Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Longyearbyen

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,202 a month against $2,753 in Longyearbyen, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. The total is higher in Longyearbyen despite lower rent and utilities.

Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,202
/mo nomad
Longyearbyen
🇳🇴 Norway
$2,753
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,202 in Lisbon versus $2,753 in Longyearbyen.

  • Lisbon $2,202
  • Longyearbyen $2,753

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,274 in Lisbon versus $4,188 in Longyearbyen.

  • Lisbon $3,274
  • Longyearbyen $4,188

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $5,624 in Longyearbyen.

  • Lisbon $4,346
  • Longyearbyen $5,624

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 20% less than in Longyearbyen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Longyearbyen 103% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Longyearbyen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.04 €15.15
$20.60 NOK 194
-17.28%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$62.3 €55.4
$104 NOK 980
-40.19%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.02 €9.80
$18.21 NOK 171
-39.48%
Cappuccino
$3.12 €2.78
$6.99 NOK 65.8
-55.36%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.27 €2.02
$6.02 NOK 56.7
-62.29%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.55
$5.54 NOK 52.1
-68.59%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.42 €3.04
$7.36 NOK 69.2
-53.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.74 €3.33
$9.23 NOK 86.9
-59.48%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Longyearbyen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.17 €1.04
$2.39 NOK 22.48
-51.05%
White Bread (500g)
$1.86 €1.66
$3.59 NOK 33.84
-48.19%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.54 €1.37
$4.37 NOK 41.13
-64.76%
Eggs
$4.06 €3.61
$4.89 NOK 46.05
-16.97%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.91 €11.49
$14.26 NOK 134
-9.47%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.90 €7.03
$20.14 NOK 190
-60.77%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.64 €15.69
$31.12 NOK 293
-43.32%
Apples (1kg)
$2.26 €2.01
$6.72 NOK 63.2
-66.37%
Banana (1kg)
$1.75 €1.55
$2.67 NOK 25.14
-34.46%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.89 €1.68
$6.80 NOK 64.0
-72.21%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.56 €2.27
$6.57 NOK 61.9
-61.04%
Potato (1kg)
$1.85 €1.64
$5.46 NOK 51.4
-66.12%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.75
$4.47 NOK 42.05
-55.93%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.45 €1.29
$4.37 NOK 41.12
-66.82%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.77 €0.69
$3.54 NOK 33.36
-78.25%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.71 €5.97
$17.10 NOK 161
-60.76%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.67 €5.04
$14.34 NOK 135
-60.46%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.37 €1.22
$3.40 NOK 32.01
-59.71%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.11 €1.88
$4.20 NOK 39.52
-49.76%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Longyearbyen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.32 €2.07
$4.68 NOK 44.07
-50.43%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.43 €39.52
$83.2 NOK 783
-46.59%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.95 €3.51
$9.19 NOK 86.5
-57.02%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.05 €0.93
$1.88 NOK 17.73
-44.15%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$17.15 €15.26
$70.8 NOK 667
-75.79%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.19 €1.95
$2.20 NOK 20.73
-0.45%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.8K €30.0K
$47.2K NOK 444.5K
-28.46%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.3K €34.0K
$43.0K NOK 404.9K
-11.03%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Longyearbyen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$164 €146
$266 NOK 2,501
-38.35%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.48 €16.43
$33.76 NOK 318
-45.26%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.96 €29.32
$52.8 NOK 497
-37.62%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Longyearbyen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.87 €40.80
$49.32 NOK 464
-7.00%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.68 €16.61
$37.00 NOK 348
-49.51%
Cinema Ticket
$9.75 €8.67
$17.11 NOK 161
-43.02%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Longyearbyen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$684 €608
$234 NOK 2,201
192.54%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.7K
$13.2K NOK 124.2K
33.55%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Longyearbyen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$104 €92.3
$98.3 NOK 925
5.54%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.20 €41.09
$56.6 NOK 533
-18.35%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$99.7 €88.7
$127 NOK 1,198
-21.66%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$125 €111
$157 NOK 1,482
-20.81%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Longyearbyen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,589 €1,414
$1,107 NOK 10.4K
43.61%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,169 €1,040
$1,011 NOK 9,518
15.63%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,851 €2,536
$1,947 NOK 18.3K
46.39%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,993 €1,773
$1,675 NOK 15.8K
19.01%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,793 €6,932
$6,182 NOK 58.2K
26.06%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,418 €3,930
$4,028 NOK 37.9K
9.69%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Longyearbyen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,600 €1,423
$2,904 NOK 27.3K
-44.91%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
4.94
-22.06%

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

Last update for Lisbon: 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
Lisbon
$1.2K
Longyearbyen
$1K 13.5% $158
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$273
Longyearbyen
$583 113% $310
Eating Out
Lisbon
$247
Longyearbyen
$405 63.6% $157
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$215
Longyearbyen
$352 63.7% $137
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$168
Longyearbyen
$198 17.4% $29
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$65
Longyearbyen
$84 27.8% $18
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Longyearbyen
$121 91.5% $58

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,589 in Lisbon and $1,107 in Longyearbyen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Longyearbyen pays 82% 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: $62.0 in Lisbon vs $104 in Longyearbyen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $583 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇳🇴 Longyearbyen
🕒 Local time
13:30 1:30 PM
14:30 2:30 PM
1 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
2,400
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

NOK, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 9.41 NOK (1 NOK = 0.106 USD). 1 EUR = 10.58 NOK (100 NOK = 9.45 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Longyearbyen 4,540 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • 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
Lisbon vs Longyearbyen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Longyearbyen?
Lisbon and Longyearbyen differ by about 25% in total monthly costs ($2,202 vs $2,753 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 82% lower in Longyearbyen. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Lisbon and in Longyearbyen?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,589 in Lisbon versus $1,107 in Longyearbyen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Lisbon and Longyearbyen?
Childcare runs $684 in Lisbon versus $234 in Longyearbyen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 113% higher in Longyearbyen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
At $2,202 in Lisbon versus $2,753 in Longyearbyen, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Longyearbyen. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Longyearbyen?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Is Lisbon or Longyearbyen safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lisbon 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.
Where should expats move: Lisbon or Longyearbyen?
Expats usually find Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Longyearbyen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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