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: $2,422 in Harstad versus $2,605 in Bergen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,693 in Harstad versus $3,923 in Bergen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,965 in Harstad versus $5,240 in Bergen.

Living in Harstad costs roughly 7% less than in Bergen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Harstad 81% above, Bergen 94% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.57 NOK 128

$25.78 NOK 244

-47.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$119 NOK 1,129

$100 NOK 947

19.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.33 NOK 145

$18.96 NOK 179

-19.15%

Cappuccino

$6.05 NOK 57.2

$5.36 NOK 50.7

12.87%

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

$3.45 NOK 32.61

$3.21 NOK 30.39

7.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 NOK 28.30

$3.03 NOK 28.63

-1.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.22 NOK 106

$11.53 NOK 109

-2.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.32 NOK 107

$9.67 NOK 91.4

17.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 NOK 21.90

$2.64 NOK 24.93

-12.12%

White Bread (500g)

$3.15 NOK 29.82

$3.36 NOK 31.75

-6.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.00 NOK 28.35

$2.90 NOK 27.39

3.45%

Eggs

$4.18 NOK 39.48

$5.11 NOK 48.28

-18.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.56 NOK 99.9

$13.96 NOK 132

-24.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.92 NOK 141

$16.06 NOK 152

-7.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$37.12 NOK 351

$28.05 NOK 265

32.34%

Apples (1kg)

$4.06 NOK 38.37

$3.75 NOK 35.46

8.27%

Banana (1kg)

$2.68 NOK 25.35

$2.94 NOK 27.77

-8.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.46 NOK 32.74

$3.61 NOK 34.15

-4.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.67 NOK 44.15

$5.52 NOK 52.2

-15.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 NOK 18.86

$2.72 NOK 25.69

-26.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 NOK 18.72

$2.77 NOK 26.18

-28.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.77 NOK 26.23

$2.85 NOK 26.91

-2.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 NOK 16.90

$2.15 NOK 20.30

-16.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.21 NOK 144

$16.93 NOK 160

-10.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.00 NOK 151

$18.39 NOK 174

-13.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.56 NOK 33.64

$3.35 NOK 31.63

6.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.50 NOK 42.56

$4.27 NOK 40.38

5.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.95 NOK 56.3

$4.56 NOK 43.15

30.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.5 NOK 771

$80.5 NOK 761

1.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.47 NOK 118

$15.36 NOK 145

-18.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 NOK 13.57

$2.28 NOK 21.52

-36.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$51.3 NOK 485

$72.7 NOK 687

-29.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 NOK 19.96

$2.16 NOK 20.46

-2.31%

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

$33.6K NOK 317.9K

$35.0K NOK 330.9K

-3.95%

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

$30.8K NOK 291.6K

$43.6K NOK 411.9K

-29.20%

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

$160 NOK 1,509

$238 NOK 2,246

-32.81%

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

$33.10 NOK 313

$38.16 NOK 361

-13.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.0 NOK 728

$64.1 NOK 606

20.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.67 NOK 470

$55.2 NOK 522

-10.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.08 NOK 341

$40.59 NOK 384

-11.11%

Cinema Ticket

$16.99 NOK 161

$19.99 NOK 189

-15.01%

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

$329 NOK 3,110

$281 NOK 2,656

17.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,131 NOK 48.5K

$12.9K NOK 122.2K

-60.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.2 NOK 730

$90.5 NOK 856

-14.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.44 NOK 316

$55.0 NOK 519

-39.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 NOK 1,113

$111 NOK 1,053

5.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 NOK 1,269

$147 NOK 1,394

-8.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,330 NOK 12.6K

$1,275 NOK 12.1K

4.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,004 NOK 9,490

$997 NOK 9,427

0.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,212 NOK 20.9K

$2,004 NOK 18.9K

10.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,494 NOK 14.1K

$1,576 NOK 14.9K

-5.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,005 NOK 56.8K

$7,998 NOK 75.6K

-24.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,540 NOK 42.9K

$4,773 NOK 45.1K

-4.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,581 NOK 33.9K

$4,646 NOK 43.9K

-22.93%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Bergen: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,330 in Harstad and $1,275 in Bergen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 30% 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: $119 in Harstad vs $100 in Bergen. Groceries flip the comparison at $476 vs $490, 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 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Bergen earns 30% 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: $1,330 in Harstad versus $1,275 in Bergen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $329 in Harstad versus $281 in Bergen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Bergen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,422 in Harstad versus $2,605 in Bergen, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Harstad but tight or insufficient in Bergen. The gap between the two cities makes Harstad the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 8% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.