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: $2,463 in Kirkenes versus $2,688 in Bergen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,726 in Kirkenes versus $3,981 in Bergen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,989 in Kirkenes versus $5,273 in Bergen.

Living in Kirkenes costs roughly 8% less than in Bergen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Kirkenes 84% above, Bergen 101% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.11 NOK 234

$25.64 NOK 239

-2.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.7 NOK 929

$102 NOK 948

-1.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.54 NOK 126

$18.93 NOK 176

-28.47%

Cappuccino

$4.89 NOK 45.58

$5.60 NOK 52.2

-12.68%

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

$3.12 NOK 29.08

$3.11 NOK 28.95

0.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 NOK 25.96

$2.90 NOK 27.05

-3.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.04 NOK 93.6

$11.69 NOK 109

-14.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.42 NOK 87.8

$9.43 NOK 87.9

-0.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.28 NOK 21.24

$2.75 NOK 25.64

-17.09%

White Bread (500g)

$3.32 NOK 30.94

$3.30 NOK 30.73

0.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.33 NOK 31.02

$2.81 NOK 26.16

18.51%

Eggs

$4.52 NOK 42.11

$4.86 NOK 45.27

-7.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.26 NOK 114

$14.19 NOK 132

-13.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.46 NOK 135

$15.59 NOK 145

-7.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.34 NOK 264

$28.20 NOK 263

0.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 NOK 33.60

$3.87 NOK 36.11

-6.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 NOK 22.41

$3.06 NOK 28.54

-21.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.28 NOK 30.57

$3.61 NOK 33.64

-9.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.51 NOK 41.99

$5.57 NOK 51.9

-19.03%

Potato (1kg)

$2.41 NOK 22.48

$2.70 NOK 25.18

-10.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.55 NOK 23.72

$2.86 NOK 26.65

-10.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.74 NOK 25.57

$2.78 NOK 25.89

-1.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 NOK 17.15

$2.12 NOK 19.77

-13.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.23 NOK 142

$16.39 NOK 153

-7.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.33 NOK 171

$18.35 NOK 171

-0.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.42 NOK 31.92

$3.27 NOK 30.52

4.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.01 NOK 37.38

$4.39 NOK 40.95

-8.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.16 NOK 38.77

$4.43 NOK 41.24

-6.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.6 NOK 686

$81.3 NOK 758

-9.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.23 NOK 95.3

$15.40 NOK 144

-33.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 NOK 12.92

$2.29 NOK 21.30

-39.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$46.30 NOK 431

$73.1 NOK 681

-36.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 NOK 20.68

$2.15 NOK 20.02

3.26%

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

$35.6K NOK 331.6K

$35.0K NOK 326.4K

1.57%

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

$38.9K NOK 363.0K

$42.3K NOK 394.4K

-7.96%

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

$241 NOK 2,250

$245 NOK 2,284

-1.47%

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

$38.64 NOK 360

$38.87 NOK 362

-0.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.3 NOK 515

$64.9 NOK 605

-14.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.3 NOK 468

$55.3 NOK 515

-9.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.46 NOK 330

$39.54 NOK 369

-10.32%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 NOK 101

$20.55 NOK 192

-47.10%

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

$284 NOK 2,645

$279 NOK 2,597

1.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.2K NOK 95.0K

$13.0K NOK 120.8K

-21.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.8 NOK 911

$89.8 NOK 837

8.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.3 NOK 497

$55.2 NOK 515

-3.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 NOK 1,009

$114 NOK 1,061

-4.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$153 NOK 1,423

$144 NOK 1,340

6.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,204 NOK 11.2K

$1,287 NOK 12.0K

-6.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$908 NOK 8,459

$967 NOK 9,014

-6.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,827 NOK 17.0K

$1,994 NOK 18.6K

-8.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,532 NOK 14.3K

$1,573 NOK 14.7K

-2.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,083 NOK 56.7K

$7,978 NOK 74.4K

-23.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,504 NOK 42.0K

$5,002 NOK 46.6K

-9.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,470 NOK 51.0K

$4,447 NOK 41.4K

22.99%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Bergen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,204 in Kirkenes and $1,287 in Bergen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kirkenes pays 23% 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 $457 vs $489 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 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Kirkenes pays 23% 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: $1,204 in Kirkenes versus $1,287 in Bergen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $284 in Kirkenes versus $279 in Bergen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Bergen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,463 in Kirkenes versus $2,688 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 9% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.