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: $2,261 in Longyearbyen versus $2,320 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,540 in Longyearbyen versus $3,426 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,819 in Longyearbyen versus $4,532 in Barcelona.

Living in Longyearbyen costs roughly 3% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Longyearbyen 69% above, Barcelona 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.26 NOK 195

$17.66 €15.43

14.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 NOK 968

$69.7 €60.9

44.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.43 NOK 129

$14.16 €12.37

-5.16%

Cappuccino

$6.41 NOK 61.7

$2.80 €2.45

128.93%

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

$3.56 NOK 34.28

$2.81 €2.46

26.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 NOK 36.50

$2.06 €1.80

83.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.07 NOK 68.1

$4.60 €4.02

53.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.54 NOK 91.8

$4.69 €4.10

103.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.92 NOK 28.08

$1.23 €1.07

137.40%

White Bread (500g)

$3.31 NOK 31.87

$2.03 €1.78

63.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.29 NOK 31.64

$1.98 €1.73

66.16%

Eggs

$4.79 NOK 46.16

$3.49 €3.05

37.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.39 NOK 100

$18.33 €16.01

-43.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.72 NOK 142

$9.83 €8.59

49.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.40 NOK 274

$19.13 €16.71

48.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 NOK 30.35

$2.73 €2.38

15.38%

Banana (1kg)

$3.01 NOK 29.01

$2.38 €2.08

26.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.13 NOK 30.20

$2.08 €1.82

50.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.56 NOK 43.93

$2.75 €2.41

65.82%

Potato (1kg)

$3.28 NOK 31.61

$1.96 €1.71

67.35%

Onion (1kg)

$3.34 NOK 32.13

$1.79 €1.57

86.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.85 NOK 17.86

$1.48 €1.29

25.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 NOK 5.91

$0.91 €0.80

-32.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.20 NOK 146

$7.13 €6.23

113.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.16 NOK 136

$7.88 €6.88

79.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.28 NOK 31.58

$1.38 €1.20

137.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.01 NOK 38.61

$2.39 €2.09

67.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.35 NOK 41.95

$3.01 €2.63

44.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.6 NOK 718

$29.35 €25.65

154.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.08 NOK 97.0

$4.36 €3.81

131.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 NOK 10.08

$2.13 €1.86

-50.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$47.15 NOK 454

$29.60 €25.86

59.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 NOK 19.77

$1.82 €1.59

12.64%

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

$35.7K NOK 344.2K

$37.9K €33.1K

-5.68%

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

$39.2K NOK 377.3K

$32.4K €28.3K

20.99%

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

$72.8 NOK 701

$189 €165

-61.49%

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

$37.60 NOK 362

$22.29 €19.48

68.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.40 NOK 466

$37.16 €32.47

30.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.55 NOK 477

$58.0 €50.7

-14.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.16 NOK 339

$20.66 €18.05

70.18%

Cinema Ticket

$12.02 NOK 116

$10.87 €9.50

10.58%

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

$282 NOK 2,716

$706 €617

-60.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K NOK 99.4K

$14.9K €13.0K

-30.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.6 NOK 921

$89.4 €78.2

6.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.8 NOK 499

$36.60 €31.98

41.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 NOK 1,043

$104 €90.9

4.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$155 NOK 1,489

$119 €104

29.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$702 NOK 6,760

$1,579 €1,379

-55.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$902 NOK 8,685

$1,238 €1,082

-27.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,826 NOK 17.6K

$2,712 €2,370

-32.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,532 NOK 14.8K

$2,039 €1,782

-24.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,928 NOK 57.1K

$7,527 €6,576

-21.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,914 NOK 37.7K

$5,239 €4,577

-25.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,846 NOK 27.4K

$2,364 €2,065

20.40%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $702 in Longyearbyen and $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Longyearbyen pays 20% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $101 in Longyearbyen vs $70.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $438 vs $320 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 3% in total monthly costs ($2,261 vs $2,320 including rent). Longyearbyen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 20% higher in Longyearbyen, 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: $702 in Longyearbyen versus $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $282 in Longyearbyen versus $706 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 37% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,261 in Longyearbyen versus $2,320 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 3% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.