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: $2,965 in Tromso versus $2,650 in Bergen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,410 in Tromso versus $3,988 in Bergen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,854 in Tromso versus $5,327 in Bergen.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Tromso 122% above, Bergen 98% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$33.12 NOK 319

$25.72 NOK 248

28.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$121 NOK 1,163

$103 NOK 994

16.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.95 NOK 144

$19.51 NOK 188

-23.37%

Cappuccino

$6.11 NOK 59.0

$5.42 NOK 52.3

12.73%

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

$4.51 NOK 43.52

$3.20 NOK 30.86

40.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 NOK 32.38

$2.89 NOK 27.90

16.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.31 NOK 109

$11.82 NOK 114

-4.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.00 NOK 106

$9.78 NOK 94.3

12.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.49 NOK 24.05

$2.65 NOK 25.56

-6.04%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 NOK 30.77

$3.28 NOK 31.62

-2.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.47 NOK 33.46

$2.88 NOK 27.80

20.49%

Eggs

$4.86 NOK 46.89

$4.90 NOK 47.29

-0.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.61 NOK 112

$14.20 NOK 137

-18.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.21 NOK 147

$16.06 NOK 155

-5.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$37.68 NOK 363

$28.21 NOK 272

33.57%

Apples (1kg)

$3.86 NOK 37.18

$3.94 NOK 38.03

-2.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.81 NOK 27.12

$2.96 NOK 28.55

-5.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.56 NOK 34.38

$3.75 NOK 36.21

-5.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.16 NOK 49.72

$5.62 NOK 54.2

-8.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.98 NOK 28.77

$2.73 NOK 26.32

9.16%

Onion (1kg)

$3.56 NOK 34.33

$2.91 NOK 28.07

22.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.68 NOK 25.87

$2.80 NOK 27.03

-4.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 NOK 16.90

$2.14 NOK 20.66

-18.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.11 NOK 146

$16.95 NOK 163

-10.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.35 NOK 177

$17.26 NOK 166

6.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.64 NOK 35.06

$3.30 NOK 31.84

10.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 NOK 43.83

$4.38 NOK 42.22

3.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.69 NOK 45.20

$4.47 NOK 43.12

4.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.5 NOK 574

$81.2 NOK 783

-26.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.71 NOK 123

$15.23 NOK 147

-16.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 NOK 10.48

$2.25 NOK 21.68

-51.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$50.8 NOK 490

$72.5 NOK 700

-30.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.23 NOK 21.54

$2.13 NOK 20.53

4.69%

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

$33.1K NOK 319.0K

$35.3K NOK 340.8K

-6.40%

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

$36.6K NOK 352.8K

$43.1K NOK 415.5K

-15.10%

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

$252 NOK 2,428

$242 NOK 2,336

3.93%

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

$47.54 NOK 458

$38.51 NOK 371

23.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.9 NOK 732

$64.7 NOK 624

17.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.75 NOK 460

$53.9 NOK 520

-11.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.56 NOK 381

$40.36 NOK 389

-1.98%

Cinema Ticket

$16.45 NOK 159

$20.20 NOK 195

-18.56%

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

$334 NOK 3,216

$286 NOK 2,756

16.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,348 NOK 70.9K

$12.6K NOK 121.1K

-41.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.0 NOK 878

$91.1 NOK 878

-0.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.49 NOK 323

$55.5 NOK 535

-39.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$134 NOK 1,288

$111 NOK 1,072

20.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 NOK 1,279

$145 NOK 1,401

-8.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,352 NOK 13.0K

$1,284 NOK 12.4K

5.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,258 NOK 12.1K

$976 NOK 9,408

28.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,549 NOK 24.6K

$2,019 NOK 19.5K

26.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,815 NOK 17.5K

$1,558 NOK 15.0K

16.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,817 NOK 85.0K

$7,575 NOK 73.0K

16.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,188 NOK 50.0K

$4,645 NOK 44.8K

11.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,066 NOK 39.2K

$4,344 NOK 41.9K

-6.38%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Bergen: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,352 in Tromso and $1,284 in Bergen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 7% 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 $103 in Bergen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $502 vs $489 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, salaries run 7% 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: $1,352 in Tromso versus $1,284 in Bergen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $334 in Tromso versus $286 in Bergen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% 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.