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: $2,184 in Longyearbyen versus $3,141 in Oslo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,519 in Longyearbyen versus $4,597 in Oslo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,853 in Longyearbyen versus $6,053 in Oslo.

Living in Longyearbyen costs roughly 30% less than in Oslo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Longyearbyen 63% above, Oslo 134% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.54 NOK 191

$25.53 NOK 237

-19.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 NOK 947

$123 NOK 1,138

-16.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.80 NOK 128

$15.15 NOK 141

-8.91%

Cappuccino

$6.14 NOK 57.0

$4.86 NOK 45.18

26.34%

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

$3.64 NOK 33.80

$4.08 NOK 37.95

-10.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.86 NOK 35.85

$3.19 NOK 29.65

21.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.33 NOK 68.1

$12.02 NOK 112

-39.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.56 NOK 88.8

$11.22 NOK 104

-14.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.01 NOK 27.96

$2.39 NOK 22.24

25.94%

White Bread (500g)

$3.38 NOK 31.44

$4.09 NOK 37.98

-17.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.18 NOK 29.53

$3.66 NOK 34.02

-13.11%

Eggs

$4.90 NOK 45.55

$5.03 NOK 46.77

-2.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.68 NOK 99.2

$13.46 NOK 125

-20.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.80 NOK 137

$16.04 NOK 149

-7.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.22 NOK 262

$30.76 NOK 286

-8.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 NOK 30.89

$3.49 NOK 32.47

-4.58%

Banana (1kg)

$3.06 NOK 28.45

$2.63 NOK 24.41

16.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.17 NOK 29.48

$3.35 NOK 31.16

-5.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.60 NOK 42.73

$5.16 NOK 47.96

-10.85%

Potato (1kg)

$3.21 NOK 29.82

$2.43 NOK 22.58

32.10%

Onion (1kg)

$3.52 NOK 32.70

$2.71 NOK 25.21

29.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 NOK 17.28

$2.85 NOK 26.48

-34.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 NOK 6.11

$2.34 NOK 21.73

-71.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.91 NOK 138

$17.19 NOK 160

-13.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.22 NOK 141

$18.93 NOK 176

-19.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.26 NOK 30.31

$3.35 NOK 31.12

-2.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 NOK 38.09

$4.38 NOK 40.67

-6.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.37 NOK 40.59

$4.31 NOK 40.00

1.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.3 NOK 690

$77.9 NOK 723

-4.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.02 NOK 93.1

$10.04 NOK 93.3

-0.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 NOK 9.45

$1.38 NOK 12.86

-26.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$46.43 NOK 431

$42.24 NOK 392

9.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 NOK 19.42

$2.18 NOK 20.24

-4.13%

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

$35.2K NOK 327.2K

$36.5K NOK 338.8K

-3.42%

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

$38.8K NOK 360.4K

$42.7K NOK 396.5K

-9.11%

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

$75.3 NOK 699

$304 NOK 2,821

-75.21%

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

$38.77 NOK 360

$31.63 NOK 294

22.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.58 NOK 461

$57.0 NOK 530

-13.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 NOK 466

$57.8 NOK 537

-13.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.51 NOK 330

$28.64 NOK 266

23.99%

Cinema Ticket

$12.06 NOK 112

$18.01 NOK 167

-33.04%

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

$279 NOK 2,595

$274 NOK 2,543

2.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,997 NOK 92.9K

$14.5K NOK 135.1K

-31.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.4 NOK 877

$106 NOK 983

-10.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.6 NOK 488

$65.4 NOK 608

-19.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 NOK 1,018

$124 NOK 1,152

-11.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$151 NOK 1,400

$168 NOK 1,564

-10.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$700 NOK 6,506

$1,671 NOK 15.5K

-58.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$884 NOK 8,214

$1,446 NOK 13.4K

-38.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,809 NOK 16.8K

$2,749 NOK 25.5K

-34.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,565 NOK 14.5K

$2,165 NOK 20.1K

-27.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,164 NOK 57.3K

$12.0K NOK 111.7K

-48.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,449 NOK 41.3K

$7,295 NOK 67.8K

-39.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,954 NOK 27.4K

$4,411 NOK 41.0K

-33.03%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Oslo: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $700 in Longyearbyen and $1,671 in Oslo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oslo pays 49% 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 $122 in Oslo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $445 vs $500 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 44% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Oslo earns 49% 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 $1,671 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 5% less than in Oslo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $279 in Longyearbyen versus $274 in Oslo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,184 in Longyearbyen versus $3,141 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 44% less than in Oslo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.