Cost of Living Comparison Between Stavanger and Longyearbyen Cost of Living Comparison Between Stavanger and Longyearbyen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,773 in Stavanger versus $2,261 in Longyearbyen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,121 in Stavanger versus $3,540 in Longyearbyen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,469 in Stavanger versus $4,819 in Longyearbyen.

Living in Stavanger is roughly 23% more expensive than in Longyearbyen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Stavanger 108% above, Longyearbyen 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.15 NOK 243

$20.26 NOK 195

24.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$124 NOK 1,193

$101 NOK 969

23.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.47 NOK 149

$13.43 NOK 130

15.19%

Cappuccino

$5.09 NOK 49.08

$6.41 NOK 61.8

-20.59%

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

$3.97 NOK 38.27

$3.56 NOK 34.32

11.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 NOK 32.99

$3.79 NOK 36.54

-9.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.30 NOK 109

$7.07 NOK 68.2

59.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.04 NOK 96.8

$9.54 NOK 92.0

5.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.43 NOK 23.46

$2.92 NOK 28.11

-16.78%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 NOK 29.28

$3.31 NOK 31.91

-8.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.50 NOK 43.38

$3.29 NOK 31.68

36.78%

Eggs

$4.44 NOK 42.80

$4.79 NOK 46.21

-7.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.96 NOK 125

$10.39 NOK 100

24.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.11 NOK 155

$14.72 NOK 142

9.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.22 NOK 262

$28.40 NOK 274

-4.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 NOK 33.48

$3.15 NOK 30.38

10.16%

Banana (1kg)

$2.54 NOK 24.45

$3.01 NOK 29.04

-15.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 NOK 29.92

$3.13 NOK 30.23

-0.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.76 NOK 45.89

$4.56 NOK 43.98

4.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 NOK 20.79

$3.28 NOK 31.64

-34.15%

Onion (1kg)

$3.09 NOK 29.77

$3.34 NOK 32.17

-7.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 NOK 25.12

$1.85 NOK 17.88

41.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 NOK 16.78

$0.61 NOK 5.91

185.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.94 NOK 144

$15.20 NOK 147

-1.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.99 NOK 173

$14.16 NOK 137

27.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.49 NOK 33.68

$3.28 NOK 31.61

6.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.14 NOK 39.93

$4.01 NOK 38.65

3.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.67 NOK 45.02

$4.35 NOK 41.99

7.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.4 NOK 660

$74.6 NOK 719

-8.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.04 NOK 145

$10.08 NOK 97.2

49.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 NOK 20.77

$1.05 NOK 10.09

104.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$101 NOK 976

$47.15 NOK 455

114.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 NOK 21.00

$2.05 NOK 19.80

6.34%

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

$34.5K NOK 332.5K

$35.7K NOK 344.6K

-3.50%

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

$33.2K NOK 319.8K

$39.2K NOK 377.8K

-15.34%

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

$191 NOK 1,842

$72.8 NOK 702

162.36%

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

$43.05 NOK 415

$37.60 NOK 363

14.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$81.9 NOK 790

$48.40 NOK 467

69.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.0 NOK 540

$49.55 NOK 478

12.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.99 NOK 337

$35.16 NOK 339

-0.48%

Cinema Ticket

$19.39 NOK 187

$12.02 NOK 116

61.31%

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

$315 NOK 3,038

$282 NOK 2,719

11.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K NOK 123.3K

$10.3K NOK 99.5K

23.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$119 NOK 1,152

$95.6 NOK 922

24.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.8 NOK 576

$51.8 NOK 499

15.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 NOK 1,029

$108 NOK 1,044

-1.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$161 NOK 1,552

$155 NOK 1,491

4.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,617 NOK 15.6K

$702 NOK 6,768

130.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 NOK 10.9K

$902 NOK 8,695

25.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,719 NOK 26.2K

$1,826 NOK 17.6K

48.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,738 NOK 16.8K

$1,532 NOK 14.8K

13.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,982 NOK 57.7K

$5,928 NOK 57.2K

0.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,156 NOK 49.7K

$3,914 NOK 37.7K

31.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,945 NOK 47.7K

$2,846 NOK 27.4K

73.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

4.38

2.97%

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

Last update for Stavanger: July 13, 2026

Last update for Longyearbyen: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,617 in Stavanger and $702 in Longyearbyen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stavanger pays 74% 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: $124 in Stavanger vs $101 in Longyearbyen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $466 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

Stavanger vs Longyearbyen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Longyearbyen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 23% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 74% higher in Stavanger, 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: $1,617 in Stavanger 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 9% less than in Stavanger. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $315 in Stavanger 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 $2,773 in Stavanger, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Longyearbyen but tight or insufficient in Stavanger. 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 Stavanger, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Stavanger 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 23% less than in Stavanger. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.