Cost of Living Comparison Between Fairbanks, AK and Bergen Cost of Living Comparison Between Fairbanks, AK and Bergen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,090 in Fairbanks, AK versus $2,650 in Bergen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,350 in Fairbanks, AK versus $3,988 in Bergen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,609 in Fairbanks, AK versus $5,327 in Bergen.

Living in Fairbanks, AK is roughly 17% more expensive than in Bergen, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Fairbanks, AK 131% above, Bergen 98% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.75 $24.75

$25.72 NOK 249

-3.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.6 $86.6

$103 NOK 997

-15.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 $13.77

$19.51 NOK 189

-29.42%

Cappuccino

$6.02 $6.02

$5.42 NOK 52.4

11.07%

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

$2.76 $2.76

$3.20 NOK 30.94

-13.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.89 NOK 27.97

-29.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.91 $7.91

$11.82 NOK 114

-33.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.16 $10.16

$9.78 NOK 94.6

3.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$2.65 NOK 25.63

-57.36%

White Bread (500g)

$5.16 $5.16

$3.28 NOK 31.70

57.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$2.88 NOK 27.87

84.03%

Eggs

$4.20 $4.20

$4.90 NOK 47.40

-14.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.80 $17.80

$14.20 NOK 137

25.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.06 $17.06

$16.06 NOK 155

6.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.20 $21.20

$28.21 NOK 273

-24.85%

Apples (1kg)

$8.00 $8.00

$3.94 NOK 38.13

103.05%

Banana (1kg)

$2.90 $2.90

$2.96 NOK 28.62

-2.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.66 $6.66

$3.75 NOK 36.30

77.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.24 $7.24

$5.62 NOK 54.4

28.83%

Potato (1kg)

$3.77 $3.77

$2.73 NOK 26.38

38.10%

Onion (1kg)

$4.80 $4.80

$2.91 NOK 28.14

64.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.90 $2.90

$2.80 NOK 27.10

3.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.14 NOK 20.72

-4.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.21 $11.21

$16.95 NOK 164

-33.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.90 $11.90

$17.26 NOK 167

-31.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$3.30 NOK 31.92

-48.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.02 $1.02

$4.38 NOK 42.33

-76.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$4.47 NOK 43.23

-65.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.44 $39.44

$81.2 NOK 785

-51.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.40 $3.40

$15.23 NOK 147

-77.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 $2.20

$2.25 NOK 21.74

-2.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$45.02 $45.02

$72.5 NOK 701

-37.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$2.13 NOK 20.59

-51.64%

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

$29.6K $29.6K

$35.3K NOK 341.6K

-16.26%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$43.1K NOK 416.5K

-39.90%

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

$167 $167

$242 NOK 2,342

-31.16%

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

$61.2 $61.2

$38.51 NOK 372

58.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$116 $116

$64.7 NOK 625

78.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.3 $98.3

$53.9 NOK 521

82.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.36 NOK 390

Cinema Ticket

$17.12 $17.12

$20.20 NOK 195

-15.25%

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

$1,183 $1,183

$286 NOK 2,763

313.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.6K $23.6K

$12.6K NOK 121.4K

87.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.4 $59.4

$91.1 NOK 881

-34.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.70 $39.70

$55.5 NOK 537

-28.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.6 $83.6

$111 NOK 1,075

-24.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$145 NOK 1,405

-16.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,679 $1,679

$1,284 NOK 12.4K

30.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,477 $1,477

$976 NOK 9,431

51.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,305 $2,305

$2,019 NOK 19.5K

14.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,036 $2,036

$1,558 NOK 15.1K

30.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,007 $2,007

$7,575 NOK 73.2K

-73.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,011 $2,011

$4,645 NOK 44.9K

-56.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,909 $3,909

$4,344 NOK 42.0K

-9.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.53

4.85

34.64%

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

Last update for Fairbanks, AK: July 12, 2026

Last update for Bergen: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,679 in Fairbanks, AK and $1,284 in Bergen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 11% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $87.0 in Fairbanks, AK vs $103 in Bergen. Groceries flip the comparison at $515 vs $489, with Bergen cheaper for home cooking.

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

Fairbanks, AK vs Bergen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bergen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 17% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 11% 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: $1,679 in Fairbanks, AK versus $1,284 in Bergen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,183 in Fairbanks, AK versus $286 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 Fairbanks, AK. 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 Fairbanks, AK, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Fairbanks, AK 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 Bergen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Fairbanks, AK. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.