Living in Bergen
In Bergen, the median gross salary is €5,121 a month (2025), rents across existing tenancies average €20.40 per m² a month (2025) and unemployment is 1.9% (2026).
At the start of 2026, the foreign population was 61,068. The unemployment rate was 1.9% in June 2026.
Which Norway-wide rules apply when you move to Bergen?
National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.
Housing and cost
How much does it cost to rent in Bergen?
Average net cold rent is about 20.4 EUR/m² per month (2025), excluding heating and operating charges.
Published average over existing tenancies; a specific flat can sit either side of it. Asking-rent series, where present, are separate rows in the table.
- Average net rent (nettokalt): 20.4 EUR/m²/month · SSB tabell 09895: Gjennomsnittlig leie per kvm, etter prissone, antall rom og år (Leiemarkedsundersøkelsen)19
Supplemental estimate lane; these items are not official statistics.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fitness club membership, monthly | 38.56 EUR/month | 3 Aug 2026 | Numbeo30Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Grocery basket, monthly | 120.8 EUR/month | 3 Aug 2026 | Numbeo30Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited | 66.34 EUR/month | 3 Aug 2026 | Numbeo30Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Private kindergarten, monthly | 205.5 EUR/month | 3 Aug 2026 | Numbeo30Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Meal at an inexpensive restaurant | 22.13 eur | 3 Aug 2026 | Numbeo30Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Mobile plan, 10 GB | 28.22 EUR/month | 31 Jul 2026 | Cost of Living in Bergen. Jul 2026. Prices in Bergen30Commercial estimate · Supplemental context |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² home | 235 EUR/month | 3 Aug 2026 | Numbeo30Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Dwellings | 721 dwellings | 31 Dec 2025 | Statistisk sentralbyrå (SSB)21Official |
| Average net rent (nettokalt) | 20.4 EUR/m²/month | 31 Dec 2025 | SSB tabell 09895: Gjennomsnittlig leie per kvm, etter prissone, antall rom og år (Leiemarkedsundersøkelsen)19Official |
Is Bergen a good place to live?
There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.
Worked out from these numbers
What does a 60 m² flat cost?
About 1,224 EUR a month in cold rent at the published average of about 20.4 EUR/m² per month, before heating and operating charges.
Heating, water and operating charges come on top, and a specific flat can sit either side of an average.
Is rent affordable on a local salary?
A 60 m² flat at the published average rent is about 1,224 EUR a month, which is 24% of the published median gross salary of 5,121 (2025). Gross, not take-home, and before heating and operating charges.
Work and income
What is the typical salary in Bergen?
The median gross salary is about 5,121 EUR/month (2025). The regional series (home-region basis, 2025) is a separate labelled row in the table.
City-scope median, gross, before tax and social contributions.
What is the unemployment rate in Bergen?
The unemployment rate is 1.9 % (June 2026). Source: NAV HL301 — fully unemployed by county and municipality, June 202613
Bergen 1.9%
Unemployment rate (%)
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fibre coverage | 92 % | 31 Dec 2025 | Nkom (Nasjonal kommunikasjonsmyndighet)14Official |
| Median gross salary | 5,121 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2025 | 12852: Monthly earnings, by region, measuring method, place of work and place of residence, sex, age, contractual/usual working hours per week, contents and year1Official |
| Median gross salary (regional) | 4,934 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2025 | data.ssb.no1Official |
| Unemployment rate | 1.9 %country median 1.7% | 30 Jun 2026 | NAV HL301 — fully unemployed by county and municipality, June 202613Official |
Unemployment rate fell 32.1% between 2001 and 2026, from 2.8% to 1.9%.
What does a salary buy in Bergen?
Take-home pay after tax, minus rent and the everyday bills this city publishes. Each line names its source.
RentUtilitiesInternetMobileLeft over
Line-by-line breakdown and sources
| Each month | € |
|---|---|
| Take-home payOECD Taxing Wages 2025, single, no children. Includes central and local income tax and employee social contributions; euro amounts at the ECB average for 2026-08. | €3,813 |
| Rent, 60 m²€20.40/m² · official · SSB tabell 09895: Gjennomsnittlig leie per kvm, etter prissone, antall rom og år (Leiemarkedsundersøkelsen) · 2025-12-31 | − €1,224 |
| Public transport passnot published for this city | — |
| Utilities, 85 m²€235 · market price · Numbeo · 2026-08-03 | − €235 |
| Internet€66 · market price · Numbeo · 2026-08-03 | − €66 |
| Mobile plan€28 · market price · Cost of Living in Bergen. Jul 2026. Prices in Bergen · 2026-07-31 | − €28 |
| Left overbefore the bill this city does not publish | €2,259 |
Public employment service
No exact public employment office is currently linked to Bergen. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.
NAV employment service — Public employment service
Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Bergen. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.
Family and education
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Children aged 3–6 enrolled in childcare | 94 % | 31 Dec 2024 | Statistisk sentralbyrå (SSB)22Official |
| International schools | 5 schools | 31 Dec 2025 | Utdanningsdirektoratet24Official |
| Schools | 86 schools | 31 Dec 2025 | Utdanningsdirektoratet25Official |
School for children who move here. School is compulsory from age 6 to 16. Newly arrived pupils get support in the school language: særskilt norskopplæring (adapted Norwegian language education). How to enrol a child (regjeringen.no).
A country-wide rule for Norway; Bergen's school authority applies it locally.
Sources: eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu · 2025–2026.
Healthcare
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Doctors per 1,000 residents | 4.5 per 1,000 | 31 Dec 2025 | Helsedirektoratet8Official |
| General practitioners per 1,000 people | 0.92 per 1,000 | 31 Dec 2025 | Helsedirektoratet8Official |
| Physicians per 100,000 residents | 450 per 100,000 | 31 Dec 2024 | Statistisk sentralbyrå (SSB)23Official |
Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Bergen when the national insurance or residence conditions are met.
Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.
Open the official coverage guideSafety
How safe is Bergen?
Police recorded 6,410 incidents per 100,000 (2024-2025). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: data.ssb.no2
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents | 6,410 incidents per 100,000country median 4,460 | 31 Dec 2024 | data.ssb.no2Official |
Mobility and administration
Language courses and integration in Bergen
2 exact course-location records are linked to this city. Check the linked source for dates, availability and enrolment.
Bergen Inclusion Centre
Landåssvingen 15, Bergen
View official recordBergen Learning Centre for Norwegian and social studies
Landåssvingen 15, Bergen
View official recordClimate and air quality
Monthly mean temperatures were 2.6°C in January and 15.5°C in July. Monthly precipitation was 256.3 mm in January and 157.5 mm in July. Annual PM2.5 was 5.2 µg/m³ at the end of 2024.
Is the air quality good in Bergen?
The annual PM2.5 mean is 5.2 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: EEA City Trend — annual PM2.5 mean within city administrative boundaries5
Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.
Night-time low to daytime high
mm
Within WHO 2021 guidelineAbove WHO, within EU limitAbove EU legal limitCity annual mean · µg/m³
City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| NO₂ — annual mean | 13 µg/m³ | 31 Dec 2024 | EEA air quality statistics — NO NO2 annual mean 2024 (station Klosterhaugen)3Official · nearest-station reading |
| NO₂ — latest reading | 2.41 µg/m³ | 15 Jul 2026 | Official NO2 latest published hourly observation for exact in-kommune background station input(s).16Official |
| PM10 — annual mean | 9 µg/m³ | 31 Dec 2024 | EEA air quality statistics — NO PM10 annual mean 2024 (station Klosterhaugen)4Official · nearest-station reading |
| PM2.5 — annual mean | 5.2 µg/m³country median 6.3 | 31 Dec 2024 | EEA City Trend — annual PM2.5 mean within city administrative boundaries5Official |
| Average January temperature | 1.5 °C | 31 Dec 1991 | MET Norway (Meteorologisk institutt)10Official · nearest-station reading |
| Annual mean temperature (modelled) | 5.36 °C | 2001-2020 | NASA POWER 20-year meteorological and solar climatology11Modelled grid data · coordinate-grid estimate |
| Annual precipitation (modelled) | 2,717 mm/year | 2001-2020 | NASA POWER 20-year meteorological and solar climatology11Modelled grid data · coordinate-grid estimate |
| January mean temperature (modelled) | -1.96 °C | 2001-2020 | NASA POWER 20-year meteorological and solar climatology11Modelled grid data · coordinate-grid estimate |
| January minimum temperature (modelled) | -20.61 °C | 2001-2020 | NASA POWER 20-year meteorological and solar climatology11Modelled grid data · coordinate-grid estimate |
| July maximum temperature (modelled) | 29.33 °C | 2001-2020 | NASA POWER 20-year meteorological and solar climatology11Modelled grid data · coordinate-grid estimate |
| July mean temperature (modelled) | 14.06 °C | 2001-2020 | NASA POWER 20-year meteorological and solar climatology11Modelled grid data · coordinate-grid estimate |
| Daily precipitation rate (modelled) | 7.44 mm/day | 2001-2020 | NASA POWER 20-year meteorological and solar climatology11Modelled grid data · coordinate-grid estimate |
| Solar exposure (modelled) | 2.37 kWh/m²/day | 2001-2020 | NASA POWER 20-year meteorological and solar climatology11Modelled grid data · coordinate-grid estimate |
| Average daytime high by month | Jan 4.72 · Feb 4.87 · Mar 6.89 · Apr 11.08 · May 14.95 · Jun 17.7 · Jul 19.65 · Aug 19.35 · Sep 16.13 · Oct 11.7 · Nov 7.64 · Dec 5.27 °C | 31 Dec 2020 | MET Norway Frost monthly observations — BERGEN - FLORIDA — 1991-2020 observational normal26Independent |
| Average night-time low by month | Jan 0.567 · Feb 0.123 · Mar 1.26 · Apr 3.87 · May 6.91 · Jun 10.09 · Jul 12.44 · Aug 12.44 · Sep 9.91 · Oct 6.12 · Nov 3.11 · Dec 1 °C | 31 Dec 2020 | MET Norway Frost monthly observations — BERGEN - FLORIDA — 1991-2020 observational normal27Independent |
| Average temperature by month | Jan 2.61 · Feb 2.36 · Mar 3.84 · Apr 7.14 · May 10.55 · Jun 13.47 · Jul 15.55 · Aug 15.42 · Sep 12.68 · Oct 8.66 · Nov 5.31 · Dec 3.14 °C | 31 Dec 2020 | MET Norway Frost monthly observations — BERGEN - FLORIDA — 1991-2020 observational normal28Independent |
| Average precipitation by month | Jan 256.3 · Feb 209.5 · Mar 201.7 · Apr 140.6 · May 108.5 · Jun 132.3 · Jul 157.5 · Aug 207.9 · Sep 248.1 · Oct 268.1 · Nov 275.1 · Dec 289.9 mm | 31 Dec 2020 | MET Norway Frost monthly observations — BERGEN - FLORIDA — 1991-2020 observational normal29Independent |
Population and city profile
The city covered 465 km² in 2026. Population density was 634 people per km² in 2026.
How many people live in Bergen?
The published population was 294,860 people in 2026. Source: SSB table 11342: municipality population/area by region and year.20
Foreign residents and their share come from different publications that count different groups (for example citizens of another country, or people born abroad, or of foreign origin), so 61,068 is not 14.1% of the population. Each row names its source.
By nationality
National passport79.3%Foreign residents20.7%
Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cars per 1,000 residents | 415 cars/1000 residents | 31 Dec 2025 | SSB 07849 Personbil1 sum / SSB 11342 population17Official |
| City area | 465 km² | 1 Jan 2026 | SSB table 11342: municipality population/area by region and year.20Official |
| Foreign-resident share | 14.1 % | 31 Dec 2022 | Eurostat7Official |
| Foreign residents | 61,068 people | 1 Jan 2026 | SSB 09817 B-C / country background Total / Persons18Official |
| Population density | 634 people/km² | 1 Jan 2026 | SSB 11342 ArealKm220Official |
| Population | 294,860 people | 1 Jan 2026 | SSB table 11342: municipality population/area by region and year.20Official |
Foreign residents rose 323.1% between 2008 and 2026, from 14,433 to 61,068.
Additional context
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public electric-vehicle charging points | 3,200 points | 31 Dec 2025 | NOBIL15Official |
| Electric vehicles, share of vehicles | 70 % | 31 Dec 2025 | Statistisk sentralbyrå (SSB)17Official |
| Children aged 1–5 enrolled in kindergarten | 93 % | 31 Dec 2024 | Statistisk sentralbyrå (SSB)22Official |
| Registered cars | 122,239 vehicles | 31 Dec 2025 | Statistisk sentralbyrå (SSB)17Official |
| Public transport operators | Skyss · Vy list | 27 Aug 2026 | Entur AS6Official |
| Universities | 6 institutions | 31 Dec 2025 | HK-dir (DBH)9Official |
Alternatives for people set on Bergen
Three places for the three reasons people leave a city on the shortlist: stay in the region, stay in the country, or keep the budget and change the country. A percentage appears only where both cities publish that metric from the same source, period and grain. Distances are straight lines — travel times are not collected yet.
Bærum as a Bergen alternative in the same country
Better on 2 of 3 metrics measured the same way, worse on 0. Foreign residents cannot be compared like for like.
- Recorded crime, per 100k: 5,170 Bærum vs 6,410 Bergen−19%
- Median gross pay, region: €5,576 Bærum vs €4,934 Bergen+13%
- Foreign residents: 25.5% (2026) Bærum vs 14.1% (2022) Bergenno percentage
- Unemployment: 1.9% Bærum vs 1.9% Bergensame level
Valencia as a Bergen alternative in another country
Better on 3 of 3 metrics measured the same way, worse on 0. Rent and median gross pay, region cannot be compared like for like.
- Rent: €8.20/m² (2024) Valencia vs €20.40/m² (2025) Bergenno percentage
- Median gross pay, region: €1,888 (2024) Valencia vs €4,934 (2025) Bergenno percentage
- Basic utilities, 85 m²: €140 Valencia vs €235 Bergen−41%
- Transport pass: €35 Valencia vs €75 Bergen−53%
- A meal out: €15 Valencia vs €22 Bergen−32%
Alternative cities in Norway
Other cities in Norway to compare with Bergen, nearest in population first.
How does Bergen compare?
Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Bergen's.
Bergen in rankings
Common questions
Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.
How many people live in Bergen?
The published population was 294,860 people in 2026. Source: SSB table 11342: municipality population/area by region and year..
How much does it cost to rent in Bergen?
Average net cold rent is about 20.4 EUR/m² per month (2025), excluding heating and operating charges. For a 70 m² flat that is about 1,428 EUR a month before utilities. Source: SSB tabell 09895: Gjennomsnittlig leie per kvm, etter prissone, antall rom og år (Leiemarkedsundersøkelsen).
Is the air quality good in Bergen?
The annual PM2.5 mean is 5.2 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: EEA City Trend — annual PM2.5 mean within city administrative boundaries.
How safe is Bergen?
Police recorded 6,410 incidents per 100,000 (2024-2025). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: data.ssb.no.
What is the typical salary in Bergen?
The median gross salary is about 5,121 EUR/month (2025). The regional series (home-region basis, 2025) is a separate labelled row in the table. Source: 12852: Monthly earnings, by region, measuring method, place of work and place of residence, sex, age, contractual/usual working hours per week, contents and year.
What is the unemployment rate in Bergen?
The unemployment rate is 1.9 % (June 2026). Source: NAV HL301 — fully unemployed by county and municipality, June 2026.
Is Bergen a good place to live?
Bergen may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.
Cite this page
Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.
APA citation
ImmigrationDB. (2026, October 29). Bergen, Norway: population, rent, salary, cost of living [ImmigrationDB compilation; version fbd1ff0c620e14af07d0b3f21d628903]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/no/bergen/ Retrieved 2026-10-29. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_bergen-norway-population-rent-salary-cost-of-living_87004bae7ea4,
author = {ImmigrationDB},
title = {Bergen, Norway: population, rent, salary, cost of living},
publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-10-29},
version = {fbd1ff0c620e14af07d0b3f21d628903},
url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/no/bergen/},
note = {Retrieved 2026-10-29. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}Markdown citation
[Bergen, Norway: population, rent, salary, cost of living](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/no/bergen/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version fbd1ff0c620e14af07d0b3f21d628903; retrieved 2026-10-29; built 2026-10-29.This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.
Sources
- 12852: Monthly earnings, by region, measuring method, place of work and place of residence, sex, age, contractual/usual working hours per week, contents and year data.ssb.no · checked 2026-09-19
- data.ssb.no data.ssb.no · checked 2026-08-27
- EEA air quality statistics — NO NO2 annual mean 2024 (station Klosterhaugen) EEA air quality statistics · air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-31
- EEA air quality statistics — NO PM10 annual mean 2024 (station Klosterhaugen) EEA air quality statistics · air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-31
- EEA City Trend — annual PM2.5 mean within city administrative boundaries EEA City Trend · eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-27
- Entur AS developer.entur.org · checked 2026-06-12
- Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-02
- Helsedirektoratet helsedirektoratet.no · checked 2026-06-12
- HK-dir (DBH) dbh.hkdir.no · checked 2026-06-12
- MET Norway (Meteorologisk institutt) frost.met.no · checked 2026-06-12
Show 20 more sources
- NASA POWER 20-year meteorological and solar climatology NASA POWER · power.larc.nasa.gov · checked 2026-10-29
- NAV nav.no · checked 2026-06-12
- NAV HL301 — fully unemployed by county and municipality, June 2026 NAV HL301 · nav.no · checked 2026-07-26
- Nkom (Nasjonal kommunikasjonsmyndighet) nkom.no · checked 2026-06-12
- NOBIL nobil.no · checked 2026-06-12
- Official NO2 latest published hourly observation for exact in-kommune background station input(s). api-luftmalinger.miljodirektoratet.no · checked 2026-07-15
- SSB 07849 Personbil1 sum / SSB 11342 population data.ssb.no · checked 2026-07-15
- SSB 09817 B-C / country background Total / Persons data.ssb.no · checked 2026-07-15
- SSB tabell 09895: Gjennomsnittlig leie per kvm, etter prissone, antall rom og år (Leiemarkedsundersøkelsen) ssb.no · checked 2026-09-18
- SSB table 11342: municipality population/area by region and year. data.ssb.no · checked 2026-07-14
- Statistisk sentralbyrå (SSB) data.ssb.no · checked 2026-06-12
- Statistisk sentralbyrå (SSB) data.ssb.no · checked 2026-06-12
- Statistisk sentralbyrå (SSB) data.ssb.no · checked 2026-06-12
- Utdanningsdirektoratet udir.no · checked 2026-06-12
- Utdanningsdirektoratet udir.no · checked 2026-06-12
- MET Norway Frost monthly observations — BERGEN - FLORIDA — 1991-2020 observational normal MET Norway Frost monthly observations · rim.k8s.met.no · checked 2026-07-27
- MET Norway Frost monthly observations — BERGEN - FLORIDA — 1991-2020 observational normal MET Norway Frost monthly observations · rim.k8s.met.no · checked 2026-07-27
- MET Norway Frost monthly observations — BERGEN - FLORIDA — 1991-2020 observational normal MET Norway Frost monthly observations · rim.k8s.met.no · checked 2026-07-27
- MET Norway Frost monthly observations — BERGEN - FLORIDA — 1991-2020 observational normal MET Norway Frost monthly observations · rim.k8s.met.no · checked 2026-07-27
- Numbeo numbeo.com · checked 2026-08-03
Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.