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: $2,674 in Kirkenes versus $2,948 in Bergen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,114 in Kirkenes versus $4,449 in Bergen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,555 in Kirkenes versus $5,950 in Bergen.

Living in Kirkenes costs roughly 9% less than in Bergen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Kirkenes 95% above, Bergen 115% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.17 NOK 200

$24.70 NOK 233

-14.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$121 NOK 1,144

$139 NOK 1,311

-12.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.15 NOK 133

$15.86 NOK 149

-10.78%

Cappuccino

$6.19 NOK 58.3

$5.68 NOK 53.5

8.98%

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

$3.98 NOK 37.49

$5.31 NOK 50.0

-25.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 NOK 27.67

$4.53 NOK 42.69

-35.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.21 NOK 106

$12.85 NOK 121

-12.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.16 NOK 95.7

$10.60 NOK 99.9

-4.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.27 NOK 21.42

$2.33 NOK 21.95

-2.58%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 NOK 35.33

$3.90 NOK 36.77

-3.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.53 NOK 33.29

$3.57 NOK 33.67

-1.12%

Eggs

$4.72 NOK 44.46

$6.62 NOK 62.4

-28.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.38 NOK 126

$15.02 NOK 142

-10.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.02 NOK 160

$17.61 NOK 166

-3.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$33.06 NOK 312

$35.64 NOK 336

-7.24%

Apples (1kg)

$3.52 NOK 33.17

$4.02 NOK 37.88

-12.44%

Banana (1kg)

$2.54 NOK 23.94

$2.83 NOK 26.64

-10.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.25 NOK 30.64

$3.67 NOK 34.54

-11.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.60 NOK 43.38

$5.50 NOK 51.8

-16.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.89 NOK 27.24

$2.55 NOK 23.99

13.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.78 NOK 26.15

$3.30 NOK 31.10

-15.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.65 NOK 24.95

$2.94 NOK 27.70

-9.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 NOK 23.72

$1.91 NOK 17.95

31.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.43 NOK 183

$18.18 NOK 171

6.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 NOK 183

$18.23 NOK 172

6.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.92 NOK 36.91

$3.52 NOK 33.20

11.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 NOK 44.67

$4.39 NOK 41.32

7.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.16 NOK 39.21

$5.12 NOK 48.20

-18.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.9 NOK 819

$90.2 NOK 850

-3.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.14 NOK 114

$12.62 NOK 119

-3.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.68 NOK 15.88

$1.96 NOK 18.43

-14.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$76.6 NOK 721

$74.5 NOK 702

2.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.38 NOK 22.39

$2.37 NOK 22.33

0.42%

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

$47.6K NOK 448.4K

$49.1K NOK 462.5K

-3.06%

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

$43.5K NOK 410.1K

$44.2K NOK 416.9K

-1.64%

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

$276 NOK 2,602

$288 NOK 2,717

-4.23%

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

$28.22 NOK 266

$31.45 NOK 296

-10.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.5 NOK 608

$78.6 NOK 741

-17.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.1 NOK 519

$45.85 NOK 432

20.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.03 NOK 339

$43.68 NOK 412

-17.51%

Cinema Ticket

$17.35 NOK 163

$19.64 NOK 185

-11.66%

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

$230 NOK 2,167

$245 NOK 2,309

-6.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.3K NOK 134.7K

$12.2K NOK 115.2K

16.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.2 NOK 907

$107 NOK 1,008

-10.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.1 NOK 614

$54.3 NOK 511

19.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 NOK 1,185

$125 NOK 1,181

0.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$173 NOK 1,635

$170 NOK 1,602

2.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,353 NOK 12.8K

$1,496 NOK 14.1K

-9.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,066 NOK 10.0K

$1,104 NOK 10.4K

-3.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,225 NOK 21.0K

$2,481 NOK 23.4K

-10.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,682 NOK 15.8K

$1,780 NOK 16.8K

-5.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,295 NOK 59.3K

$7,757 NOK 73.1K

-18.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,187 NOK 39.5K

$4,967 NOK 46.8K

-15.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,402 NOK 50.9K

$4,712 NOK 44.4K

14.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.98

5.31

-6.21%

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

Last update for Kirkenes: September 14, 2026

Last update for Bergen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,353 in Kirkenes and $1,496 in Bergen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kirkenes pays 15% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $121 in Kirkenes vs $139 in Bergen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $509 vs $534 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. The 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 15% 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: $1,353 in Kirkenes versus $1,496 in Bergen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $230 in Kirkenes versus $245 in Bergen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% 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 10% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.