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: $2,261 in Longyearbyen versus $2,650 in Bergen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,540 in Longyearbyen versus $3,988 in Bergen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,819 in Longyearbyen versus $5,327 in Bergen.

Living in Longyearbyen costs roughly 15% less than in Bergen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Longyearbyen 69% above, Bergen 98% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.26 NOK 195

$25.72 NOK 248

-21.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 NOK 968

$103 NOK 993

-2.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.43 NOK 129

$19.51 NOK 188

-31.16%

Cappuccino

$6.41 NOK 61.7

$5.42 NOK 52.2

18.27%

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

$3.56 NOK 34.28

$3.20 NOK 30.82

11.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 NOK 36.50

$2.89 NOK 27.87

31.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.07 NOK 68.1

$11.82 NOK 114

-40.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.54 NOK 91.8

$9.78 NOK 94.2

-2.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.92 NOK 28.08

$2.65 NOK 25.54

10.19%

White Bread (500g)

$3.31 NOK 31.87

$3.28 NOK 31.58

0.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.29 NOK 31.64

$2.88 NOK 27.77

14.24%

Eggs

$4.79 NOK 46.16

$4.90 NOK 47.23

-2.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.39 NOK 100

$14.20 NOK 137

-26.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.72 NOK 142

$16.06 NOK 155

-8.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.40 NOK 274

$28.21 NOK 272

0.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 NOK 30.35

$3.94 NOK 37.99

-20.05%

Banana (1kg)

$3.01 NOK 29.01

$2.96 NOK 28.52

1.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.13 NOK 30.20

$3.75 NOK 36.17

-16.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.56 NOK 43.93

$5.62 NOK 54.2

-18.86%

Potato (1kg)

$3.28 NOK 31.61

$2.73 NOK 26.29

20.15%

Onion (1kg)

$3.34 NOK 32.13

$2.91 NOK 28.04

14.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.85 NOK 17.86

$2.80 NOK 27.00

-33.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 NOK 5.91

$2.14 NOK 20.64

-71.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.20 NOK 146

$16.95 NOK 163

-10.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.16 NOK 136

$17.26 NOK 166

-17.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.28 NOK 31.58

$3.30 NOK 31.80

-0.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.01 NOK 38.61

$4.38 NOK 42.18

-8.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.35 NOK 41.95

$4.47 NOK 43.07

-2.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.6 NOK 718

$81.2 NOK 783

-8.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.08 NOK 97.0

$15.23 NOK 147

-33.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 NOK 10.08

$2.25 NOK 21.66

-53.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$47.15 NOK 454

$72.5 NOK 699

-35.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 NOK 19.77

$2.13 NOK 20.51

-3.76%

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

$35.7K NOK 344.2K

$35.3K NOK 340.4K

1.12%

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

$39.2K NOK 377.3K

$43.1K NOK 415.0K

-9.08%

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

$72.8 NOK 701

$242 NOK 2,333

-69.95%

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

$37.60 NOK 362

$38.51 NOK 371

-2.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.40 NOK 466

$64.7 NOK 623

-25.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.55 NOK 477

$53.9 NOK 520

-8.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.16 NOK 339

$40.36 NOK 389

-12.88%

Cinema Ticket

$12.02 NOK 116

$20.20 NOK 195

-40.50%

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

$282 NOK 2,716

$286 NOK 2,753

-1.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K NOK 99.4K

$12.6K NOK 121.0K

-17.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.6 NOK 921

$91.1 NOK 878

4.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.8 NOK 499

$55.5 NOK 535

-6.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 NOK 1,043

$111 NOK 1,071

-2.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$155 NOK 1,489

$145 NOK 1,400

6.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$702 NOK 6,760

$1,284 NOK 12.4K

-45.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$902 NOK 8,685

$976 NOK 9,397

-7.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,826 NOK 17.6K

$2,019 NOK 19.4K

-9.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,532 NOK 14.8K

$1,558 NOK 15.0K

-1.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,928 NOK 57.1K

$7,575 NOK 73.0K

-21.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,914 NOK 37.7K

$4,645 NOK 44.7K

-15.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,846 NOK 27.4K

$4,344 NOK 41.8K

-34.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.38

4.85

-9.69%

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

Last update for Longyearbyen: July 12, 2026

Last update for Bergen: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $702 in Longyearbyen and $1,284 in Bergen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 53% 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: $101 in Longyearbyen vs $103 in Bergen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $438 vs $489 per month, with Longyearbyen 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 Bergen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Longyearbyen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 17% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 53% 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: $702 in Longyearbyen versus $1,284 in Bergen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $282 in Longyearbyen versus $286 in Bergen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Bergen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,261 in Longyearbyen versus $2,650 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 17% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.