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: $3,009 in Trondheim versus $2,948 in Bergen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,335 in Trondheim versus $4,449 in Bergen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,661 in Trondheim versus $5,950 in Bergen.

Living in Trondheim is roughly 2% more expensive than in Bergen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Trondheim 120% above, Bergen 115% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.98 NOK 198

$24.70 NOK 233

-15.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$110 NOK 1,036

$139 NOK 1,311

-20.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.84 NOK 149

$15.86 NOK 149

-0.13%

Cappuccino

$5.62 NOK 52.9

$5.68 NOK 53.5

-1.06%

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

$5.77 NOK 54.4

$5.31 NOK 50.0

8.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 NOK 41.15

$4.53 NOK 42.69

-3.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.62 NOK 128

$12.85 NOK 121

5.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.21 NOK 124

$10.60 NOK 99.9

24.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.59 NOK 24.38

$2.33 NOK 21.95

11.16%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 NOK 33.49

$3.90 NOK 36.77

-8.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.90 NOK 36.79

$3.57 NOK 33.67

9.24%

Eggs

$4.88 NOK 46.01

$6.62 NOK 62.4

-26.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 NOK 127

$15.02 NOK 142

-10.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.46 NOK 155

$17.61 NOK 166

-6.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$32.40 NOK 305

$35.64 NOK 336

-9.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.89 NOK 36.66

$4.02 NOK 37.88

-3.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.94 NOK 27.67

$2.83 NOK 26.64

3.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.00 NOK 37.69

$3.67 NOK 34.54

8.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.77 NOK 54.3

$5.50 NOK 51.8

4.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.89 NOK 27.23

$2.55 NOK 23.99

13.33%

Onion (1kg)

$3.14 NOK 29.57

$3.30 NOK 31.10

-4.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 NOK 27.07

$2.94 NOK 27.70

-2.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 NOK 21.23

$1.91 NOK 17.95

17.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.01 NOK 170

$18.18 NOK 171

-0.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.22 NOK 181

$18.23 NOK 172

5.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.54 NOK 33.33

$3.52 NOK 33.20

0.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 NOK 44.19

$4.39 NOK 41.32

6.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.88 NOK 46.00

$5.12 NOK 48.20

-4.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$102 NOK 963

$90.2 NOK 850

13.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.49 NOK 89.4

$12.62 NOK 119

-24.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 NOK 15.15

$1.96 NOK 18.43

-17.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.3 NOK 577

$74.5 NOK 702

-17.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.38 NOK 22.41

$2.37 NOK 22.33

0.42%

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

$47.1K NOK 444.0K

$49.1K NOK 462.5K

-4.00%

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

$46.4K NOK 437.1K

$44.2K NOK 416.9K

4.85%

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

$282 NOK 2,655

$288 NOK 2,717

-2.27%

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

$36.46 NOK 344

$31.45 NOK 296

15.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$83.6 NOK 787

$78.6 NOK 741

6.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.16 NOK 416

$45.85 NOK 432

-3.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.28 NOK 389

$43.68 NOK 412

-5.49%

Cinema Ticket

$21.08 NOK 199

$19.64 NOK 185

7.33%

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

$304 NOK 2,861

$245 NOK 2,309

23.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,455 NOK 42.0K

$12.2K NOK 115.2K

-63.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$110 NOK 1,040

$107 NOK 1,008

3.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.7 NOK 496

$54.3 NOK 511

-2.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 NOK 1,172

$125 NOK 1,181

-0.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$158 NOK 1,485

$170 NOK 1,602

-7.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 NOK 14.1K

-0.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 NOK 11.6K

$1,104 NOK 10.4K

11.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,253 NOK 21.2K

$2,481 NOK 23.4K

-9.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,690 NOK 15.9K

$1,780 NOK 16.8K

-5.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,555 NOK 61.8K

$7,757 NOK 73.1K

-15.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,105 NOK 48.1K

$4,967 NOK 46.8K

2.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,338 NOK 40.9K

$4,712 NOK 44.4K

-7.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.32

5.31

0.19%

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

Last update for Trondheim: September 12, 2026

Last update for Bergen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,496 in Trondheim and $1,496 in Bergen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 9% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $110 in Trondheim vs $139 in Bergen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $517 vs $534 per month, with Trondheim 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 Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 9% 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: $1,496 in Trondheim versus $1,496 in Bergen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $304 in Trondheim versus $245 in Bergen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Trondheim pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

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 2% less than in Trondheim. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.