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

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

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

Living in Oslo is roughly 42% more expensive than in Longyearbyen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.37 NOK 244

$20.26 NOK 195

25.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 NOK 1,160

$101 NOK 968

19.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.96 NOK 144

$13.43 NOK 129

11.39%

Cappuccino

$5.08 NOK 48.89

$6.41 NOK 61.7

-20.75%

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

$4.10 NOK 39.51

$3.56 NOK 34.28

15.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 NOK 30.74

$3.79 NOK 36.50

-15.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.37 NOK 119

$7.07 NOK 68.1

74.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.03 NOK 106

$9.54 NOK 91.8

15.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.40 NOK 23.15

$2.92 NOK 28.08

-17.81%

White Bread (500g)

$4.03 NOK 38.86

$3.31 NOK 31.87

21.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.67 NOK 35.37

$3.29 NOK 31.64

11.55%

Eggs

$4.95 NOK 47.65

$4.79 NOK 46.16

3.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.66 NOK 132

$10.39 NOK 100

31.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.41 NOK 158

$14.72 NOK 142

11.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$31.39 NOK 302

$28.40 NOK 274

10.53%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 NOK 34.72

$3.15 NOK 30.35

14.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.63 NOK 25.35

$3.01 NOK 29.01

-12.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.45 NOK 33.27

$3.13 NOK 30.20

10.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.07 NOK 48.80

$4.56 NOK 43.93

11.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.51 NOK 24.14

$3.28 NOK 31.61

-23.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.71 NOK 26.12

$3.34 NOK 32.13

-18.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 NOK 26.73

$1.85 NOK 17.86

50.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 NOK 23.17

$0.61 NOK 5.91

295.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.46 NOK 168

$15.20 NOK 146

14.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.64 NOK 180

$14.16 NOK 136

31.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.41 NOK 32.88

$3.28 NOK 31.58

3.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 NOK 41.91

$4.01 NOK 38.61

8.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.18 NOK 40.29

$4.35 NOK 41.95

-3.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.6 NOK 766

$74.6 NOK 718

6.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.20 NOK 98.2

$10.08 NOK 97.0

1.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 NOK 13.56

$1.05 NOK 10.08

34.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.75 NOK 402

$47.15 NOK 454

-11.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.27 NOK 21.88

$2.05 NOK 19.77

10.73%

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

$36.7K NOK 353.0K

$35.7K NOK 344.2K

2.56%

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

$42.3K NOK 407.8K

$39.2K NOK 377.3K

8.07%

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

$296 NOK 2,852

$72.8 NOK 701

306.74%

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

$31.29 NOK 301

$37.60 NOK 362

-16.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.5 NOK 534

$48.40 NOK 466

14.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 NOK 552

$49.55 NOK 477

15.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.40 NOK 274

$35.16 NOK 339

-19.23%

Cinema Ticket

$18.01 NOK 173

$12.02 NOK 116

49.83%

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

$274 NOK 2,644

$282 NOK 2,716

-2.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K NOK 141.4K

$10.3K NOK 99.4K

42.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 NOK 995

$95.6 NOK 921

8.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.5 NOK 621

$51.8 NOK 499

24.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 NOK 1,164

$108 NOK 1,043

11.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$168 NOK 1,614

$155 NOK 1,489

8.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,700 NOK 16.4K

$702 NOK 6,760

142.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,441 NOK 13.9K

$902 NOK 8,685

59.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,677 NOK 25.8K

$1,826 NOK 17.6K

46.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,180 NOK 21.0K

$1,532 NOK 14.8K

42.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.5K NOK 110.9K

$5,928 NOK 57.1K

94.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,961 NOK 67.1K

$3,914 NOK 37.7K

77.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,256 NOK 41.0K

$2,846 NOK 27.4K

49.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.08

4.38

15.98%

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

Last update for Oslo: July 12, 2026

Last update for Longyearbyen: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,700 in Oslo and $702 in Longyearbyen. 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: $120 in Oslo vs $101 in Longyearbyen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $505 vs $438 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

Oslo vs Longyearbyen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

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

Childcare runs $274 in Oslo versus $282 in Longyearbyen. 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, 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 42% less than in Oslo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.