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: $2,261 in Longyearbyen versus $3,203 in Oslo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,540 in Longyearbyen versus $4,686 in Oslo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,819 in Longyearbyen versus $6,170 in Oslo.

Living in Longyearbyen costs roughly 29% less than in Oslo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Longyearbyen 69% above, Oslo 140% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.26 NOK 195

$25.37 NOK 244

-20.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 NOK 968

$120 NOK 1,160

-16.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.43 NOK 129

$14.96 NOK 144

-10.23%

Cappuccino

$6.41 NOK 61.7

$5.08 NOK 48.89

26.18%

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

$3.56 NOK 34.28

$4.10 NOK 39.51

-13.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 NOK 36.50

$3.19 NOK 30.74

18.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.07 NOK 68.1

$12.37 NOK 119

-42.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.54 NOK 91.8

$11.03 NOK 106

-13.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.92 NOK 28.08

$2.40 NOK 23.15

21.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.31 NOK 31.87

$4.03 NOK 38.86

-17.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.29 NOK 31.64

$3.67 NOK 35.37

-10.35%

Eggs

$4.79 NOK 46.16

$4.95 NOK 47.65

-3.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.39 NOK 100

$13.66 NOK 132

-23.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.72 NOK 142

$16.41 NOK 158

-10.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.40 NOK 274

$31.39 NOK 302

-9.53%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 NOK 30.35

$3.60 NOK 34.72

-12.50%

Banana (1kg)

$3.01 NOK 29.01

$2.63 NOK 25.35

14.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.13 NOK 30.20

$3.45 NOK 33.27

-9.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.56 NOK 43.93

$5.07 NOK 48.80

-10.06%

Potato (1kg)

$3.28 NOK 31.61

$2.51 NOK 24.14

30.68%

Onion (1kg)

$3.34 NOK 32.13

$2.71 NOK 26.12

23.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.85 NOK 17.86

$2.78 NOK 26.73

-33.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 NOK 5.91

$2.41 NOK 23.17

-74.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.20 NOK 146

$17.46 NOK 168

-12.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.16 NOK 136

$18.64 NOK 180

-24.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.28 NOK 31.58

$3.41 NOK 32.88

-3.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.01 NOK 38.61

$4.35 NOK 41.91

-7.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.35 NOK 41.95

$4.18 NOK 40.29

4.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.6 NOK 718

$79.6 NOK 766

-6.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.08 NOK 97.0

$10.20 NOK 98.2

-1.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 NOK 10.08

$1.41 NOK 13.56

-25.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$47.15 NOK 454

$41.75 NOK 402

12.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 NOK 19.77

$2.27 NOK 21.88

-9.69%

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

$35.7K NOK 344.2K

$36.7K NOK 353.0K

-2.50%

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

$39.2K NOK 377.3K

$42.3K NOK 407.8K

-7.47%

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

$72.8 NOK 701

$296 NOK 2,852

-75.41%

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

$37.60 NOK 362

$31.29 NOK 301

20.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.40 NOK 466

$55.5 NOK 534

-12.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.55 NOK 477

$57.4 NOK 552

-13.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.16 NOK 339

$28.40 NOK 274

23.80%

Cinema Ticket

$12.02 NOK 116

$18.01 NOK 173

-33.26%

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

$282 NOK 2,716

$274 NOK 2,644

2.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K NOK 99.4K

$14.7K NOK 141.4K

-29.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.6 NOK 921

$103 NOK 995

-7.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.8 NOK 499

$64.5 NOK 621

-19.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 NOK 1,043

$121 NOK 1,164

-10.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$155 NOK 1,489

$168 NOK 1,614

-7.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$702 NOK 6,760

$1,700 NOK 16.4K

-58.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$902 NOK 8,685

$1,441 NOK 13.9K

-37.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,826 NOK 17.6K

$2,677 NOK 25.8K

-31.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,532 NOK 14.8K

$2,180 NOK 21.0K

-29.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,928 NOK 57.1K

$11.5K NOK 110.9K

-48.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,914 NOK 37.7K

$6,961 NOK 67.1K

-43.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,846 NOK 27.4K

$4,256 NOK 41.0K

-33.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.38

5.08

-13.78%

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

Last update for Longyearbyen: July 12, 2026

Last update for Oslo: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $702 in Longyearbyen and $1,700 in Oslo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oslo pays 50% 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 $120 in Oslo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $438 vs $505 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 Oslo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Longyearbyen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 42% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 50% 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: $702 in Longyearbyen versus $1,700 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 7% less than in Oslo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $282 in Longyearbyen versus $274 in Oslo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,261 in Longyearbyen versus $3,203 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 42% less than in Oslo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.