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: $2,184 in Longyearbyen versus $2,605 in Bergen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,519 in Longyearbyen versus $3,923 in Bergen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,853 in Longyearbyen versus $5,240 in Bergen.

Living in Longyearbyen costs roughly 16% less than in Bergen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Longyearbyen 63% above, Bergen 94% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.54 NOK 191

$25.78 NOK 240

-20.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 NOK 947

$100 NOK 931

1.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.80 NOK 128

$18.96 NOK 176

-27.22%

Cappuccino

$6.14 NOK 57.0

$5.36 NOK 49.82

14.55%

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

$3.64 NOK 33.80

$3.21 NOK 29.86

13.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.86 NOK 35.85

$3.03 NOK 28.14

27.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.33 NOK 68.1

$11.53 NOK 107

-36.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.56 NOK 88.8

$9.67 NOK 89.8

-1.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.01 NOK 27.96

$2.64 NOK 24.50

14.02%

White Bread (500g)

$3.38 NOK 31.44

$3.36 NOK 31.20

0.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.18 NOK 29.53

$2.90 NOK 26.92

9.66%

Eggs

$4.90 NOK 45.55

$5.11 NOK 47.45

-4.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.68 NOK 99.2

$13.96 NOK 130

-23.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.80 NOK 137

$16.06 NOK 149

-7.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.22 NOK 262

$28.05 NOK 261

0.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 NOK 30.89

$3.75 NOK 34.84

-11.20%

Banana (1kg)

$3.06 NOK 28.45

$2.94 NOK 27.29

4.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.17 NOK 29.48

$3.61 NOK 33.56

-12.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.60 NOK 42.73

$5.52 NOK 51.3

-16.67%

Potato (1kg)

$3.21 NOK 29.82

$2.72 NOK 25.24

18.01%

Onion (1kg)

$3.52 NOK 32.70

$2.77 NOK 25.73

27.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 NOK 17.28

$2.85 NOK 26.45

-34.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 NOK 6.11

$2.15 NOK 19.95

-69.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.91 NOK 138

$16.93 NOK 157

-11.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.22 NOK 141

$18.39 NOK 171

-17.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.26 NOK 30.31

$3.35 NOK 31.08

-2.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 NOK 38.09

$4.27 NOK 39.68

-3.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.37 NOK 40.59

$4.56 NOK 42.40

-4.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.3 NOK 690

$80.5 NOK 748

-7.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.02 NOK 93.1

$15.36 NOK 143

-34.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 NOK 9.45

$2.28 NOK 21.15

-55.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$46.43 NOK 431

$72.7 NOK 675

-36.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 NOK 19.42

$2.16 NOK 20.11

-3.24%

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

$35.2K NOK 327.2K

$35.0K NOK 325.2K

0.63%

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

$38.8K NOK 360.4K

$43.6K NOK 404.7K

-10.96%

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

$75.3 NOK 699

$238 NOK 2,207

-68.33%

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

$38.77 NOK 360

$38.16 NOK 355

1.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.58 NOK 461

$64.1 NOK 595

-22.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 NOK 466

$55.2 NOK 513

-9.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.51 NOK 330

$40.59 NOK 377

-12.52%

Cinema Ticket

$12.06 NOK 112

$19.99 NOK 186

-39.67%

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

$279 NOK 2,595

$281 NOK 2,610

-0.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,997 NOK 92.9K

$12.9K NOK 120.1K

-22.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.4 NOK 877

$90.5 NOK 841

4.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.6 NOK 488

$55.0 NOK 510

-4.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 NOK 1,018

$111 NOK 1,034

-1.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$151 NOK 1,400

$147 NOK 1,369

2.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$700 NOK 6,506

$1,275 NOK 11.8K

-45.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$884 NOK 8,214

$997 NOK 9,263

-11.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,809 NOK 16.8K

$2,004 NOK 18.6K

-9.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,565 NOK 14.5K

$1,576 NOK 14.6K

-0.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,164 NOK 57.3K

$7,998 NOK 74.3K

-22.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,449 NOK 41.3K

$4,773 NOK 44.3K

-6.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,954 NOK 27.4K

$4,646 NOK 43.2K

-36.43%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Bergen: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $700 in Longyearbyen and $1,275 in Bergen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 57% 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: $102 in Longyearbyen vs $100 in Bergen. Groceries flip the comparison at $445 vs $490, with Longyearbyen 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 Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 19% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Bergen earns 57% less. 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: $700 in Longyearbyen versus $1,275 in Bergen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $279 in Longyearbyen versus $281 in Bergen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Bergen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,184 in Longyearbyen versus $2,605 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 19% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.