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: $2,929 in Tromso versus $2,605 in Bergen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,342 in Tromso versus $3,923 in Bergen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,756 in Tromso versus $5,240 in Bergen.

Living in Tromso is roughly 12% more expensive than Bergen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Tromso 119% above, Bergen 94% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$32.45 NOK 301

$25.78 NOK 240

25.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$121 NOK 1,124

$100 NOK 931

20.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.08 NOK 140

$18.96 NOK 176

-20.46%

Cappuccino

$6.17 NOK 57.4

$5.36 NOK 49.82

15.11%

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

$4.58 NOK 42.52

$3.21 NOK 29.86

42.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 NOK 31.97

$3.03 NOK 28.14

13.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.21 NOK 104

$11.53 NOK 107

-2.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.08 NOK 103

$9.67 NOK 89.8

14.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.42 NOK 22.45

$2.64 NOK 24.50

-8.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 NOK 29.42

$3.36 NOK 31.20

-5.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.28 NOK 30.46

$2.90 NOK 26.92

13.10%

Eggs

$4.92 NOK 45.72

$5.11 NOK 47.45

-3.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.34 NOK 105

$13.96 NOK 130

-18.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.48 NOK 144

$16.06 NOK 149

-3.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$37.09 NOK 345

$28.05 NOK 261

32.23%

Apples (1kg)

$3.92 NOK 36.42

$3.75 NOK 34.84

4.53%

Banana (1kg)

$2.88 NOK 26.78

$2.94 NOK 27.29

-2.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.75 NOK 34.82

$3.61 NOK 33.56

3.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.12 NOK 47.54

$5.52 NOK 51.3

-7.25%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 NOK 28.65

$2.72 NOK 25.24

13.24%

Onion (1kg)

$3.63 NOK 33.72

$2.77 NOK 25.73

31.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.69 NOK 24.98

$2.85 NOK 26.45

-5.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 NOK 15.80

$2.15 NOK 19.95

-20.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.05 NOK 140

$16.93 NOK 157

-11.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.06 NOK 177

$18.39 NOK 171

3.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.64 NOK 33.78

$3.35 NOK 31.08

8.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 NOK 42.14

$4.27 NOK 39.68

6.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.79 NOK 44.49

$4.56 NOK 42.40

5.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.6 NOK 553

$80.5 NOK 748

-26.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.88 NOK 120

$15.36 NOK 143

-16.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 NOK 10.46

$2.28 NOK 21.15

-50.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$52.1 NOK 484

$72.7 NOK 675

-28.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 NOK 19.63

$2.16 NOK 20.11

-2.31%

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

$32.6K NOK 302.8K

$35.0K NOK 325.2K

-6.90%

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

$35.8K NOK 332.2K

$43.6K NOK 404.7K

-17.92%

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

$245 NOK 2,279

$238 NOK 2,207

3.27%

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

$48.71 NOK 453

$38.16 NOK 355

27.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.2 NOK 717

$64.1 NOK 595

20.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.87 NOK 445

$55.2 NOK 513

-13.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.54 NOK 367

$40.59 NOK 377

-2.59%

Cinema Ticket

$16.73 NOK 155

$19.99 NOK 186

-16.31%

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

$336 NOK 3,118

$281 NOK 2,610

19.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,362 NOK 68.4K

$12.9K NOK 120.1K

-43.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 NOK 815

$90.5 NOK 841

-3.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.00 NOK 307

$55.0 NOK 510

-39.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 NOK 1,215

$111 NOK 1,034

17.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 NOK 1,258

$147 NOK 1,369

-8.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,348 NOK 12.5K

$1,275 NOK 11.8K

5.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 NOK 11.8K

$997 NOK 9,263

27.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,614 NOK 24.3K

$2,004 NOK 18.6K

30.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,853 NOK 17.2K

$1,576 NOK 14.6K

17.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,264 NOK 86.1K

$7,998 NOK 74.3K

15.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,545 NOK 51.5K

$4,773 NOK 44.3K

16.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,243 NOK 39.4K

$4,646 NOK 43.2K

-8.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.27

4.85

-11.96%

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

Last update for Tromso: June 1, 2026

Last update for Bergen: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,348 in Tromso and $1,275 in Bergen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 10% 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 Tromso vs $100 in Bergen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $502 vs $490 per month, with Bergen 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

Tromso vs Bergen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bergen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Bergen earns 10% less. 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: $1,348 in Tromso versus $1,275 in Bergen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $336 in Tromso versus $281 in Bergen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% 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 12% less than in Tromso. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.