Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Grimstad and Bergen

For one person, living is cheaper in Grimstad: $2,179 a month against $3,093 in Bergen, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

104

Cost of Living Index in Grimstad
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Grimstad Living Index
147

Cost of Living Index in Bergen
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Bergen Living Index

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Grimstad

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,179

/mo nomad

Bergen

🇳🇴 Norway

$3,093

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Grimstad and in Bergen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Grimstad and in Bergen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,179 in Grimstad versus $3,093 in Bergen.

Grimstad $2,179
Bergen $3,093

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,734 in Grimstad versus $4,619 in Bergen.

Grimstad $3,734
Bergen $4,619

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,290 in Grimstad versus $6,145 in Bergen.

Grimstad $5,290
Bergen $6,145

Living in Grimstad costs roughly 30% less than in Bergen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Grimstad 60% above, Bergen 127% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.29 NOK 197

$23.85 NOK 221

-10.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.4 NOK 734

$141 NOK 1,307

-43.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.38 NOK 142

$16.30 NOK 151

-5.64%

Cappuccino

$4.87 NOK 45.06

$5.62 NOK 52.0

-13.35%

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

$4.20 NOK 38.82

$5.19 NOK 48.02

-19.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 NOK 31.51

$4.57 NOK 42.29

-25.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.76 NOK 109

$12.92 NOK 119

-8.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.54 NOK 97.5

$10.71 NOK 99.0

-1.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.65 NOK 24.48

$2.35 NOK 21.70

12.77%

White Bread (500g)

$3.74 NOK 34.55

$3.83 NOK 35.45

-2.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.24 NOK 29.94

$3.45 NOK 31.88

-6.09%

Eggs

$3.60 NOK 33.27

$6.67 NOK 61.7

-46.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 NOK 120

$14.89 NOK 138

-13.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.43 NOK 133

$17.88 NOK 165

-19.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.57 NOK 227

$37.65 NOK 348

-34.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 NOK 20.10

$4.10 NOK 37.94

-47.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 NOK 22.83

$2.80 NOK 25.91

-11.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.57 NOK 33.05

$3.70 NOK 34.23

-3.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.38 NOK 40.54

$5.54 NOK 51.3

-20.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.73 NOK 25.26

$2.46 NOK 22.80

10.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.92 NOK 27.00

$3.41 NOK 31.54

-14.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.25 NOK 30.05

$3.08 NOK 28.47

5.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 NOK 17.18

$1.83 NOK 16.94

1.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.23 NOK 178

$17.65 NOK 163

8.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.29 NOK 151

$19.73 NOK 183

-17.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.52 NOK 32.57

$3.83 NOK 35.41

-8.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.28 NOK 39.60

$4.44 NOK 41.06

-3.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.27 NOK 48.74

$5.32 NOK 49.25

-0.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$92.6 NOK 856

$89.0 NOK 823

4.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.16 NOK 112

$12.82 NOK 119

-5.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 NOK 17.01

$1.95 NOK 18.07

-5.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$72.4 NOK 670

$74.9 NOK 693

-3.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.36 NOK 21.79

$2.41 NOK 22.26

-2.07%

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

$50.2K NOK 464.2K

$50.1K NOK 463.1K

0.22%

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

$45.0K NOK 416.7K

$44.8K NOK 414.1K

0.62%

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

$314 NOK 2,900

$292 NOK 2,697

7.53%

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

$34.50 NOK 319

$33.90 NOK 314

1.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.8 NOK 516

$85.1 NOK 787

-34.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.72 NOK 404

$48.43 NOK 448

-9.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.06 NOK 408

Cinema Ticket

$16.41 NOK 152

$19.28 NOK 178

-14.89%

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

$242 NOK 2,242

$251 NOK 2,321

-3.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K NOK 147.5K

$12.0K NOK 110.8K

33.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.8 NOK 877

$108 NOK 996

-11.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 NOK 491

$56.1 NOK 519

-5.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 NOK 981

$120 NOK 1,111

-11.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 NOK 1,504

$166 NOK 1,535

-2.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$902 NOK 8,346

$1,627 NOK 15.1K

-44.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$545 NOK 5,041

$1,283 NOK 11.9K

-57.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,988 NOK 18.4K

$2,668 NOK 24.7K

-25.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,825 NOK 16.9K

$1,928 NOK 17.8K

-5.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,724 NOK 43.7K

$8,228 NOK 76.1K

-42.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,502 NOK 32.4K

$5,382 NOK 49.8K

-34.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,577 NOK 42.3K

$4,732 NOK 43.8K

-3.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.9

5.27

-7.02%

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

Last update for Grimstad: October 26, 2026

Last update for Bergen: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Grimstad

$545 25%

Bergen

$1.3K 41.5% 136% $739

Groceries & Markets

Grimstad

$446 20.5%

Bergen

$545 17.6% 22.3% $99

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Grimstad

$404 18.5%

Bergen

$411 13.3% 1.7% $6.7

Eating Out

Grimstad

$385 17.7%

Bergen

$432 14% 12.2% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Grimstad

$187 8.6%

Bergen

$202 6.5% 8% $15

Getting Around

Grimstad

$135 6.2%

Bergen

$133 4.3% 1.6% $2.1

Sport & Entertainment

Grimstad

$77 3.5%

Bergen

$87 2.8% 13.6% $10

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $902 in Grimstad and $1,627 in Bergen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 3% 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: $79 in Grimstad vs $141 in Bergen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $446 vs $545 per month, with Grimstad cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇴 Grimstad

🇳🇴 Bergen

🕒 Local time

04:08 4:08 AM

Same time as Grimstad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

25,093

292,482

💱 Currency

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 NOK = 10.81 USD

100 NOK = 9.71 EUR

100 NOK = 10.81 USD

100 NOK = 9.71 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Grimstad Bergen 290 km

From you

Grimstad
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Grimstad vs Bergen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Grimstad is about 30% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 3% lower in Grimstad. 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: $902 in Grimstad versus $1,627 in Bergen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $242 in Grimstad versus $251 in Bergen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Bergen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,179 in Grimstad versus $3,093 in Bergen, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Grimstad but tight or insufficient in Bergen. The gap between the two cities makes Grimstad the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Grimstad and Bergen are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Grimstad wins on affordability, Bergen on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.