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: $2,878 in Longyearbyen versus $2,495 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,279 in Longyearbyen versus $3,550 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,679 in Longyearbyen versus $4,605 in Barcelona.

Living in Longyearbyen is roughly 15% more expensive than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Longyearbyen 109% above, Barcelona 82% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.42 NOK 190

$18.39 €15.81

11.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$108 NOK 1,007

$69.2 €59.5

56.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.36 NOK 170

$14.13 €12.15

29.94%

Cappuccino

$7.09 NOK 65.9

$3.13 €2.69

126.52%

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

$6.03 NOK 56.0

$3.02 €2.59

99.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 NOK 53.8

$1.96 €1.69

195.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.83 NOK 72.7

$4.00 €3.44

95.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.37 NOK 87.0

$4.76 €4.09

96.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.48 NOK 23.03

$1.25 €1.07

98.40%

White Bread (500g)

$5.03 NOK 46.70

$2.16 €1.86

132.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.29 NOK 39.79

$1.69 €1.45

153.85%

Eggs

$5.09 NOK 47.23

$4.93 €4.24

3.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.31 NOK 133

$17.88 €15.37

-19.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$20.15 NOK 187

$9.61 €8.26

109.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$30.53 NOK 283

$19.34 €16.63

57.86%

Apples (1kg)

$6.90 NOK 64.0

$3.24 €2.78

112.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.76 NOK 25.65

$2.18 €1.87

26.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.31 NOK 67.9

$2.67 €2.30

173.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.02 NOK 65.1

$2.77 €2.38

153.43%

Potato (1kg)

$5.55 NOK 51.6

$2.21 €1.90

151.13%

Onion (1kg)

$4.73 NOK 43.96

$2.19 €1.88

115.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.64 NOK 43.08

$1.52 €1.31

205.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.63 NOK 33.75

$0.92 €0.79

294.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.72 NOK 165

$7.12 €6.12

148.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.17 NOK 141

$8.14 €6.99

86.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.64 NOK 33.83

$1.50 €1.29

142.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 NOK 41.47

$2.78 €2.39

60.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.08 NOK 47.15

$3.15 €2.71

61.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.3 NOK 867

$26.99 €23.21

245.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.56 NOK 88.7

$3.25 €2.79

194.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 NOK 17.27

$1.50 €1.29

24.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$65.0 NOK 603

$34.89 €30.00

86.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 NOK 20.31

$1.75 €1.50

25.14%

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

$45.9K NOK 426.0K

$36.7K €31.5K

25.15%

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

$50.4K NOK 467.6K

$30.9K €26.6K

62.79%

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

$266 NOK 2,473

$188 €161

41.94%

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

$33.06 NOK 307

$15.44 €13.27

114.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.4 NOK 533

$37.80 €32.49

51.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.4 NOK 468

$57.2 €49.16

-11.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.86 NOK 342

$16.80 €14.44

119.40%

Cinema Ticket

$17.89 NOK 166

$11.58 €9.95

54.49%

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

$267 NOK 2,477

$1,003 €862

-73.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K NOK 96.2K

$17.0K €14.6K

-39.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 NOK 938

$89.2 €76.7

13.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.4 NOK 524

$40.87 €35.14

38.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 NOK 1,170

$110 €94.5

14.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 NOK 1,478

$123 €105

29.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,146 NOK 10.6K

$1,673 €1,438

-31.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,024 NOK 9,511

$1,331 €1,145

-23.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 NOK 18.9K

$2,596 €2,232

-21.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,723 NOK 16.0K

$1,950 €1,676

-11.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,518 NOK 60.5K

$7,573 €6,511

-13.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,228 NOK 39.3K

$5,370 €4,617

-21.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,955 NOK 27.4K

$2,402 €2,065

23.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.96

3.16

56.96%

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

Last update for Longyearbyen: August 31, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,146 in Longyearbyen and $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Longyearbyen pays 23% 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: $108 in Longyearbyen vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $609 vs $332 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 15% in total monthly costs ($2,878 vs $2,495 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 23% 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: $1,146 in Longyearbyen versus $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $267 in Longyearbyen versus $1,003 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 84% higher in Longyearbyen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,495 in Barcelona versus $2,878 in Longyearbyen, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Longyearbyen. The gap between the two cities makes Barcelona 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 Barcelona gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Longyearbyen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.