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: $2,490 in Kirkenes versus $2,622 in Bergen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,765 in Kirkenes versus $3,948 in Bergen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,040 in Kirkenes versus $5,274 in Bergen.

Living in Kirkenes costs roughly 5% less than in Bergen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Kirkenes 85% above, Bergen 95% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.28 NOK 240

$25.22 NOK 239

0.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 NOK 962

$102 NOK 965

-0.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 NOK 131

$18.97 NOK 180

-27.52%

Cappuccino

$4.79 NOK 45.48

$5.55 NOK 52.6

-13.69%

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

$3.12 NOK 29.65

$3.17 NOK 30.10

-1.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 NOK 26.84

$3.01 NOK 28.56

-5.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.95 NOK 94.4

$11.86 NOK 113

-16.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.83 NOK 93.3

$9.58 NOK 90.9

2.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 NOK 21.39

$2.69 NOK 25.50

-16.36%

White Bread (500g)

$3.28 NOK 31.18

$3.44 NOK 32.66

-4.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.33 NOK 31.62

$2.88 NOK 27.34

15.63%

Eggs

$4.28 NOK 40.67

$5.03 NOK 47.75

-14.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.06 NOK 114

$13.96 NOK 132

-13.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.83 NOK 141

$15.99 NOK 152

-7.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.83 NOK 264

$27.79 NOK 264

0.14%

Apples (1kg)

$3.44 NOK 32.64

$3.79 NOK 35.95

-9.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.39 NOK 22.73

$2.95 NOK 27.98

-18.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.28 NOK 31.10

$3.59 NOK 34.03

-8.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.42 NOK 41.93

$5.70 NOK 54.1

-22.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.47 NOK 23.46

$2.62 NOK 24.85

-5.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.48 NOK 23.49

$2.87 NOK 27.29

-13.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.76 NOK 26.22

$2.91 NOK 27.63

-5.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 NOK 18.16

$2.14 NOK 20.34

-10.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.43 NOK 146

$16.78 NOK 159

-8.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.61 NOK 167

$17.96 NOK 170

-1.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.40 NOK 32.29

$3.44 NOK 32.68

-1.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.13 NOK 39.17

$4.32 NOK 40.97

-4.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.21 NOK 39.93

$4.44 NOK 42.14

-5.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.2 NOK 704

$80.0 NOK 759

-7.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.94 NOK 94.4

$15.23 NOK 145

-34.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 NOK 13.62

$2.27 NOK 21.55

-37.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$46.28 NOK 439

$72.5 NOK 688

-36.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 NOK 21.05

$2.21 NOK 20.93

0.45%

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

$35.6K NOK 338.0K

$35.9K NOK 340.3K

-0.67%

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

$38.3K NOK 363.6K

$42.9K NOK 407.0K

-10.66%

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

$237 NOK 2,254

$243 NOK 2,311

-2.45%

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

$38.75 NOK 368

$38.80 NOK 368

-0.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.4 NOK 535

$65.3 NOK 620

-13.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.64 NOK 462

$54.2 NOK 514

-10.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.52 NOK 337

$39.54 NOK 375

-10.17%

Cinema Ticket

$10.95 NOK 104

$20.20 NOK 192

-45.79%

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

$286 NOK 2,719

$282 NOK 2,677

1.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K NOK 96.0K

$12.6K NOK 119.9K

-19.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.3 NOK 923

$90.9 NOK 863

7.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.8 NOK 501

$55.9 NOK 531

-5.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 NOK 1,046

$112 NOK 1,064

-1.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$149 NOK 1,414

$147 NOK 1,391

1.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 NOK 11.3K

$1,295 NOK 12.3K

-7.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$893 NOK 8,480

$973 NOK 9,238

-8.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,856 NOK 17.6K

$1,994 NOK 18.9K

-6.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,545 NOK 14.7K

$1,568 NOK 14.9K

-1.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,944 NOK 56.4K

$7,844 NOK 74.4K

-24.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,413 NOK 41.9K

$4,587 NOK 43.5K

-3.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,289 NOK 50.2K

$4,531 NOK 43.0K

16.72%

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: June 6, 2026

Last update for Bergen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,193 in Kirkenes and $1,295 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: $101 in Kirkenes vs $102 in Bergen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $453 vs $490 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 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Kirkenes pays 17% more on average, 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: $1,193 in Kirkenes versus $1,295 in Bergen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $286 in Kirkenes versus $282 in Bergen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Bergen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,490 in Kirkenes versus $2,622 in Bergen, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Kirkenes but tight or insufficient in Bergen. The gap between the two cities makes Kirkenes the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 5% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.