$33.01 NOK 311

$31.45 NOK 296

4.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.8 NOK 497

$78.6 NOK 741

-32.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$81.8 NOK 771

$45.85 NOK 432

78.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$43.68 NOK 411

Cinema Ticket

$17.92 NOK 169

$19.64 NOK 185

-8.76%

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

$245 NOK 2,309

0.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K NOK 148.9K

$12.2K NOK 115.2K

29.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 NOK 953

$107 NOK 1,007

-5.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.6 NOK 589

$54.3 NOK 511

15.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 NOK 1,228

$125 NOK 1,181

4.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$151 NOK 1,426

$170 NOK 1,601

-10.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,366 NOK 12.9K

$1,496 NOK 14.1K

-8.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 NOK 9,681

$1,104 NOK 10.4K

-6.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 NOK 20.0K

$2,481 NOK 23.4K

-14.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 NOK 15.3K

$1,780 NOK 16.8K

-8.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.6K NOK 100.1K

$7,757 NOK 73.1K

36.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,329 NOK 59.6K

$4,967 NOK 46.8K

27.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,630 NOK 34.2K

$4,712 NOK 44.4K

-22.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

5.31

-14.50%

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

Last update for Drammen: September 14, 2026

Last update for Bergen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,366 in Drammen and $1,496 in Bergen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 30% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $127 in Drammen vs $139 in Bergen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $510 vs $534 per month, with Drammen 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

Drammen vs Bergen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Drammen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 30% lower in Bergen. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,366 in Drammen versus $1,496 in Bergen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

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

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Bergen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Drammen is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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

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