Cost of Living Comparison Between Kirkenes and Bergen Cost of Living Comparison Between Kirkenes and Bergen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,394 in Kirkenes versus $2,658 in Bergen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,777 in Kirkenes versus $4,013 in Bergen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,161 in Kirkenes versus $5,368 in Bergen.

Living in Kirkenes costs roughly 10% less than in Bergen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Kirkenes 80% above, Bergen 100% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.12 NOK 238

$25.18 NOK 239

-0.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.6 NOK 945

$102 NOK 970

-2.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.86 NOK 131

$19.35 NOK 183

-28.37%

Cappuccino

$4.86 NOK 46.05

$5.34 NOK 50.7

-8.99%

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

$3.07 NOK 29.14

$3.24 NOK 30.68

-5.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 NOK 26.48

$2.90 NOK 27.47

-3.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.94 NOK 94.3

$11.61 NOK 110

-14.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.89 NOK 93.8

$9.63 NOK 91.3

2.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 NOK 21.38

$2.71 NOK 25.70

-16.97%

White Bread (500g)

$3.28 NOK 31.05

$3.44 NOK 32.64

-4.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.22 NOK 30.55

$2.79 NOK 26.44

15.41%

Eggs

$4.50 NOK 42.72

$5.03 NOK 47.68

-10.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.00 NOK 114

$13.95 NOK 132

-13.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.74 NOK 140

$15.55 NOK 147

-5.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.01 NOK 266

$27.87 NOK 264

0.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.54 NOK 33.61

$3.81 NOK 36.09

-7.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 NOK 22.36

$2.96 NOK 28.07

-20.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.30 NOK 31.25

$3.58 NOK 33.98

-7.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.42 NOK 41.91

$5.51 NOK 52.3

-19.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.47 NOK 23.41

$2.60 NOK 24.70

-5.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.51 NOK 23.78

$2.75 NOK 26.09

-8.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 NOK 26.95

$2.77 NOK 26.26

2.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 NOK 17.60

$2.11 NOK 20.02

-11.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.07 NOK 143

$16.74 NOK 159

-9.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.20 NOK 192

$17.70 NOK 168

14.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.34 NOK 31.67

$3.39 NOK 32.11

-1.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 NOK 38.68

$4.30 NOK 40.77

-5.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.33 NOK 41.10

$4.37 NOK 41.45

-0.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.4 NOK 696

$79.8 NOK 757

-8.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.01 NOK 94.9

$15.20 NOK 144

-34.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 NOK 13.26

$2.20 NOK 20.87

-36.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$46.47 NOK 441

$72.6 NOK 689

-36.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.12 NOK 20.08

$2.21 NOK 20.98

-4.07%

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

$35.2K NOK 334.2K

$35.8K NOK 339.6K

-1.58%

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

$38.1K NOK 361.6K

$43.7K NOK 414.2K

-12.70%

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

$238 NOK 2,256

$244 NOK 2,314

-2.50%

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

$38.95 NOK 369

$38.05 NOK 361

2.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.3 NOK 534

$65.4 NOK 620

-13.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.1 NOK 475

$54.2 NOK 513

-7.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.84 NOK 330

$39.77 NOK 377

-12.40%

Cinema Ticket

$11.03 NOK 105

$19.90 NOK 189

-44.57%

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

$286 NOK 2,708

$284 NOK 2,692

0.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K NOK 95.8K

$12.9K NOK 122.2K

-21.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.3 NOK 894

$92.5 NOK 877

1.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.8 NOK 491

$55.7 NOK 528

-7.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 NOK 1,012

$113 NOK 1,067

-5.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$153 NOK 1,450

$143 NOK 1,360

6.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,191 NOK 11.3K

$1,304 NOK 12.4K

-8.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$883 NOK 8,376

$997 NOK 9,455

-11.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,826 NOK 17.3K

$2,032 NOK 19.3K

-10.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,521 NOK 14.4K

$1,595 NOK 15.1K

-4.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,838 NOK 55.4K

$7,558 NOK 71.7K

-22.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,974 NOK 37.7K

$4,679 NOK 44.4K

-15.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,114 NOK 48.5K

$4,385 NOK 41.6K

16.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.38

4.85

-9.69%

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

Last update for Kirkenes: July 26, 2026

Last update for Bergen: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,191 in Kirkenes and $1,304 in Bergen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kirkenes pays 17% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $100 in Kirkenes vs $102 in Bergen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $458 vs $485 per month, with Kirkenes cheaper across the board.

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 cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 11% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 17% 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: $1,191 in Kirkenes versus $1,304 in Bergen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $286 in Kirkenes versus $284 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. Kirkenes is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Kirkenes 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, Kirkenes 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 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.