Cost of Living Comparison Between Longyearbyen and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Longyearbyen and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,184 in Longyearbyen versus $2,367 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,519 in Longyearbyen versus $3,465 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,853 in Longyearbyen versus $4,563 in Barcelona.

Living in Longyearbyen costs roughly 8% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Longyearbyen 63% above, Barcelona 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.54 NOK 191

$17.58 €15.14

16.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 NOK 949

$68.4 €58.9

48.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.80 NOK 128

$14.06 €12.10

-1.85%

Cappuccino

$6.14 NOK 57.1

$2.78 €2.39

120.86%

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

$3.64 NOK 33.87

$2.80 €2.41

30.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.86 NOK 35.92

$2.06 €1.78

87.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.33 NOK 68.2

$4.46 €3.84

64.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.56 NOK 89.0

$4.61 €3.97

107.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.01 NOK 28.02

$1.24 €1.07

142.74%

White Bread (500g)

$3.38 NOK 31.50

$2.03 €1.75

66.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.18 NOK 29.59

$1.92 €1.65

65.63%

Eggs

$4.90 NOK 45.64

$3.31 €2.85

48.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.68 NOK 99.4

$18.43 €15.87

-42.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.80 NOK 138

$9.49 €8.17

55.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.22 NOK 263

$19.16 €16.50

47.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 NOK 30.96

$2.64 €2.27

26.14%

Banana (1kg)

$3.06 NOK 28.51

$2.45 €2.11

24.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.17 NOK 29.54

$2.12 €1.83

49.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.60 NOK 42.82

$2.85 €2.45

61.40%

Potato (1kg)

$3.21 NOK 29.88

$2.04 €1.75

57.35%

Onion (1kg)

$3.52 NOK 32.77

$1.85 €1.59

90.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 NOK 17.32

$1.47 €1.27

26.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 NOK 6.12

$0.84 €0.73

-21.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.91 NOK 139

$7.14 €6.15

108.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.22 NOK 142

$7.88 €6.79

93.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.26 NOK 30.37

$1.38 €1.19

136.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 NOK 38.17

$2.31 €1.99

77.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.37 NOK 40.68

$2.98 €2.57

46.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.3 NOK 691

$29.26 €25.20

153.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.02 NOK 93.3

$4.60 €3.96

117.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 NOK 9.47

$2.07 €1.78

-50.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$46.43 NOK 432

$29.18 €25.13

59.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 NOK 19.46

$1.84 €1.58

13.59%

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

$35.2K NOK 327.9K

$39.0K €33.6K

-9.71%

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

$38.8K NOK 361.1K

$32.7K €28.2K

18.64%

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

$75.3 NOK 701

$188 €162

-59.94%

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

$38.77 NOK 361

$22.93 €19.75

69.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.58 NOK 462

$36.71 €31.61

35.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 NOK 467

$57.4 €49.41

-12.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.51 NOK 331

$20.70 €17.82

71.55%

Cinema Ticket

$12.06 NOK 112

$11.19 €9.64

7.77%

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

$279 NOK 2,601

$721 €621

-61.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,997 NOK 93.1K

$15.0K €13.0K

-33.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.4 NOK 879

$86.2 €74.2

9.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.6 NOK 489

$37.07 €31.92

41.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 NOK 1,020

$102 €87.9

7.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$151 NOK 1,403

$116 €99.8

30.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$700 NOK 6,519

$1,534 €1,321

-54.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$884 NOK 8,231

$1,220 €1,051

-27.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,809 NOK 16.8K

$2,696 €2,321

-32.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,565 NOK 14.6K

$2,013 €1,734

-22.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,164 NOK 57.4K

$7,220 €6,217

-14.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,449 NOK 41.4K

$5,189 €4,468

-14.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,954 NOK 27.5K

$2,359 €2,032

25.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.38

3.39

29.20%

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

Last update for Longyearbyen: June 1, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $700 in Longyearbyen and $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Longyearbyen pays 25% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $102 in Longyearbyen vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $445 vs $318 per month, with Barcelona 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

Longyearbyen vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Longyearbyen and Barcelona differ by about 8% in total monthly costs ($2,184 vs $2,367 including rent). Longyearbyen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Longyearbyen pays 25% more on average, 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: $700 in Longyearbyen versus $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $279 in Longyearbyen versus $721 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 40% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,184 in Longyearbyen versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Longyearbyen but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Longyearbyen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Longyearbyen and Barcelona 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 8% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.