Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cairo and Longyearbyen

For one person, living is cheaper in Cairo: $647 a month against $2,733 in Longyearbyen, rent and utilities included – about $25,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

32

Cost of Living Index in Cairo
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Cairo Living Index
134

Cost of Living Index in Longyearbyen
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Longyearbyen Living Index

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Cairo

🇪🇬 Egypt

$647

/mo nomad

Longyearbyen

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,733

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cairo 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 Cairo and in Longyearbyen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $647 per month in Cairo vs $2,733 in Longyearbyen, rent included.

Cairo $647
Longyearbyen $2,733

A couple spends around $1,035 per month in Cairo vs $4,180 in Longyearbyen, rent included.

Cairo $1,035
Longyearbyen $4,180

A family of three spends $1,423 per month in Cairo vs $5,627 in Longyearbyen, rent included.

Cairo $1,423
Longyearbyen $5,627

Cairo is about 76% cheaper than Longyearbyen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Cairo sits 52% below the global median, while Longyearbyen is 102% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.64 E£248

$20.05 NOK 189

-76.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.12 E£1,501

$106 NOK 996

-73.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.03 E£322

$18.00 NOK 169

-66.50%

Cappuccino

$1.72 E£92.1

$6.85 NOK 64.5

-74.89%

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

$0.36 E£19.38

$6.11 NOK 57.5

-94.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.12 E£6.41

$5.58 NOK 52.5

-97.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.51 E£80.4

$7.43 NOK 70.0

-79.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 E£124

$8.96 NOK 84.3

-74.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 E£48.92

$2.40 NOK 22.57

-61.67%

White Bread (500g)

$0.73 E£38.92

$3.71 NOK 34.95

-80.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.74 E£39.64

$4.33 NOK 40.78

-82.91%

Eggs

$1.19 E£63.7

$4.97 NOK 46.82

-76.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 E£231

$14.26 NOK 134

-69.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.03 E£269

$20.30 NOK 191

-75.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.28 E£496

$31.52 NOK 297

-70.56%

Apples (1kg)

$1.77 E£94.4

$6.42 NOK 60.5

-72.43%

Banana (1kg)

$0.73 E£39.03

$2.55 NOK 24.03

-71.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.55 E£29.51

$6.85 NOK 64.5

-91.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.50 E£26.91

$6.66 NOK 62.7

-92.49%

Potato (1kg)

$0.42 E£22.42

$5.49 NOK 51.7

-92.35%

Onion (1kg)

$0.41 E£21.81

$4.53 NOK 42.66

-90.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.33 E£17.51

$4.51 NOK 42.50

-92.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.21 E£11.20

$3.53 NOK 33.23

-94.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.98 E£106

$17.34 NOK 163

-88.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.81 E£417

$14.45 NOK 136

-45.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 E£84.7

$3.54 NOK 33.31

-55.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 E£112

$4.24 NOK 39.93

-50.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 E£18.83

$5.27 NOK 49.65

-93.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.69 E£464

$86.2 NOK 811

-89.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.39 E£21.02

$9.06 NOK 85.3

-95.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 E£11.57

$1.80 NOK 16.93

-87.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 E£80.5

$73.7 NOK 694

-97.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.43 E£22.88

$2.13 NOK 20.05

-79.81%

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

$32.7K E£1.7M

$50.3K NOK 473.1K

-34.94%

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

$27.2K E£1.5M

$41.3K NOK 388.9K

-34.09%

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

$27.27 E£1,456

$242 NOK 2,274

-88.71%

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

$8.58 E£458

$32.99 NOK 311

-73.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.99 E£747

$54.1 NOK 509

-74.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.69 E£1,585

$50.5 NOK 475

-41.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.25 E£387

$36.19 NOK 341

-79.97%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 E£260

$14.85 NOK 140

-67.27%

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

$121 E£6,438

$200 NOK 1,887

-39.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,560 E£190.1K

$14.2K NOK 133.8K

-74.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.28 E£2,151

$104 NOK 981

-61.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.53 E£2,645

$56.3 NOK 530

-11.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 E£6,137

$125 NOK 1,179

-8.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.0 E£3,206

$154 NOK 1,447

-60.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$222 E£11.9K

$1,104 NOK 10.4K

-79.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$195 E£10.4K

$1,017 NOK 9,569

-80.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$550 E£29.3K

$1,983 NOK 18.7K

-72.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$346 E£18.5K

$1,698 NOK 16.0K

-79.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$800 E£42.7K

$6,197 NOK 58.3K

-87.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$525 E£28.0K

$4,017 NOK 37.8K

-86.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$200 E£10.7K

$2,931 NOK 27.6K

-93.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.21

4.94

228.14%

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

Last update for Cairo: October 11, 2026

Last update for Longyearbyen: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cairo

$195 30.2%

Longyearbyen

$1K 37.2% 421% $822

Groceries & Markets

Cairo

$142 21.9%

Longyearbyen

$586 21.5% 314% $445

Clothing & Footwear

Cairo

$119 18.4%

Longyearbyen

$198 7.2% 66% $79

Eating Out

Cairo

$90 13.9%

Longyearbyen

$398 14.6% 343% $308

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cairo

$50 7.7%

Longyearbyen

$329 12% 559% $279

Sport & Entertainment

Cairo

$39 6.1%

Longyearbyen

$80 2.9% 104% $41

Getting Around

Cairo

$12 1.8%

Longyearbyen

$125 4.6% 982% $114

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $222 in Cairo versus $1,104 in Longyearbyen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 1368% higher in Longyearbyen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $28.00 in Cairo versus $106 in Longyearbyen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $142 vs $586 – making Cairo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇬 Cairo

🇳🇴 Longyearbyen

🕒 Local time

19:14 7:14 PM

18:14 6:14 PM

1 h behind Cairo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,120,350 Capital

2,400

💱 Currency

Egyptian Pound EGP £

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 EGP = 1.87 USD

100 EGP = 1.67 EUR

100 NOK = 10.62 USD

100 NOK = 9.45 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NOK, USD, EUR to EGP – Egyptian Pound Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇬 Egyptian Pound (£)

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 53.4 EGP (100 EGP = 1.87 USD). 1 EUR = 60.04 EGP (100 EGP = 1.67 EUR).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 9.41 NOK (1 NOK = 0.106 USD). 1 EUR = 10.58 NOK (100 NOK = 9.45 EUR).

USD to EGP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cairo Longyearbyen 5,410 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Cairo
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

Cairo vs Longyearbyen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Longyearbyen is pricier by about 323%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $970 per month in Cairo and $4,100 in Longyearbyen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cairo, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 314% more in Longyearbyen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $28.00 in Cairo and $106 in Longyearbyen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cairo, where all-in costs run around $647, than in Longyearbyen at $2,733. In Cairo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Longyearbyen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cairo – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Cairo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Longyearbyen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.