Cost of Living Comparison Between Longyearbyen and Oslo Cost of Living Comparison Between Longyearbyen and Oslo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,878 in Longyearbyen versus $3,482 in Oslo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,279 in Longyearbyen versus $4,887 in Oslo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,679 in Longyearbyen versus $6,292 in Oslo.

Living in Longyearbyen costs roughly 17% less than in Oslo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Longyearbyen 109% above, Oslo 153% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.42 NOK 190

$21.52 NOK 200

-5.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$108 NOK 1,007

$127 NOK 1,181

-14.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.36 NOK 170

$15.83 NOK 147

15.98%

Cappuccino

$7.09 NOK 65.9

$6.01 NOK 55.8

17.97%

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

$6.03 NOK 56.0

$4.17 NOK 38.71

44.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 NOK 53.8

$3.43 NOK 31.81

69.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.83 NOK 72.7

$11.58 NOK 108

-32.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.37 NOK 87.0

$12.62 NOK 117

-25.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.48 NOK 23.03

$2.57 NOK 23.89

-3.50%

White Bread (500g)

$5.03 NOK 46.70

$4.31 NOK 40.04

16.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.29 NOK 39.79

$4.59 NOK 42.61

-6.54%

Eggs

$5.09 NOK 47.23

$5.96 NOK 55.4

-14.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.31 NOK 133

$14.97 NOK 139

-4.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$20.15 NOK 187

$15.70 NOK 146

28.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$30.53 NOK 283

$30.01 NOK 279

1.73%

Apples (1kg)

$6.90 NOK 64.0

$3.48 NOK 32.33

98.28%

Banana (1kg)

$2.76 NOK 25.65

$2.67 NOK 24.82

3.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.31 NOK 67.9

$3.63 NOK 33.67

101.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.02 NOK 65.1

$5.97 NOK 55.4

17.59%

Potato (1kg)

$5.55 NOK 51.6

$2.74 NOK 25.48

102.55%

Onion (1kg)

$4.73 NOK 43.96

$2.94 NOK 27.30

60.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.64 NOK 43.08

$3.21 NOK 29.80

44.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.63 NOK 33.75

$2.46 NOK 22.79

47.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.72 NOK 165

$19.43 NOK 180

-8.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.17 NOK 141

$16.63 NOK 154

-8.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.64 NOK 33.83

$3.46 NOK 32.15

5.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 NOK 41.47

$4.29 NOK 39.85

4.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.08 NOK 47.15

$4.95 NOK 46.00

2.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.3 NOK 867

$83.6 NOK 776

11.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.56 NOK 88.7

$12.10 NOK 112

-20.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 NOK 17.27

$1.92 NOK 17.82

-3.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$65.0 NOK 603

$71.7 NOK 666

-9.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 NOK 20.31

$2.27 NOK 21.10

-3.52%

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

$45.9K NOK 426.0K

$50.0K NOK 464.3K

-8.27%

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

$50.4K NOK 467.6K

$45.3K NOK 420.2K

11.27%

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

$266 NOK 2,473

$431 NOK 4,001

-38.19%

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

$33.06 NOK 307

$32.70 NOK 304

1.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.4 NOK 533

$56.7 NOK 526

1.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.4 NOK 468

$59.6 NOK 553

-15.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.86 NOK 342

$28.91 NOK 268

27.50%

Cinema Ticket

$17.89 NOK 166

$19.06 NOK 177

-6.14%

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

$267 NOK 2,477

$251 NOK 2,335

6.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K NOK 96.2K

$15.8K NOK 147.0K

-34.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 NOK 938

$103 NOK 952

-1.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.4 NOK 524

$62.1 NOK 576

-9.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 NOK 1,170

$138 NOK 1,283

-8.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 NOK 1,478

$161 NOK 1,492

-0.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,146 NOK 10.6K

$2,079 NOK 19.3K

-44.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,024 NOK 9,511

$1,577 NOK 14.6K

-35.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 NOK 18.9K

$3,043 NOK 28.3K

-32.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,723 NOK 16.0K

$2,251 NOK 20.9K

-23.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,518 NOK 60.5K

$12.1K NOK 112.6K

-46.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,228 NOK 39.3K

$6,880 NOK 63.9K

-38.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,955 NOK 27.4K

$4,469 NOK 41.5K

-33.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.96

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

Last update for Longyearbyen: August 31, 2026

Last update for Oslo: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,146 in Longyearbyen and $2,079 in Oslo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oslo pays 51% 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 $127 in Oslo. Groceries flip the comparison at $609 vs $518, with Oslo 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 Oslo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Longyearbyen is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 51% lower in Oslo. 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 $2,079 in Oslo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Longyearbyen runs roughly 12% less than in Oslo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $267 in Longyearbyen versus $251 in Oslo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,878 in Longyearbyen versus $3,482 in Oslo, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Longyearbyen but tight or insufficient in Oslo. 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 Oslo, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Longyearbyen and Oslo 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 21% less than in Oslo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.