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: $2,370 in Hamar versus $2,688 in Bergen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,691 in Hamar versus $3,981 in Bergen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,011 in Hamar versus $5,273 in Bergen.

Living in Hamar costs roughly 12% less than in Bergen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hamar 77% above, Bergen 101% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.45 NOK 237

$25.64 NOK 239

-0.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$121 NOK 1,128

$102 NOK 948

19.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.88 NOK 139

$18.93 NOK 176

-21.39%

Cappuccino

$5.05 NOK 47.02

$5.60 NOK 52.2

-9.82%

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

$4.10 NOK 38.25

$3.11 NOK 28.95

31.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 NOK 29.62

$2.90 NOK 27.05

9.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.08 NOK 113

$11.69 NOK 109

3.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.94 NOK 74.0

$9.43 NOK 87.9

-15.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.07 NOK 19.32

$2.75 NOK 25.64

-24.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 NOK 26.79

$3.30 NOK 30.73

-13.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 NOK 19.30

$2.81 NOK 26.16

-26.33%

Eggs

$4.97 NOK 46.29

$4.86 NOK 45.27

2.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.69 NOK 99.6

$14.19 NOK 132

-24.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.99 NOK 112

$15.59 NOK 145

-23.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$31.44 NOK 293

$28.20 NOK 263

11.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.48 NOK 32.45

$3.87 NOK 36.11

-10.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.61 NOK 24.32

$3.06 NOK 28.54

-14.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.88 NOK 26.81

$3.61 NOK 33.64

-20.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.16 NOK 48.05

$5.57 NOK 51.9

-7.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.39 NOK 22.24

$2.70 NOK 25.18

-11.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.45 NOK 22.84

$2.86 NOK 26.65

-14.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 NOK 18.73

$2.78 NOK 25.89

-27.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 NOK 18.10

$2.12 NOK 19.77

-8.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.88 NOK 157

$16.39 NOK 153

2.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.77 NOK 175

$18.35 NOK 171

2.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.40 NOK 31.68

$3.27 NOK 30.52

3.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 NOK 38.80

$4.39 NOK 40.95

-5.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.48 NOK 41.76

$4.43 NOK 41.24

1.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 NOK 607

$81.3 NOK 758

-19.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.20 NOK 95.1

$15.40 NOK 144

-33.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 NOK 13.07

$2.29 NOK 21.30

-38.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.35 NOK 395

$73.1 NOK 681

-42.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 NOK 19.60

$2.15 NOK 20.02

-2.33%

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

$36.9K NOK 344.0K

$35.0K NOK 326.4K

5.37%

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

$43.4K NOK 404.4K

$42.3K NOK 394.4K

2.54%

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

$215 NOK 2,007

$245 NOK 2,284

-12.09%

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

$31.45 NOK 293

$38.87 NOK 362

-19.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.0 NOK 521

$64.9 NOK 605

-13.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 NOK 521

$55.3 NOK 515

1.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.85 NOK 260

$39.54 NOK 369

-29.56%

Cinema Ticket

$17.91 NOK 167

$20.55 NOK 192

-12.85%

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

$199 NOK 1,856

$279 NOK 2,597

-28.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K NOK 138.5K

$13.0K NOK 120.8K

14.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 NOK 982

$89.8 NOK 837

17.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.6 NOK 574

$55.2 NOK 515

11.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 NOK 1,157

$114 NOK 1,061

9.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.8 NOK 930

$144 NOK 1,340

-30.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,168 NOK 10.9K

$1,287 NOK 12.0K

-9.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$847 NOK 7,898

$967 NOK 9,014

-12.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,489 NOK 13.9K

$1,994 NOK 18.6K

-25.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,435 NOK 13.4K

$1,573 NOK 14.7K

-8.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,391 NOK 40.9K

$7,978 NOK 74.4K

-44.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,528 NOK 32.9K

$5,002 NOK 46.6K

-29.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,348 NOK 40.5K

$4,447 NOK 41.4K

-2.23%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Bergen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,168 in Hamar and $1,287 in Bergen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 2% 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: $121 in Hamar vs $102 in Bergen. Groceries flip the comparison at $441 vs $489, 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 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Bergen earns 2% 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: $1,168 in Hamar versus $1,287 in Bergen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $199 in Hamar versus $279 in Bergen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% 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. Hamar is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 13% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.