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

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

Living in Oslo is roughly 21% more expensive than in Longyearbyen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.52 NOK 200

$20.42 NOK 190

5.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$127 NOK 1,181

$108 NOK 1,007

17.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.83 NOK 147

$18.36 NOK 170

-13.78%

Cappuccino

$6.01 NOK 55.8

$7.09 NOK 65.9

-15.23%

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

$4.17 NOK 38.71

$6.03 NOK 56.0

-30.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 NOK 31.81

$5.80 NOK 53.8

-40.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.58 NOK 108

$7.83 NOK 72.7

47.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.62 NOK 117

$9.37 NOK 87.0

34.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.57 NOK 23.89

$2.48 NOK 23.03

3.63%

White Bread (500g)

$4.31 NOK 40.04

$5.03 NOK 46.70

-14.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.59 NOK 42.61

$4.29 NOK 39.79

6.99%

Eggs

$5.96 NOK 55.4

$5.09 NOK 47.23

17.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.97 NOK 139

$14.31 NOK 133

4.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.70 NOK 146

$20.15 NOK 187

-22.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$30.01 NOK 279

$30.53 NOK 283

-1.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.48 NOK 32.33

$6.90 NOK 64.0

-49.57%

Banana (1kg)

$2.67 NOK 24.82

$2.76 NOK 25.65

-3.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.63 NOK 33.67

$7.31 NOK 67.9

-50.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.97 NOK 55.4

$7.02 NOK 65.1

-14.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.74 NOK 25.48

$5.55 NOK 51.6

-50.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.94 NOK 27.30

$4.73 NOK 43.96

-37.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.21 NOK 29.80

$4.64 NOK 43.08

-30.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 NOK 22.79

$3.63 NOK 33.75

-32.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.43 NOK 180

$17.72 NOK 165

9.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.63 NOK 154

$15.17 NOK 141

9.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.46 NOK 32.15

$3.64 NOK 33.83

-4.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.29 NOK 39.85

$4.47 NOK 41.47

-4.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.95 NOK 46.00

$5.08 NOK 47.15

-2.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.6 NOK 776

$93.3 NOK 867

-10.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.10 NOK 112

$9.56 NOK 88.7

26.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 NOK 17.82

$1.86 NOK 17.27

3.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$71.7 NOK 666

$65.0 NOK 603

10.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.27 NOK 21.10

$2.19 NOK 20.31

3.65%

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

$50.0K NOK 464.3K

$45.9K NOK 426.0K

9.01%

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

$45.3K NOK 420.2K

$50.4K NOK 467.6K

-10.13%

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

$431 NOK 4,001

$266 NOK 2,473

61.79%

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

$32.70 NOK 304

$33.06 NOK 307

-1.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.7 NOK 526

$57.4 NOK 533

-1.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.6 NOK 553

$50.4 NOK 468

18.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 NOK 268

$36.86 NOK 342

-21.57%

Cinema Ticket

$19.06 NOK 177

$17.89 NOK 166

6.54%

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

$251 NOK 2,335

$267 NOK 2,477

-5.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K NOK 147.0K

$10.4K NOK 96.2K

52.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 NOK 952

$101 NOK 938

1.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.1 NOK 576

$56.4 NOK 524

10.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 NOK 1,283

$126 NOK 1,170

9.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$161 NOK 1,492

$159 NOK 1,478

0.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,079 NOK 19.3K

$1,146 NOK 10.6K

81.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,577 NOK 14.6K

$1,024 NOK 9,511

53.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,043 NOK 28.3K

$2,040 NOK 18.9K

49.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,251 NOK 20.9K

$1,723 NOK 16.0K

30.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.1K NOK 112.6K

$6,518 NOK 60.5K

86.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,880 NOK 63.9K

$4,228 NOK 39.3K

62.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,469 NOK 41.5K

$2,955 NOK 27.4K

51.23%

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 Oslo: August 29, 2026

Last update for Longyearbyen: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,079 in Oslo and $1,146 in Longyearbyen. 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: $127 in Oslo vs $108 in Longyearbyen. Groceries flip the comparison at $518 vs $609, 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

Oslo vs Longyearbyen: 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.

Average pay runs 51% higher in Oslo, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,079 in Oslo versus $1,146 in Longyearbyen. 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 $251 in Oslo versus $267 in Longyearbyen. 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, Oslo and Longyearbyen 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.