Cost of Living Comparison Between Tromso and Bergen Cost of Living Comparison Between Tromso and Bergen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,167 in Tromso versus $2,907 in Bergen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,757 in Tromso versus $4,400 in Bergen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,347 in Tromso versus $5,894 in Bergen.

Living in Tromso is roughly 9% more expensive than in Bergen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Tromso 130% above, Bergen 112% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$35.46 NOK 330

$25.49 NOK 238

39.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$106 NOK 990

$141 NOK 1,309

-24.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.00 NOK 149

$16.21 NOK 151

-1.30%

Cappuccino

$6.85 NOK 63.9

$5.63 NOK 52.5

21.67%

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

$4.80 NOK 44.68

$5.28 NOK 49.18

-9.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 NOK 35.19

$4.74 NOK 44.12

-20.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.00 NOK 121

$12.91 NOK 120

0.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.99 NOK 130

$10.52 NOK 98.0

32.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.49 NOK 23.17

$2.48 NOK 23.08

0.40%

White Bread (500g)

$3.38 NOK 31.46

$3.83 NOK 35.70

-11.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.91 NOK 36.42

$3.58 NOK 33.31

9.22%

Eggs

$5.18 NOK 48.25

$6.70 NOK 62.5

-22.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.98 NOK 112

$15.27 NOK 142

-21.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.78 NOK 138

$17.52 NOK 163

-15.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.37 NOK 395

$35.05 NOK 327

20.88%

Apples (1kg)

$4.21 NOK 39.27

$4.22 NOK 39.28

-0.24%

Banana (1kg)

$3.04 NOK 28.29

$2.71 NOK 25.26

12.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.54 NOK 51.7

$3.72 NOK 34.67

48.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.18 NOK 57.6

$5.61 NOK 52.3

10.16%

Potato (1kg)

$3.63 NOK 33.86

$2.56 NOK 23.82

41.80%

Onion (1kg)

$4.81 NOK 44.83

$3.48 NOK 32.38

38.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.02 NOK 28.13

$3.03 NOK 28.22

-0.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 NOK 20.08

$1.99 NOK 18.50

8.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.36 NOK 152

$17.89 NOK 167

-8.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.27 NOK 152

$18.74 NOK 175

-13.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.06 NOK 37.82

$3.62 NOK 33.70

12.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.87 NOK 45.36

$4.24 NOK 39.52

14.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.02 NOK 46.75

$5.17 NOK 48.14

-2.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.5 NOK 638

$90.2 NOK 840

-24.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$16.00 NOK 149

$12.70 NOK 118

25.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 NOK 19.84

$1.90 NOK 17.74

12.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$57.3 NOK 533

$73.1 NOK 681

-21.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 NOK 20.83

$2.24 NOK 20.90

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

$48.9K NOK 455.7K

$49.8K NOK 463.6K

-1.70%

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

$45.1K NOK 420.3K

$43.8K NOK 408.1K

2.99%

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

$261 NOK 2,429

$286 NOK 2,662

-8.75%

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

$50.3 NOK 468

$31.94 NOK 298

57.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.9 NOK 791

$78.6 NOK 732

8.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.5 NOK 480

$44.64 NOK 416

15.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$48.67 NOK 453

$43.59 NOK 406

11.65%

Cinema Ticket

$17.57 NOK 164

$19.25 NOK 179

-8.73%

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

$323 NOK 3,006

$241 NOK 2,242

34.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,674 NOK 71.5K

$11.9K NOK 111.3K

-35.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.9 NOK 623

$107 NOK 994

-37.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.05 NOK 336

$54.3 NOK 506

-33.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$148 NOK 1,377

$123 NOK 1,145

20.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$170 NOK 1,580

$169 NOK 1,576

0.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 NOK 14.7K

$1,514 NOK 14.1K

4.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,278 NOK 11.9K

$1,119 NOK 10.4K

14.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,730 NOK 25.4K

$2,489 NOK 23.2K

9.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,025 NOK 18.9K

$1,758 NOK 16.4K

15.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,913 NOK 64.4K

$7,741 NOK 72.1K

-10.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,394 NOK 50.3K

$4,935 NOK 46.0K

9.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,206 NOK 39.2K

$4,828 NOK 45.0K

-12.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.01

5.31

-5.65%

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

Last update for Tromso: August 31, 2026

Last update for Bergen: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,578 in Tromso and $1,514 in Bergen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen 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: $106 in Tromso vs $141 in Bergen. Groceries flip the comparison at $545 vs $538, with Bergen cheaper for home cooking.

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

Tromso vs Bergen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bergen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 15% lower in Bergen. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,578 in Tromso versus $1,514 in Bergen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $323 in Tromso versus $241 in Bergen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Tromso. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Bergen is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Bergen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Tromso, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Tromso 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 Bergen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Tromso. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.