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

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

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

Living in Oslo is roughly 44% more expensive than Longyearbyen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.53 NOK 237

$20.54 NOK 191

24.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$123 NOK 1,138

$102 NOK 947

20.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.15 NOK 141

$13.80 NOK 128

9.78%

Cappuccino

$4.86 NOK 45.18

$6.14 NOK 57.0

-20.85%

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

$4.08 NOK 37.95

$3.64 NOK 33.80

12.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 NOK 29.65

$3.86 NOK 35.85

-17.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.02 NOK 112

$7.33 NOK 68.1

63.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.22 NOK 104

$9.56 NOK 88.8

17.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 NOK 22.24

$3.01 NOK 27.96

-20.60%

White Bread (500g)

$4.09 NOK 37.98

$3.38 NOK 31.44

21.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.66 NOK 34.02

$3.18 NOK 29.53

15.09%

Eggs

$5.03 NOK 46.77

$4.90 NOK 45.55

2.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.46 NOK 125

$10.68 NOK 99.2

26.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.04 NOK 149

$14.80 NOK 137

8.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$30.76 NOK 286

$28.22 NOK 262

9.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.49 NOK 32.47

$3.33 NOK 30.89

4.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.63 NOK 24.41

$3.06 NOK 28.45

-14.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.35 NOK 31.16

$3.17 NOK 29.48

5.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.16 NOK 47.96

$4.60 NOK 42.73

12.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.43 NOK 22.58

$3.21 NOK 29.82

-24.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.71 NOK 25.21

$3.52 NOK 32.70

-23.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 NOK 26.48

$1.86 NOK 17.28

53.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 NOK 21.73

$0.66 NOK 6.11

254.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.19 NOK 160

$14.91 NOK 138

15.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.93 NOK 176

$15.22 NOK 141

24.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.35 NOK 31.12

$3.26 NOK 30.31

2.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 NOK 40.67

$4.10 NOK 38.09

6.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.31 NOK 40.00

$4.37 NOK 40.59

-1.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 NOK 723

$74.3 NOK 690

4.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.04 NOK 93.3

$10.02 NOK 93.1

0.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 NOK 12.86

$1.02 NOK 9.45

35.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.24 NOK 392

$46.43 NOK 431

-9.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 NOK 20.24

$2.09 NOK 19.42

4.31%

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

$36.5K NOK 338.8K

$35.2K NOK 327.2K

3.54%

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

$42.7K NOK 396.5K

$38.8K NOK 360.4K

10.02%

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

$304 NOK 2,821

$75.3 NOK 699

303.47%

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

$31.63 NOK 294

$38.77 NOK 360

-18.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.0 NOK 530

$49.58 NOK 461

15.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.8 NOK 537

$50.2 NOK 466

15.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.64 NOK 266

$35.51 NOK 330

-19.35%

Cinema Ticket

$18.01 NOK 167

$12.06 NOK 112

49.34%

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

$274 NOK 2,543

$279 NOK 2,595

-2.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.5K NOK 135.1K

$9,997 NOK 92.9K

45.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 NOK 983

$94.4 NOK 877

12.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.4 NOK 608

$52.6 NOK 488

24.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 NOK 1,152

$110 NOK 1,018

13.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$168 NOK 1,564

$151 NOK 1,400

11.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,671 NOK 15.5K

$700 NOK 6,506

138.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,446 NOK 13.4K

$884 NOK 8,214

63.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,749 NOK 25.5K

$1,809 NOK 16.8K

52.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,165 NOK 20.1K

$1,565 NOK 14.5K

38.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.0K NOK 111.7K

$6,164 NOK 57.3K

95.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,295 NOK 67.8K

$4,449 NOK 41.3K

63.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,411 NOK 41.0K

$2,954 NOK 27.4K

49.33%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Longyearbyen: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,671 in Oslo and $700 in Longyearbyen. 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: $122 in Oslo vs $102 in Longyearbyen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $500 vs $445 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 44% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Oslo pays 49% more on average, 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: $1,671 in Oslo versus $700 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 5% 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 $279 in Longyearbyen. 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, 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 44% less than in Oslo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.