Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamar and Bergen Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamar and Bergen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,374 in Hamar versus $2,622 in Bergen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,743 in Hamar versus $3,948 in Bergen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,112 in Hamar versus $5,274 in Bergen.

Living in Hamar costs roughly 9% less than in Bergen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hamar 77% above, Bergen 95% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.11 NOK 238

$25.22 NOK 239

-0.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$123 NOK 1,165

$102 NOK 965

20.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.06 NOK 143

$18.97 NOK 180

-20.61%

Cappuccino

$5.01 NOK 47.54

$5.55 NOK 52.6

-9.73%

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

$4.22 NOK 40.03

$3.17 NOK 30.10

33.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 NOK 30.86

$3.01 NOK 28.56

7.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.22 NOK 116

$11.86 NOK 113

3.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.22 NOK 78.1

$9.58 NOK 90.9

-14.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 NOK 19.95

$2.69 NOK 25.50

-21.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.99 NOK 28.38

$3.44 NOK 32.66

-13.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.04 NOK 19.36

$2.88 NOK 27.34

-29.17%

Eggs

$4.95 NOK 46.99

$5.03 NOK 47.75

-1.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.38 NOK 98.5

$13.96 NOK 132

-25.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.90 NOK 113

$15.99 NOK 152

-25.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$30.60 NOK 290

$27.79 NOK 264

10.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.58 NOK 33.97

$3.79 NOK 35.95

-5.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.53 NOK 23.97

$2.95 NOK 27.98

-14.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 NOK 27.50

$3.59 NOK 34.03

-19.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.08 NOK 48.27

$5.70 NOK 54.1

-10.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.37 NOK 22.46

$2.62 NOK 24.85

-9.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 NOK 22.38

$2.87 NOK 27.29

-17.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 NOK 19.31

$2.91 NOK 27.63

-30.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 NOK 18.54

$2.14 NOK 20.34

-8.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.52 NOK 166

$16.78 NOK 159

4.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.70 NOK 177

$17.96 NOK 170

4.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.48 NOK 33.02

$3.44 NOK 32.68

1.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.18 NOK 39.66

$4.32 NOK 40.97

-3.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.56 NOK 43.25

$4.44 NOK 42.14

2.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.1 NOK 609

$80.0 NOK 759

-19.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.94 NOK 94.3

$15.23 NOK 145

-34.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 NOK 13.16

$2.27 NOK 21.55

-38.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.55 NOK 404

$72.5 NOK 688

-41.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.12 NOK 20.16

$2.21 NOK 20.93

-4.07%

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

$36.3K NOK 344.7K

$35.9K NOK 340.3K

1.30%

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

$42.7K NOK 405.3K

$42.9K NOK 407.0K

-0.40%

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

$217 NOK 2,063

$243 NOK 2,311

-10.71%

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

$30.76 NOK 292

$38.80 NOK 368

-20.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.4 NOK 536

$65.3 NOK 620

-13.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.5 NOK 536

$54.2 NOK 514

4.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.99 NOK 266

$39.54 NOK 375

-29.21%

Cinema Ticket

$18.07 NOK 172

$20.20 NOK 192

-10.54%

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

$206 NOK 1,960

$282 NOK 2,677

-26.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K NOK 140.2K

$12.6K NOK 119.9K

16.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 NOK 985

$90.9 NOK 863

14.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.2 NOK 572

$55.9 NOK 531

7.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 NOK 1,185

$112 NOK 1,064

11.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.8 NOK 947

$147 NOK 1,391

-31.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,171 NOK 11.1K

$1,295 NOK 12.3K

-9.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$820 NOK 7,783

$973 NOK 9,238

-15.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,528 NOK 14.5K

$1,994 NOK 18.9K

-23.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,423 NOK 13.5K

$1,568 NOK 14.9K

-9.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,022 NOK 57.2K

$7,844 NOK 74.4K

-23.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,514 NOK 42.8K

$4,587 NOK 43.5K

-1.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,257 NOK 40.4K

$4,531 NOK 43.0K

-6.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.08

4.85

4.74%

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

Last update for Hamar: June 9, 2026

Last update for Bergen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,171 in Hamar and $1,295 in Bergen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 6% 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: $123 in Hamar vs $102 in Bergen. Groceries flip the comparison at $438 vs $490, with Hamar 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

Hamar vs Bergen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hamar is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Bergen earns 6% less. 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: $1,171 in Hamar versus $1,295 in Bergen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $206 in Hamar versus $282 in Bergen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Bergen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,374 in Hamar versus $2,622 in Bergen, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Hamar but tight or insufficient in Bergen. The gap between the two cities makes Hamar the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Hamar 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, Hamar 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 Hamar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.