Bergen, Norway

The city itself is a cool combo of urban living and nature getaways. The only thing which in my opinion seriously impedes long term living in Bergen are the prices. It is extremely difficult to swallow the fact that the normal beer you had set you back by around $12 dollars. Norway, and especially the capital, Oslo, is ridiculous expensive. Bergen is a city on Norway’s southwestern coast and not much cheaper. Taxes help keep the prices ridiculous high. For example behind a bottle of Vodka there is alcohol fee, disposable fee, environment fee, serving fee, sales fee, community fees (to sell) and off course a 25% value added tax. So if you buy a bottle of Vodka for 66U$D; the liquor store makes 7U$D. The rest, Treasury profit. The same applies to almost all goods and services sold and transacted.

That being said you can still enjoy some days here without breaking the bank! That meaning staying in guesthouses or doing couch surfing and minimum transportation. Forget about taxis- even the Pirat (illigals), get food at the local supermarket, eating at the "cheap" foreign places and street snack (7/11 pizza, bagel, hot dog etc). And of course forget about drinking, which for many is the major cost. This is the kinda of place where even a 100 USD won't guarantee you a decent meal!