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: $2,650 in Bergen versus $2,261 in Longyearbyen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,988 in Bergen versus $3,540 in Longyearbyen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,327 in Bergen versus $4,819 in Longyearbyen.

Living in Bergen is roughly 17% more expensive than in Longyearbyen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 98% above, Longyearbyen 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.72 NOK 248

$20.26 NOK 195

26.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$103 NOK 994

$101 NOK 969

2.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.51 NOK 188

$13.43 NOK 130

45.27%

Cappuccino

$5.42 NOK 52.3

$6.41 NOK 61.8

-15.44%

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

$3.20 NOK 30.86

$3.56 NOK 34.32

-10.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 NOK 27.90

$3.79 NOK 36.54

-23.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.82 NOK 114

$7.07 NOK 68.2

67.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.78 NOK 94.3

$9.54 NOK 92.0

2.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.65 NOK 25.56

$2.92 NOK 28.11

-9.25%

White Bread (500g)

$3.28 NOK 31.62

$3.31 NOK 31.91

-0.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.88 NOK 27.80

$3.29 NOK 31.68

-12.46%

Eggs

$4.90 NOK 47.29

$4.79 NOK 46.21

2.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.20 NOK 137

$10.39 NOK 100

36.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.06 NOK 155

$14.72 NOK 142

9.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.21 NOK 272

$28.40 NOK 274

-0.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.94 NOK 38.03

$3.15 NOK 30.38

25.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.96 NOK 28.55

$3.01 NOK 29.04

-1.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.75 NOK 36.21

$3.13 NOK 30.23

19.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.62 NOK 54.2

$4.56 NOK 43.98

23.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.73 NOK 26.32

$3.28 NOK 31.64

-16.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.91 NOK 28.07

$3.34 NOK 32.17

-12.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 NOK 27.03

$1.85 NOK 17.88

51.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 NOK 20.66

$0.61 NOK 5.91

250.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.95 NOK 163

$15.20 NOK 147

11.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.26 NOK 166

$14.16 NOK 137

21.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.30 NOK 31.84

$3.28 NOK 31.61

0.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 NOK 42.22

$4.01 NOK 38.65

9.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.47 NOK 43.12

$4.35 NOK 41.99

2.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.2 NOK 783

$74.6 NOK 719

8.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.23 NOK 147

$10.08 NOK 97.2

51.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.25 NOK 21.68

$1.05 NOK 10.09

114.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$72.5 NOK 700

$47.15 NOK 455

53.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 NOK 20.53

$2.05 NOK 19.80

3.90%

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

$35.3K NOK 340.8K

$35.7K NOK 344.6K

-1.11%

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

$43.1K NOK 415.5K

$39.2K NOK 377.8K

9.98%

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

$242 NOK 2,336

$72.8 NOK 702

232.77%

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

$38.51 NOK 371

$37.60 NOK 363

2.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.7 NOK 624

$48.40 NOK 467

33.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.9 NOK 520

$49.55 NOK 478

8.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.36 NOK 389

$35.16 NOK 339

14.79%

Cinema Ticket

$20.20 NOK 195

$12.02 NOK 116

68.05%

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

$286 NOK 2,756

$282 NOK 2,719

1.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K NOK 121.1K

$10.3K NOK 99.5K

21.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.1 NOK 878

$95.6 NOK 922

-4.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.5 NOK 535

$51.8 NOK 499

7.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 NOK 1,072

$108 NOK 1,044

2.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$145 NOK 1,401

$155 NOK 1,491

-6.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,284 NOK 12.4K

$702 NOK 6,768

82.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$976 NOK 9,408

$902 NOK 8,695

8.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,019 NOK 19.5K

$1,826 NOK 17.6K

10.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,558 NOK 15.0K

$1,532 NOK 14.8K

1.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,575 NOK 73.0K

$5,928 NOK 57.2K

27.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,645 NOK 44.8K

$3,914 NOK 37.7K

18.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,344 NOK 41.9K

$2,846 NOK 27.4K

52.61%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Longyearbyen: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,284 in Bergen and $702 in Longyearbyen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 53% 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: $103 in Bergen vs $101 in Longyearbyen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $489 vs $438 per month, with Longyearbyen 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

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 17% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 53% higher in Bergen, 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: $1,284 in Bergen versus $702 in Longyearbyen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $286 in Bergen versus $282 in Longyearbyen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Bergen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,261 in Longyearbyen versus $2,650 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 17% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.