Cost of Living Comparison Between Longyearbyen and Bergen Cost of Living Comparison Between Longyearbyen and Bergen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,878 in Longyearbyen versus $2,907 in Bergen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,279 in Longyearbyen versus $4,400 in Bergen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,679 in Longyearbyen versus $5,894 in Bergen.

Living in Longyearbyen costs roughly 1% less than in Bergen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Longyearbyen 109% above, Bergen 112% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.42 NOK 190

$25.49 NOK 237

-19.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$108 NOK 1,007

$141 NOK 1,305

-22.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.36 NOK 170

$16.21 NOK 150

13.26%

Cappuccino

$7.09 NOK 65.9

$5.63 NOK 52.3

25.93%

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

$6.03 NOK 56.0

$5.28 NOK 49.00

14.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 NOK 53.8

$4.74 NOK 43.97

22.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.83 NOK 72.7

$12.91 NOK 120

-39.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.37 NOK 87.0

$10.52 NOK 97.7

-10.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.48 NOK 23.03

$2.48 NOK 23.00

White Bread (500g)

$5.03 NOK 46.70

$3.83 NOK 35.57

31.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.29 NOK 39.79

$3.58 NOK 33.20

19.83%

Eggs

$5.09 NOK 47.23

$6.70 NOK 62.2

-24.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.31 NOK 133

$15.27 NOK 142

-6.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$20.15 NOK 187

$17.52 NOK 163

15.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$30.53 NOK 283

$35.05 NOK 325

-12.90%

Apples (1kg)

$6.90 NOK 64.0

$4.22 NOK 39.14

63.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.76 NOK 25.65

$2.71 NOK 25.17

1.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.31 NOK 67.9

$3.72 NOK 34.55

96.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.02 NOK 65.1

$5.61 NOK 52.1

25.13%

Potato (1kg)

$5.55 NOK 51.6

$2.56 NOK 23.73

116.80%

Onion (1kg)

$4.73 NOK 43.96

$3.48 NOK 32.27

35.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.64 NOK 43.08

$3.03 NOK 28.12

53.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.63 NOK 33.75

$1.99 NOK 18.44

82.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.72 NOK 165

$17.89 NOK 166

-0.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.17 NOK 141

$18.74 NOK 174

-19.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.64 NOK 33.83

$3.62 NOK 33.58

0.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 NOK 41.47

$4.24 NOK 39.39

5.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.08 NOK 47.15

$5.17 NOK 47.97

-1.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.3 NOK 867

$90.2 NOK 837

3.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.56 NOK 88.7

$12.70 NOK 118

-24.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 NOK 17.27

$1.90 NOK 17.68

-2.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$65.0 NOK 603

$73.1 NOK 679

-11.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 NOK 20.31

$2.24 NOK 20.82

-2.23%

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

$45.9K NOK 426.0K

$49.8K NOK 462.0K

-7.80%

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

$50.4K NOK 467.6K

$43.8K NOK 406.7K

14.99%

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

$266 NOK 2,473

$286 NOK 2,653

-6.79%

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

$33.06 NOK 307

$31.94 NOK 297

3.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.4 NOK 533

$78.6 NOK 729

-26.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.4 NOK 468

$44.64 NOK 414

12.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.86 NOK 342

$43.59 NOK 405

-15.44%

Cinema Ticket

$17.89 NOK 166

$19.25 NOK 179

-7.06%

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

$267 NOK 2,477

$241 NOK 2,234

10.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K NOK 96.2K

$11.9K NOK 110.9K

-13.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 NOK 938

$107 NOK 991

-5.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.4 NOK 524

$54.3 NOK 504

3.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 NOK 1,170

$123 NOK 1,141

2.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 NOK 1,478

$169 NOK 1,571

-5.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,146 NOK 10.6K

$1,514 NOK 14.1K

-24.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,024 NOK 9,511

$1,119 NOK 10.4K

-8.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 NOK 18.9K

$2,489 NOK 23.1K

-18.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,723 NOK 16.0K

$1,758 NOK 16.3K

-2.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,518 NOK 60.5K

$7,741 NOK 71.9K

-15.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,228 NOK 39.3K

$4,935 NOK 45.8K

-14.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,955 NOK 27.4K

$4,828 NOK 44.8K

-38.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.96

5.31

-6.59%

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

Last update for Longyearbyen: August 31, 2026

Last update for Bergen: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,146 in Longyearbyen and $1,514 in Bergen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 63% 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 $141 in Bergen. Groceries flip the comparison at $609 vs $538, with Bergen cheaper for home cooking.

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 Bergen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Longyearbyen is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 63% lower in Bergen. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,146 in Longyearbyen versus $1,514 in Bergen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $267 in Longyearbyen versus $241 in Bergen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Bergen pay roughly 13% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,878 in Longyearbyen versus $2,907 in Bergen, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Longyearbyen but tight or insufficient in Bergen. The gap between the two cities makes Longyearbyen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Longyearbyen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Bergen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Longyearbyen and Bergen 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 1% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.