Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Harstad and Bergen

For one person, living is cheaper in Harstad: $2,611 a month against $3,093 in Bergen, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

127

Cost of Living Index in Harstad
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Harstad Living Index
147

Cost of Living Index in Bergen
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Bergen Living Index

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Harstad

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,611

/mo nomad

Bergen

🇳🇴 Norway

$3,093

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Harstad 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 Harstad and in Bergen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,611 in Harstad versus $3,093 in Bergen.

Harstad $2,611
Bergen $3,093

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,888 in Harstad versus $4,619 in Bergen.

Harstad $3,888
Bergen $4,619

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,164 in Harstad versus $6,145 in Bergen.

Harstad $5,164
Bergen $6,145

Living in Harstad costs roughly 16% less than in Bergen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Harstad 92% above, Bergen 127% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.27 NOK 131

$23.85 NOK 219

-40.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$106 NOK 971

$141 NOK 1,298

-25.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.97 NOK 147

$16.30 NOK 150

-2.02%

Cappuccino

$6.27 NOK 57.6

$5.62 NOK 51.6

11.57%

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

$3.70 NOK 34.03

$5.19 NOK 47.69

-28.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 NOK 29.18

$4.57 NOK 42.00

-30.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.77 NOK 117

$12.92 NOK 119

-1.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$14.04 NOK 129

$10.71 NOK 98.4

31.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.54 NOK 23.33

$2.35 NOK 21.55

8.09%

White Bread (500g)

$3.39 NOK 31.10

$3.83 NOK 35.21

-11.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.14 NOK 28.83

$3.45 NOK 31.66

-8.99%

Eggs

$4.42 NOK 40.61

$6.67 NOK 61.3

-33.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.37 NOK 104

$14.89 NOK 137

-23.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.31 NOK 141

$17.88 NOK 164

-14.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.97 NOK 386

$37.65 NOK 346

11.47%

Apples (1kg)

$4.28 NOK 39.30

$4.10 NOK 37.68

4.39%

Banana (1kg)

$2.87 NOK 26.38

$2.80 NOK 25.74

2.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.87 NOK 35.55

$3.70 NOK 34.00

4.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.79 NOK 43.97

$5.54 NOK 50.9

-13.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 NOK 20.33

$2.46 NOK 22.64

-10.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 NOK 20.03

$3.41 NOK 31.32

-36.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.00 NOK 27.55

$3.08 NOK 28.28

-2.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 NOK 21.49

$1.83 NOK 16.83

27.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.41 NOK 151

$17.65 NOK 162

-7.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.93 NOK 146

$19.73 NOK 181

-19.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.90 NOK 35.82

$3.83 NOK 35.17

1.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.89 NOK 44.90

$4.44 NOK 40.78

10.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$6.17 NOK 56.7

$5.32 NOK 48.92

15.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.1 NOK 772

$89.0 NOK 817

-5.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.98 NOK 147

$12.82 NOK 118

24.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 NOK 17.52

$1.95 NOK 17.94

-2.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$58.0 NOK 533

$74.9 NOK 688

-22.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.34 NOK 21.48

$2.41 NOK 22.11

-2.90%

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

$36.9K NOK 339.4K

$50.1K NOK 460.0K

-26.21%

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

$31.6K NOK 290.4K

$44.8K NOK 411.3K

-29.39%

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

$173 NOK 1,587

$292 NOK 2,679

-40.76%

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

$35.51 NOK 326

$33.90 NOK 311

4.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.5 NOK 731

$85.1 NOK 782

-6.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.72 NOK 457

$48.43 NOK 445

2.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.95 NOK 339

$44.06 NOK 405

-16.14%

Cinema Ticket

$17.75 NOK 163

$19.28 NOK 177

-7.94%

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

$325 NOK 2,985

$251 NOK 2,305

29.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,295 NOK 48.6K

$12.0K NOK 110.0K

-55.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.8 NOK 632

$108 NOK 989

-36.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.70 NOK 328

$56.1 NOK 515

-36.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 NOK 1,115

$120 NOK 1,103

1.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$170 NOK 1,563

$166 NOK 1,524

2.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,411 NOK 13.0K

$1,627 NOK 15.0K

-13.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,053 NOK 9,673

$1,283 NOK 11.8K

-17.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,352 NOK 21.6K

$2,668 NOK 24.5K

-11.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,537 NOK 14.1K

$1,928 NOK 17.7K

-20.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,396 NOK 58.8K

$8,228 NOK 75.6K

-22.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,354 NOK 40.0K

$5,382 NOK 49.4K

-19.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,511 NOK 32.3K

$4,732 NOK 43.5K

-25.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.27

-5.12%

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

Last update for Harstad: October 24, 2026

Last update for Bergen: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Harstad

$1.1K 40.3%

Bergen

$1.3K 41.5% 21.9% $231

Groceries & Markets

Harstad

$516 19.8%

Bergen

$545 17.6% 5.6% $29

Eating Out

Harstad

$357 13.7%

Bergen

$432 14% 21.1% $75

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Harstad

$288 11%

Bergen

$411 13.3% 42.7% $123

Clothing & Footwear

Harstad

$178 6.8%

Bergen

$202 6.5% 13.6% $24

Getting Around

Harstad

$134 5.1%

Bergen

$133 4.3% 1% $1.4

Sport & Entertainment

Harstad

$85 3.3%

Bergen

$87 2.8% 2.1% $1.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,411 in Harstad and $1,627 in Bergen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 35% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $106 in Harstad vs $141 in Bergen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $516 vs $545 per month, with Harstad cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇴 Harstad

🇳🇴 Bergen

🕒 Local time

16:04 4:04 PM

Same time as Harstad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

25,119

292,482

💱 Currency

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 NOK = 10.88 USD

100 NOK = 9.75 EUR

100 NOK = 10.88 USD

100 NOK = 9.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Harstad Bergen 1,070 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Harstad
Bergen

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

Harstad vs Bergen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Harstad is about 16% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 26% lower in Harstad. 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: $1,411 in Harstad versus $1,627 in Bergen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $325 in Harstad 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 6% 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.

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

Expats usually find Harstad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.