Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Longyearbyen

For one person, living is cheaper in Longyearbyen: $2,753 a month against $2,927 in Bergen, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

141

Cost of Living Index in Bergen
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Bergen Living Index
133

Cost of Living Index in Longyearbyen
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Longyearbyen Living Index

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Bergen

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,927

/mo nomad

Longyearbyen

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,753

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bergen and in Longyearbyen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Bergen and in Longyearbyen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,927 in Bergen versus $2,753 in Longyearbyen.

Bergen $2,927
Longyearbyen $2,753

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,393 in Bergen versus $4,188 in Longyearbyen.

Bergen $4,393
Longyearbyen $4,188

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,858 in Bergen versus $5,624 in Longyearbyen.

Bergen $5,858
Longyearbyen $5,624

Living in Bergen is roughly 6% more expensive than in Longyearbyen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 116% above, Longyearbyen 103% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.86 NOK 225

$20.60 NOK 194

15.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$137 NOK 1,286

$104 NOK 980

31.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.17 NOK 152

$18.21 NOK 171

-11.20%

Cappuccino

$5.48 NOK 51.6

$6.99 NOK 65.8

-21.60%

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

$5.34 NOK 50.3

$6.02 NOK 56.7

-11.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.70 NOK 44.25

$5.54 NOK 52.1

-15.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.76 NOK 120

$7.36 NOK 69.2

73.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.67 NOK 100

$9.23 NOK 86.9

15.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.30 NOK 21.68

$2.39 NOK 22.48

-3.77%

White Bread (500g)

$3.86 NOK 36.32

$3.59 NOK 33.84

7.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.57 NOK 33.60

$4.37 NOK 41.13

-18.31%

Eggs

$6.30 NOK 59.3

$4.89 NOK 46.05

28.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.65 NOK 138

$14.26 NOK 134

2.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.78 NOK 167

$20.14 NOK 190

-11.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$37.46 NOK 353

$31.12 NOK 293

20.37%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 NOK 38.32

$6.72 NOK 63.2

-39.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.79 NOK 26.28

$2.67 NOK 25.14

4.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.63 NOK 34.16

$6.80 NOK 64.0

-46.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.41 NOK 50.9

$6.57 NOK 61.9

-17.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.49 NOK 23.43

$5.46 NOK 51.4

-54.40%

Onion (1kg)

$3.42 NOK 32.21

$4.47 NOK 42.05

-23.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.95 NOK 27.75

$4.37 NOK 41.12

-32.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 NOK 16.83

$3.54 NOK 33.36

-49.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.71 NOK 167

$17.10 NOK 161

3.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.45 NOK 183

$14.34 NOK 135

35.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.68 NOK 34.63

$3.40 NOK 32.01

8.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 NOK 40.22

$4.20 NOK 39.52

1.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.30 NOK 49.93

$4.68 NOK 44.07

13.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.5 NOK 824

$83.2 NOK 783

5.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.39 NOK 117

$9.19 NOK 86.5

34.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.87 NOK 17.62

$1.88 NOK 17.73

-0.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$72.1 NOK 679

$70.8 NOK 667

1.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.39 NOK 22.51

$2.20 NOK 20.73

8.64%

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

$49.4K NOK 465.3K

$47.2K NOK 444.5K

4.68%

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

$44.8K NOK 422.1K

$43.0K NOK 404.9K

4.27%

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

$287 NOK 2,698

$266 NOK 2,501

7.87%

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

$34.59 NOK 326

$33.76 NOK 318

2.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$82.8 NOK 779

$52.8 NOK 497

56.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.58 NOK 429

$49.32 NOK 464

-7.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$43.31 NOK 408

$37.00 NOK 348

17.05%

Cinema Ticket

$19.31 NOK 182

$17.11 NOK 161

12.86%

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

$241 NOK 2,264

$234 NOK 2,201

2.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K NOK 113.5K

$13.2K NOK 124.2K

-8.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$110 NOK 1,033

$98.3 NOK 925

11.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.2 NOK 510

$56.6 NOK 533

-4.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 NOK 1,107

$127 NOK 1,198

-7.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$170 NOK 1,601

$157 NOK 1,482

8.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,495 NOK 14.1K

$1,107 NOK 10.4K

35.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,137 NOK 10.7K

$1,011 NOK 9,518

12.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,323 NOK 21.9K

$1,947 NOK 18.3K

19.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,698 NOK 16.0K

$1,675 NOK 15.8K

1.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,803 NOK 73.5K

$6,182 NOK 58.2K

26.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,919 NOK 46.3K

$4,028 NOK 37.9K

22.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,675 NOK 44.0K

$2,904 NOK 27.3K

60.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.27

4.94

6.68%

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

Last update for Bergen: October 19, 2026

Last update for Longyearbyen: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Bergen

$1.1K 38.8%

Longyearbyen

$1K 36.7% 11.1% $126

Groceries & Markets

Bergen

$538 18.4%

Longyearbyen

$583 21.2% 8.2% $44

Eating Out

Bergen

$430 14.7%

Longyearbyen

$405 14.7% 6% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bergen

$404 13.8%

Longyearbyen

$352 12.8% 12.8% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Bergen

$203 6.9%

Longyearbyen

$198 7.2% 2.7% $5.4

Getting Around

Bergen

$130 4.5%

Longyearbyen

$121 4.4% 7.6% $9.9

Sport & Entertainment

Bergen

$84 2.9%

Longyearbyen

$84 3% 0.8% $0.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,495 in Bergen and $1,107 in Longyearbyen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 61% 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: $137 in Bergen vs $104 in Longyearbyen. Groceries flip the comparison at $538 vs $583, with Bergen cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇳🇴 Bergen

🇳🇴 Longyearbyen

🕒 Local time

00:05 12:05 AM

Same time as Bergen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

292,482

2,400

💱 Currency

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 NOK = 10.62 USD

100 NOK = 9.45 EUR

100 NOK = 10.62 USD

100 NOK = 9.45 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Bergen Longyearbyen 2,020 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Bergen
Longyearbyen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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, and transport. The 6% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 61% 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: $1,495 in Bergen versus $1,107 in Longyearbyen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $241 in Bergen versus $234 in Longyearbyen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Bergen pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Longyearbyen is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 6% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.