Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kirkenes and Bergen

For one person, living is cheaper in Kirkenes: $2,754 a month against $3,086 in Bergen, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

131

Cost of Living Index in Kirkenes
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Kirkenes Living Index
146

Cost of Living Index in Bergen
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Bergen Living Index

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Kirkenes

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,754

/mo nomad

Bergen

🇳🇴 Norway

$3,086

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,754 in Kirkenes versus $3,086 in Bergen.

Kirkenes $2,754
Bergen $3,086

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,154 in Kirkenes versus $4,601 in Bergen.

Kirkenes $4,154
Bergen $4,601

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,555 in Kirkenes versus $6,117 in Bergen.

Kirkenes $5,555
Bergen $6,117

Living in Kirkenes costs roughly 11% less than in Bergen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Kirkenes 104% above, Bergen 128% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.60 NOK 200

$24.42 NOK 227

-11.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$109 NOK 1,015

$140 NOK 1,303

-22.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.30 NOK 151

$15.86 NOK 147

2.77%

Cappuccino

$5.45 NOK 50.5

$5.53 NOK 51.3

-1.45%

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

$4.12 NOK 38.22

$5.30 NOK 49.19

-22.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 NOK 30.13

$4.72 NOK 43.81

-31.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.03 NOK 112

$12.62 NOK 117

-4.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.87 NOK 101

$10.66 NOK 98.9

1.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.59 NOK 24.03

$2.26 NOK 21.02

14.60%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 NOK 35.30

$3.90 NOK 36.22

-2.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.82 NOK 35.43

$3.62 NOK 33.57

5.52%

Eggs

$4.98 NOK 46.22

$6.67 NOK 61.9

-25.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.70 NOK 127

$14.80 NOK 137

-7.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.78 NOK 146

$17.76 NOK 165

-11.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$31.48 NOK 292

$37.47 NOK 348

-15.99%

Apples (1kg)

$3.48 NOK 32.27

$4.11 NOK 38.10

-15.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.63 NOK 24.41

$2.67 NOK 24.78

-1.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.51 NOK 32.60

$3.47 NOK 32.21

1.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.05 NOK 46.89

$5.70 NOK 52.9

-11.40%

Potato (1kg)

$2.68 NOK 24.91

$2.55 NOK 23.71

5.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.85 NOK 26.41

$3.34 NOK 31.00

-14.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.06 NOK 28.35

$2.95 NOK 27.39

3.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.32 NOK 21.50

$1.86 NOK 17.30

24.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.94 NOK 166

$18.04 NOK 167

-0.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.93 NOK 157

$19.81 NOK 184

-14.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.52 NOK 32.67

$3.66 NOK 33.99

-3.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 NOK 40.72

$4.53 NOK 42.05

-3.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.84 NOK 44.89

$5.61 NOK 52.1

-13.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.5 NOK 793

$88.2 NOK 818

-3.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.11 NOK 112

$12.63 NOK 117

-4.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 NOK 17.25

$1.89 NOK 17.50

-1.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$72.1 NOK 669

$73.0 NOK 677

-1.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.44 NOK 22.64

$2.41 NOK 22.36

1.24%

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

$49.3K NOK 457.2K

$49.5K NOK 459.7K

-0.54%

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

$44.8K NOK 415.7K

$44.6K NOK 414.0K

0.41%

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

$281 NOK 2,610

$292 NOK 2,713

-3.79%

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

$34.86 NOK 323

$35.42 NOK 329

-1.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.8 NOK 517

$79.0 NOK 733

-29.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.6 NOK 469

$46.83 NOK 435

7.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.16 NOK 354

$44.17 NOK 410

-13.61%

Cinema Ticket

$17.46 NOK 162

$19.31 NOK 179

-9.58%

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

$240 NOK 2,224

$243 NOK 2,252

-1.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.1K NOK 121.3K

$15.5K NOK 144.3K

-15.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 NOK 952

$115 NOK 1,066

-10.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 NOK 538

$55.2 NOK 512

5.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 NOK 1,193

$117 NOK 1,081

10.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 NOK 1,516

$162 NOK 1,507

0.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,273 NOK 11.8K

$1,613 NOK 15.0K

-21.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,068 NOK 9,915

$1,283 NOK 11.9K

-16.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,081 NOK 19.3K

$2,639 NOK 24.5K

-21.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,737 NOK 16.1K

$1,911 NOK 17.7K

-9.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,544 NOK 60.7K

$8,204 NOK 76.1K

-20.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,307 NOK 40.0K

$5,269 NOK 48.9K

-18.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,330 NOK 49.5K

$4,937 NOK 45.8K

7.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.94

5.27

-6.26%

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

Last update for Kirkenes: November 2, 2026

Last update for Bergen: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kirkenes

$1.1K 38.8%

Bergen

$1.3K 41.6% 20% $214

Groceries & Markets

Kirkenes

$500 18.2%

Bergen

$543 17.6% 8.6% $43

Eating Out

Kirkenes

$398 14.5%

Bergen

$434 14.1% 8.9% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kirkenes

$372 13.5%

Bergen

$407 13.2% 9.4% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Kirkenes

$204 7.4%

Bergen

$202 6.6% 0.8% $1.6

Getting Around

Kirkenes

$126 4.6%

Bergen

$133 4.3% 5.1% $6.5

Sport & Entertainment

Kirkenes

$85 3.1%

Bergen

$85 2.8% 0% $0

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,273 in Kirkenes and $1,613 in Bergen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kirkenes pays 8% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $109 in Kirkenes vs $140 in Bergen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $500 vs $543 per month, with Kirkenes cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇴 Kirkenes

🇳🇴 Bergen

🕒 Local time

00:35 12:35 AM

Same time as Kirkenes

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,500

292,482

💱 Currency

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 NOK = 10.78 USD

100 NOK = 9.6 EUR

100 NOK = 10.78 USD

100 NOK = 9.6 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

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Between locations

Kirkenes Bergen 1,540 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Kirkenes
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

Kirkenes vs Bergen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kirkenes is about 11% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 8% higher in Kirkenes, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,273 in Kirkenes versus $1,613 in Bergen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $240 in Kirkenes versus $243 in Bergen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% 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. Kirkenes 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, Kirkenes and Bergen are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Kirkenes gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.