Cost of Living Comparison Between Grimstad and Bergen Cost of Living Comparison Between Grimstad and Bergen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,452 in Grimstad versus $2,658 in Bergen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,553 in Grimstad versus $4,013 in Bergen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,654 in Grimstad versus $5,368 in Bergen.

Living in Grimstad costs roughly 8% less than in Bergen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Grimstad 84% above, Bergen 100% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.92 NOK 220

$25.18 NOK 242

-8.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.8 NOK 488

$102 NOK 982

-50.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.84 NOK 142

$19.35 NOK 186

-23.31%

Cappuccino

$4.47 NOK 42.89

$5.34 NOK 51.2

-16.29%

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

$3.99 NOK 38.24

$3.24 NOK 31.04

23.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 NOK 31.81

$2.90 NOK 27.79

14.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.32 NOK 118

$11.61 NOK 111

6.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.31 NOK 98.9

$9.63 NOK 92.4

7.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.30 NOK 22.11

$2.71 NOK 26.00

-15.13%

White Bread (500g)

$3.23 NOK 30.99

$3.44 NOK 33.02

-6.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.95 NOK 28.35

$2.79 NOK 26.75

5.73%

Eggs

$3.13 NOK 29.98

$5.03 NOK 48.24

-37.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.76 NOK 103

$13.95 NOK 134

-22.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 NOK 133

$15.55 NOK 149

-10.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.99 NOK 153

$27.87 NOK 267

-42.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.00 NOK 19.15

$3.81 NOK 36.51

-47.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 NOK 21.33

$2.96 NOK 28.39

-25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.43 NOK 32.87

$3.58 NOK 34.37

-4.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.96 NOK 37.97

$5.51 NOK 52.9

-28.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 NOK 24.01

$2.60 NOK 24.98

-3.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.63 NOK 25.22

$2.75 NOK 26.39

-4.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.79 NOK 26.75

$2.77 NOK 26.56

0.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 NOK 16.78

$2.11 NOK 20.25

-17.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.01 NOK 163

$16.74 NOK 161

1.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.50 NOK 149

$17.70 NOK 170

-12.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.37 NOK 32.35

$3.39 NOK 32.48

-0.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 NOK 41.97

$4.30 NOK 41.24

1.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.20 NOK 49.91

$4.37 NOK 41.93

18.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.7 NOK 717

$79.8 NOK 766

-6.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.04 NOK 96.3

$15.20 NOK 146

-33.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 NOK 13.52

$2.20 NOK 21.11

-35.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.65 NOK 409

$72.6 NOK 697

-41.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.26 NOK 21.65

$2.21 NOK 21.23

2.26%

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

$35.5K NOK 340.8K

$35.8K NOK 343.5K

-0.78%

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

$43.4K NOK 416.7K

$43.7K NOK 419.0K

-0.55%

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

$299 NOK 2,864

$244 NOK 2,341

22.33%

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

$28.29 NOK 271

$38.05 NOK 365

-25.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.0 NOK 528

$65.4 NOK 627

-15.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.39 NOK 474

$54.2 NOK 519

-8.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.26 NOK 338

$39.77 NOK 381

-11.34%

Cinema Ticket

$15.14 NOK 145

$19.90 NOK 191

-23.92%

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

$267 NOK 2,565

$284 NOK 2,723

-5.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K NOK 141.3K

$12.9K NOK 123.6K

14.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.96 NOK 479

$92.5 NOK 888

-46.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.3 NOK 588

$55.7 NOK 534

10.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 NOK 959

$113 NOK 1,080

-11.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 NOK 1,580

$143 NOK 1,376

14.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 NOK 11.8K

$1,304 NOK 12.5K

-5.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$894 NOK 8,576

$997 NOK 9,565

-10.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,789 NOK 17.2K

$2,032 NOK 19.5K

-12.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,541 NOK 14.8K

$1,595 NOK 15.3K

-3.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,700 NOK 45.1K

$7,558 NOK 72.5K

-37.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,305 NOK 31.7K

$4,679 NOK 44.9K

-29.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,443 NOK 42.6K

$4,385 NOK 42.1K

1.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.9

4.85

1.03%

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

Last update for Grimstad: July 28, 2026

Last update for Bergen: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,227 in Grimstad and $1,304 in Bergen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Grimstad pays 1% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $51.0 in Grimstad vs $102 in Bergen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $388 vs $485 per month, with Grimstad 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

Grimstad vs Bergen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Grimstad is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 1% higher in Grimstad, 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: $1,227 in Grimstad versus $1,304 in Bergen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $267 in Grimstad versus $284 in Bergen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Bergen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Grimstad is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Grimstad 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, Grimstad 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 Grimstad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.