Cost of Living Comparison Between Trondheim and Bergen Cost of Living Comparison Between Trondheim and Bergen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,745 in Trondheim versus $2,658 in Bergen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,170 in Trondheim versus $4,013 in Bergen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,595 in Trondheim versus $5,368 in Bergen.

Living in Trondheim is roughly 3% more expensive than in Bergen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Trondheim 106% above, Bergen 100% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.21 NOK 211

$25.18 NOK 239

-11.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$123 NOK 1,162

$102 NOK 970

19.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.44 NOK 137

$19.35 NOK 183

-25.37%

Cappuccino

$4.82 NOK 45.75

$5.34 NOK 50.7

-9.74%

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

$3.67 NOK 34.84

$3.24 NOK 30.68

13.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 NOK 28.34

$2.90 NOK 27.47

3.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.80 NOK 102

$11.61 NOK 110

-6.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.45 NOK 109

$9.63 NOK 91.3

18.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.51 NOK 23.79

$2.71 NOK 25.70

-7.38%

White Bread (500g)

$3.65 NOK 34.58

$3.44 NOK 32.64

6.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.86 NOK 36.62

$2.79 NOK 26.44

38.35%

Eggs

$4.59 NOK 43.49

$5.03 NOK 47.68

-8.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.21 NOK 116

$13.95 NOK 132

-12.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.92 NOK 141

$15.55 NOK 147

-4.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.37 NOK 269

$27.87 NOK 264

1.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.77 NOK 35.76

$3.81 NOK 36.09

-1.05%

Banana (1kg)

$2.97 NOK 28.21

$2.96 NOK 28.07

0.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.64 NOK 25.00

$3.58 NOK 33.98

-26.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.01 NOK 47.50

$5.51 NOK 52.3

-9.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.97 NOK 28.20

$2.60 NOK 24.70

14.23%

Onion (1kg)

$3.22 NOK 30.53

$2.75 NOK 26.09

17.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.20 NOK 30.33

$2.77 NOK 26.26

15.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 NOK 23.68

$2.11 NOK 20.02

18.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.41 NOK 146

$16.74 NOK 159

-7.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 NOK 175

$17.70 NOK 168

4.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.66 NOK 34.68

$3.39 NOK 32.11

7.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.84 NOK 45.87

$4.30 NOK 40.77

12.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.57 NOK 43.37

$4.37 NOK 41.45

4.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.7 NOK 889

$79.8 NOK 757

17.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.40 NOK 146

$15.20 NOK 144

1.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.26 NOK 21.40

$2.20 NOK 20.87

2.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$89.5 NOK 848

$72.6 NOK 689

23.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.12 NOK 20.06

$2.21 NOK 20.98

-4.07%

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

$32.4K NOK 306.8K

$35.8K NOK 339.6K

-9.63%

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

$43.1K NOK 409.0K

$43.7K NOK 414.2K

-1.26%

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

$323 NOK 3,059

$244 NOK 2,314

32.19%

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

$43.23 NOK 410

$38.05 NOK 361

13.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.7 NOK 727

$65.4 NOK 620

17.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.53 NOK 403

$54.2 NOK 513

-21.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.79 NOK 444

$39.77 NOK 377

17.65%

Cinema Ticket

$17.26 NOK 164

$19.90 NOK 189

-13.27%

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

$321 NOK 3,044

$284 NOK 2,692

13.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,375 NOK 79.4K

$12.9K NOK 122.2K

-35.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$110 NOK 1,044

$92.5 NOK 877

19.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.48 NOK 450

$55.7 NOK 528

-14.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 NOK 1,214

$113 NOK 1,067

13.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 NOK 1,248

$143 NOK 1,360

-8.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,371 NOK 13.0K

$1,304 NOK 12.4K

5.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,079 NOK 10.2K

$997 NOK 9,455

8.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,269 NOK 21.5K

$2,032 NOK 19.3K

11.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,685 NOK 16.0K

$1,595 NOK 15.1K

5.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,109 NOK 57.9K

$7,558 NOK 71.7K

-19.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,952 NOK 47.0K

$4,679 NOK 44.4K

5.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,148 NOK 39.3K

$4,385 NOK 41.6K

-5.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.32

4.85

-10.93%

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

Last update for Trondheim: July 26, 2026

Last update for Bergen: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,371 in Trondheim and $1,304 in Bergen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 6% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $123 in Trondheim vs $102 in Bergen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $487 vs $485 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

Trondheim vs Bergen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bergen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 6% 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: $1,371 in Trondheim versus $1,304 in Bergen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $321 in Trondheim versus $284 in Bergen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 0% higher in Trondheim. 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 Trondheim, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Trondheim 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 3% less than in Trondheim. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.