Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Longyearbyen Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Longyearbyen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,605 in Bergen versus $2,184 in Longyearbyen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,923 in Bergen versus $3,519 in Longyearbyen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,240 in Bergen versus $4,853 in Longyearbyen.

Living in Bergen is roughly 19% more expensive than Longyearbyen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 94% above, Longyearbyen 63% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.78 NOK 240

$20.54 NOK 191

25.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$100 NOK 933

$102 NOK 949

-1.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.96 NOK 176

$13.80 NOK 128

37.39%

Cappuccino

$5.36 NOK 49.93

$6.14 NOK 57.1

-12.70%

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

$3.21 NOK 29.92

$3.64 NOK 33.87

-11.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 NOK 28.20

$3.86 NOK 35.92

-21.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.53 NOK 107

$7.33 NOK 68.2

57.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.67 NOK 90.0

$9.56 NOK 89.0

1.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.64 NOK 24.55

$3.01 NOK 28.02

-12.29%

White Bread (500g)

$3.36 NOK 31.27

$3.38 NOK 31.50

-0.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.90 NOK 26.97

$3.18 NOK 29.59

-8.81%

Eggs

$5.11 NOK 47.55

$4.90 NOK 45.64

4.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 NOK 130

$10.68 NOK 99.4

30.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.06 NOK 150

$14.80 NOK 138

8.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.05 NOK 261

$28.22 NOK 263

-0.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.75 NOK 34.91

$3.33 NOK 30.96

12.61%

Banana (1kg)

$2.94 NOK 27.35

$3.06 NOK 28.51

-3.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.61 NOK 33.63

$3.17 NOK 29.54

13.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.52 NOK 51.4

$4.60 NOK 42.82

20.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 NOK 25.30

$3.21 NOK 29.88

-15.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.77 NOK 25.78

$3.52 NOK 32.77

-21.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 NOK 26.50

$1.86 NOK 17.32

53.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 NOK 19.99

$0.66 NOK 6.12

225.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.93 NOK 158

$14.91 NOK 139

13.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.39 NOK 171

$15.22 NOK 142

20.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.35 NOK 31.15

$3.26 NOK 30.37

2.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 NOK 39.76

$4.10 NOK 38.17

4.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.56 NOK 42.49

$4.37 NOK 40.68

4.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 NOK 750

$74.3 NOK 691

8.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.36 NOK 143

$10.02 NOK 93.3

53.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.28 NOK 21.19

$1.02 NOK 9.47

123.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$72.7 NOK 677

$46.43 NOK 432

56.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.16 NOK 20.15

$2.09 NOK 19.46

3.35%

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

$35.0K NOK 325.9K

$35.2K NOK 327.9K

-0.63%

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

$43.6K NOK 405.6K

$38.8K NOK 361.1K

12.31%

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

$238 NOK 2,212

$75.3 NOK 701

215.71%

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

$38.16 NOK 355

$38.77 NOK 361

-1.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.1 NOK 596

$49.58 NOK 462

29.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.2 NOK 514

$50.2 NOK 467

10.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.59 NOK 378

$35.51 NOK 331

14.31%

Cinema Ticket

$19.99 NOK 186

$12.06 NOK 112

65.75%

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

$281 NOK 2,615

$279 NOK 2,601

0.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K NOK 120.3K

$9,997 NOK 93.1K

29.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.5 NOK 843

$94.4 NOK 879

-4.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.0 NOK 512

$52.6 NOK 489

4.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 NOK 1,037

$110 NOK 1,020

1.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$147 NOK 1,372

$151 NOK 1,403

-2.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 NOK 11.9K

$700 NOK 6,519

82.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$997 NOK 9,283

$884 NOK 8,231

12.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,004 NOK 18.7K

$1,809 NOK 16.8K

10.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,576 NOK 14.7K

$1,565 NOK 14.6K

0.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,998 NOK 74.5K

$6,164 NOK 57.4K

29.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,773 NOK 44.4K

$4,449 NOK 41.4K

7.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,646 NOK 43.3K

$2,954 NOK 27.5K

57.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.85

4.38

10.73%

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

Last update for Bergen: June 1, 2026

Last update for Longyearbyen: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,275 in Bergen and $700 in Longyearbyen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 57% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $100 in Bergen vs $102 in Longyearbyen. Groceries flip the comparison at $490 vs $445, with Longyearbyen cheaper for home cooking.

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

Bergen vs Longyearbyen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Longyearbyen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 19% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Bergen pays 57% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,275 in Bergen versus $700 in Longyearbyen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $281 in Bergen versus $279 in Longyearbyen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Bergen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,184 in Longyearbyen versus $2,605 in Bergen, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Longyearbyen but tight or insufficient in Bergen. The gap between the two cities makes Longyearbyen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Longyearbyen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Bergen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Bergen and Longyearbyen 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 Longyearbyen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.