Cost of Living Comparison Between Harstad and Bergen Cost of Living Comparison Between Harstad and Bergen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,485 in Harstad versus $2,594 in Bergen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,699 in Harstad versus $3,948 in Bergen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,912 in Harstad versus $5,302 in Bergen.

Living in Harstad costs roughly 4% less than in Bergen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Harstad 85% above, Bergen 94% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.48 NOK 125

$25.44 NOK 237

-47.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$123 NOK 1,145

$101 NOK 940

21.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.11 NOK 140

$19.61 NOK 182

-22.95%

Cappuccino

$5.99 NOK 55.7

$5.50 NOK 51.2

8.91%

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

$3.44 NOK 31.99

$3.13 NOK 29.10

9.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 NOK 28.55

$3.03 NOK 28.17

1.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.11 NOK 103

$11.80 NOK 110

-5.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.20 NOK 104

$9.60 NOK 89.3

16.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.33 NOK 21.67

$2.65 NOK 24.65

-12.08%

White Bread (500g)

$3.16 NOK 29.38

$3.31 NOK 30.83

-4.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.10 NOK 28.84

$2.91 NOK 27.11

6.53%

Eggs

$4.28 NOK 39.79

$4.83 NOK 44.96

-11.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.56 NOK 98.2

$13.96 NOK 130

-24.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.15 NOK 141

$15.71 NOK 146

-3.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$38.04 NOK 354

$28.27 NOK 263

34.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.88 NOK 36.12

$3.78 NOK 35.17

2.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.77 NOK 25.80

$3.09 NOK 28.72

-10.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.52 NOK 32.72

$3.61 NOK 33.55

-2.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.64 NOK 43.16

$5.57 NOK 51.8

-16.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 NOK 18.54

$2.71 NOK 25.24

-26.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 NOK 19.10

$2.75 NOK 25.59

-25.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.68 NOK 24.91

$2.80 NOK 26.07

-4.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 NOK 16.40

$2.11 NOK 19.60

-16.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.25 NOK 142

$16.40 NOK 153

-7.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.36 NOK 152

$18.27 NOK 170

-10.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.62 NOK 33.66

$3.31 NOK 30.80

9.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 NOK 42.14

$4.32 NOK 40.14

4.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$6.03 NOK 56.1

$4.51 NOK 41.91

33.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.3 NOK 737

$81.4 NOK 757

-2.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.82 NOK 119

$15.23 NOK 142

-15.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 NOK 13.41

$2.23 NOK 20.75

-35.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$50.5 NOK 470

$73.6 NOK 684

-31.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 NOK 19.78

$2.14 NOK 19.90

-0.47%

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

$33.5K NOK 311.9K

$34.9K NOK 324.7K

-3.93%

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

$30.4K NOK 282.3K

$43.1K NOK 400.6K

-29.52%

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

$159 NOK 1,480

$240 NOK 2,227

-33.54%

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

$33.50 NOK 312

$38.14 NOK 355

-12.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.7 NOK 714

$65.2 NOK 606

17.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.47 NOK 451

$54.7 NOK 509

-11.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.46 NOK 330

$39.54 NOK 368

-10.32%

Cinema Ticket

$16.65 NOK 155

$20.28 NOK 189

-17.90%

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

$336 NOK 3,125

$280 NOK 2,606

19.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,048 NOK 47.0K

$12.7K NOK 118.2K

-60.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.2 NOK 718

$91.3 NOK 849

-15.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.68 NOK 304

$55.5 NOK 516

-41.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 NOK 1,089

$112 NOK 1,037

4.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 NOK 1,260

$146 NOK 1,358

-7.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 NOK 12.4K

$1,308 NOK 12.2K

1.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,021 NOK 9,498

$971 NOK 9,034

5.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,200 NOK 20.5K

$2,048 NOK 19.0K

7.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,443 NOK 13.4K

$1,534 NOK 14.3K

-5.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,987 NOK 55.7K

$7,924 NOK 73.7K

-24.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,636 NOK 43.1K

$4,854 NOK 45.1K

-4.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,563 NOK 33.1K

$4,333 NOK 40.3K

-17.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.27

4.85

-11.96%

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

Last update for Harstad: April 19, 2026

Last update for Bergen: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,331 in Harstad and $1,308 in Bergen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 22% 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 Harstad vs $101 in Bergen. Groceries flip the comparison at $481 vs $487, with Harstad 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

Harstad vs Bergen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Harstad is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 4% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Bergen earns 22% 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: $1,331 in Harstad versus $1,308 in Bergen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $336 in Harstad versus $280 in Bergen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% 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. Harstad is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Harstad 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, Harstad 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 Harstad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.