Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Stavanger and Longyearbyen

For one person, living is cheaper in Longyearbyen: $2,733 a month against $3,138 in Stavanger, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

153

Cost of Living Index in Stavanger
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Stavanger Living Index
134

Cost of Living Index in Longyearbyen
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Longyearbyen Living Index

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Stavanger

🇳🇴 Norway

$3,138

/mo nomad

Longyearbyen

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,733

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Stavanger and in Longyearbyen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Stavanger and in Longyearbyen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,138 in Stavanger versus $2,733 in Longyearbyen.

Stavanger $3,138
Longyearbyen $2,733

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,570 in Stavanger versus $4,180 in Longyearbyen.

Stavanger $4,570
Longyearbyen $4,180

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,002 in Stavanger versus $5,627 in Longyearbyen.

Stavanger $6,002
Longyearbyen $5,627

Living in Stavanger is roughly 15% more expensive than in Longyearbyen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Stavanger 132% above, Longyearbyen 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.72 NOK 233

$20.05 NOK 189

23.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.7 NOK 901

$106 NOK 996

-9.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.96 NOK 150

$18.00 NOK 169

-11.33%

Cappuccino

$6.23 NOK 58.6

$6.85 NOK 64.5

-9.05%

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

$5.20 NOK 48.94

$6.11 NOK 57.5

-14.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.26 NOK 40.09

$5.58 NOK 52.5

-23.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.68 NOK 129

$7.43 NOK 70.0

84.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.94 NOK 112

$8.96 NOK 84.3

33.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 NOK 22.95

$2.40 NOK 22.57

1.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.52 NOK 33.10

$3.71 NOK 34.95

-5.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.85 NOK 36.29

$4.33 NOK 40.78

-11.09%

Eggs

$4.72 NOK 44.40

$4.97 NOK 46.82

-5.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.37 NOK 135

$14.26 NOK 134

0.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.68 NOK 157

$20.30 NOK 191

-17.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$35.66 NOK 336

$31.52 NOK 297

13.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.46 NOK 32.59

$6.42 NOK 60.5

-46.11%

Banana (1kg)

$2.78 NOK 26.19

$2.55 NOK 24.03

9.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.38 NOK 31.79

$6.85 NOK 64.5

-50.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.92 NOK 46.33

$6.66 NOK 62.7

-26.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.49 NOK 23.42

$5.49 NOK 51.7

-54.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.98 NOK 28.05

$4.53 NOK 42.66

-34.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.83 NOK 26.63

$4.51 NOK 42.50

-37.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 NOK 22.09

$3.53 NOK 33.23

-33.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.60 NOK 166

$17.34 NOK 163

1.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.73 NOK 176

$14.45 NOK 136

29.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.74 NOK 35.21

$3.54 NOK 33.31

5.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.42 NOK 41.58

$4.24 NOK 39.93

4.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.64 NOK 43.68

$5.27 NOK 49.65

-11.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.1 NOK 792

$86.2 NOK 811

-2.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 NOK 57.1

$9.06 NOK 85.3

-33.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 NOK 16.01

$1.80 NOK 16.93

-5.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$102 NOK 961

$73.7 NOK 694

38.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.43 NOK 22.85

$2.13 NOK 20.05

14.08%

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

$48.3K NOK 455.1K

$50.3K NOK 473.1K

-3.81%

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

$42.0K NOK 395.1K

$41.3K NOK 388.9K

1.58%

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

$249 NOK 2,346

$242 NOK 2,274

3.18%

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

$34.59 NOK 326

$32.99 NOK 311

4.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.9 NOK 762

$54.1 NOK 509

49.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 NOK 473

$50.5 NOK 475

-0.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.81 NOK 347

$36.19 NOK 341

1.71%

Cinema Ticket

$21.38 NOK 201

$14.85 NOK 140

43.97%

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

$320 NOK 3,014

$200 NOK 1,887

59.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.2K NOK 133.9K

$14.2K NOK 133.8K

0.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$126 NOK 1,183

$104 NOK 981

20.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.8 NOK 553

$56.3 NOK 530

4.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$149 NOK 1,406

$125 NOK 1,179

19.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$198 NOK 1,865

$154 NOK 1,447

28.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,697 NOK 16.0K

$1,104 NOK 10.4K

53.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,356 NOK 12.8K

$1,017 NOK 9,569

33.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,735 NOK 25.7K

$1,983 NOK 18.7K

37.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,042 NOK 19.2K

$1,698 NOK 16.0K

20.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,207 NOK 58.4K

$6,197 NOK 58.3K

0.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,292 NOK 49.8K

$4,017 NOK 37.8K

31.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,011 NOK 47.2K

$2,931 NOK 27.6K

70.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.27

4.94

6.68%

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

Last update for Stavanger: October 11, 2026

Last update for Longyearbyen: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Stavanger

$1.4K 43.2%

Longyearbyen

$1K 37.2% 25.1% $340

Groceries & Markets

Stavanger

$517 16.5%

Longyearbyen

$586 21.5% 13.4% $69

Eating Out

Stavanger

$450 14.4%

Longyearbyen

$398 14.6% 11.5% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Stavanger

$365 11.6%

Longyearbyen

$329 12% 9.9% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Stavanger

$239 7.6%

Longyearbyen

$198 7.2% 17.4% $42

Getting Around

Stavanger

$117 3.7%

Longyearbyen

$125 4.6% 6.9% $8.1

Sport & Entertainment

Stavanger

$93 3%

Longyearbyen

$80 2.9% 13.8% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,697 in Stavanger and $1,104 in Longyearbyen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stavanger pays 71% 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: $96.0 in Stavanger vs $106 in Longyearbyen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $517 vs $586 per month, with Stavanger cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇴 Stavanger

🇳🇴 Longyearbyen

🕒 Local time

11:32 11:32 AM

Same time as Stavanger

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,330

2,400

💱 Currency

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 NOK = 10.62 USD

100 NOK = 9.45 EUR

100 NOK = 10.62 USD

100 NOK = 9.45 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Stavanger Longyearbyen 2,170 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Stavanger
Longyearbyen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 eating out, clothing, and utilities. The 15% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 71% 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: $1,697 in Stavanger versus $1,104 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 2% less than in Stavanger. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $320 in Stavanger versus $200 in Longyearbyen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Longyearbyen is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 15% less than in Stavanger. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.