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: $2,907 in Bergen versus $2,878 in Longyearbyen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,400 in Bergen versus $4,279 in Longyearbyen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,894 in Bergen versus $5,679 in Longyearbyen.

Living in Bergen is roughly 1% more expensive than in Longyearbyen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 112% above, Longyearbyen 109% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.49 NOK 237

$20.42 NOK 190

24.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$141 NOK 1,305

$108 NOK 1,007

29.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.21 NOK 150

$18.36 NOK 170

-11.71%

Cappuccino

$5.63 NOK 52.3

$7.09 NOK 65.9

-20.59%

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

$5.28 NOK 49.00

$6.03 NOK 56.0

-12.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 NOK 43.97

$5.80 NOK 53.8

-18.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.91 NOK 120

$7.83 NOK 72.7

64.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.52 NOK 97.7

$9.37 NOK 87.0

12.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.48 NOK 23.00

$2.48 NOK 23.03

White Bread (500g)

$3.83 NOK 35.57

$5.03 NOK 46.70

-23.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.58 NOK 33.20

$4.29 NOK 39.79

-16.55%

Eggs

$6.70 NOK 62.2

$5.09 NOK 47.23

31.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.27 NOK 142

$14.31 NOK 133

6.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.52 NOK 163

$20.15 NOK 187

-13.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$35.05 NOK 325

$30.53 NOK 283

14.81%

Apples (1kg)

$4.22 NOK 39.14

$6.90 NOK 64.0

-38.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.71 NOK 25.17

$2.76 NOK 25.65

-1.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.72 NOK 34.55

$7.31 NOK 67.9

-49.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.61 NOK 52.1

$7.02 NOK 65.1

-20.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.56 NOK 23.73

$5.55 NOK 51.6

-53.87%

Onion (1kg)

$3.48 NOK 32.27

$4.73 NOK 43.96

-26.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.03 NOK 28.12

$4.64 NOK 43.08

-34.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 NOK 18.44

$3.63 NOK 33.75

-45.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.89 NOK 166

$17.72 NOK 165

0.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.74 NOK 174

$15.17 NOK 141

23.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.62 NOK 33.58

$3.64 NOK 33.83

-0.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.24 NOK 39.39

$4.47 NOK 41.47

-5.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.17 NOK 47.97

$5.08 NOK 47.15

1.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.2 NOK 837

$93.3 NOK 867

-3.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.70 NOK 118

$9.56 NOK 88.7

32.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 NOK 17.68

$1.86 NOK 17.27

2.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$73.1 NOK 679

$65.0 NOK 603

12.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 NOK 20.82

$2.19 NOK 20.31

2.28%

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

$49.8K NOK 462.0K

$45.9K NOK 426.0K

8.46%

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

$43.8K NOK 406.7K

$50.4K NOK 467.6K

-13.03%

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

$286 NOK 2,653

$266 NOK 2,473

7.29%

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

$31.94 NOK 297

$33.06 NOK 307

-3.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.6 NOK 729

$57.4 NOK 533

36.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.64 NOK 414

$50.4 NOK 468

-11.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$43.59 NOK 405

$36.86 NOK 342

18.26%

Cinema Ticket

$19.25 NOK 179

$17.89 NOK 166

7.60%

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

$241 NOK 2,234

$267 NOK 2,477

-9.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K NOK 110.9K

$10.4K NOK 96.2K

15.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 NOK 991

$101 NOK 938

5.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 NOK 504

$56.4 NOK 524

-3.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 NOK 1,141

$126 NOK 1,170

-2.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$169 NOK 1,571

$159 NOK 1,478

6.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,514 NOK 14.1K

$1,146 NOK 10.6K

32.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,119 NOK 10.4K

$1,024 NOK 9,511

9.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,489 NOK 23.1K

$2,040 NOK 18.9K

22.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,758 NOK 16.3K

$1,723 NOK 16.0K

2.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,741 NOK 71.9K

$6,518 NOK 60.5K

18.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,935 NOK 45.8K

$4,228 NOK 39.3K

16.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,828 NOK 44.8K

$2,955 NOK 27.4K

63.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.31

4.96

7.06%

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

Last update for Bergen: August 30, 2026

Last update for Longyearbyen: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,514 in Bergen and $1,146 in Longyearbyen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 63% 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: $141 in Bergen vs $108 in Longyearbyen. Groceries flip the comparison at $538 vs $609, with Bergen 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 Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 63% 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: $1,514 in Bergen versus $1,146 in Longyearbyen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $241 in Bergen versus $267 in Longyearbyen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Bergen pay roughly 13% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,878 in Longyearbyen versus $2,907 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 1% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.