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: $2,744 in Stavanger versus $2,184 in Longyearbyen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,187 in Stavanger versus $3,519 in Longyearbyen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,629 in Stavanger versus $4,853 in Longyearbyen.

Living in Stavanger is roughly 26% more expensive than Longyearbyen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Stavanger 105% above, Longyearbyen 63% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.49 NOK 237

$20.54 NOK 191

24.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$121 NOK 1,125

$102 NOK 949

18.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.31 NOK 143

$13.80 NOK 128

10.94%

Cappuccino

$5.17 NOK 48.13

$6.14 NOK 57.1

-15.80%

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

$4.04 NOK 37.65

$3.64 NOK 33.87

10.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.47 NOK 32.27

$3.86 NOK 35.92

-10.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.15 NOK 104

$7.33 NOK 68.2

52.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.27 NOK 95.6

$9.56 NOK 89.0

7.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.45 NOK 22.78

$3.01 NOK 28.02

-18.60%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 NOK 28.09

$3.38 NOK 31.50

-10.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.56 NOK 42.47

$3.18 NOK 29.59

43.40%

Eggs

$4.46 NOK 41.54

$4.90 NOK 45.64

-8.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.11 NOK 122

$10.68 NOK 99.4

22.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.72 NOK 156

$14.80 NOK 138

12.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.15 NOK 253

$28.22 NOK 263

-3.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.58 NOK 33.33

$3.33 NOK 30.96

7.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.56 NOK 23.85

$3.06 NOK 28.51

-16.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.98 NOK 27.78

$3.17 NOK 29.54

-5.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.61 NOK 42.92

$4.60 NOK 42.82

0.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 NOK 19.46

$3.21 NOK 29.88

-34.89%

Onion (1kg)

$3.09 NOK 28.76

$3.52 NOK 32.77

-12.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.50 NOK 23.31

$1.86 NOK 17.32

34.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 NOK 16.85

$0.66 NOK 6.12

174.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.37 NOK 143

$14.91 NOK 139

3.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.14 NOK 178

$15.22 NOK 142

25.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.63 NOK 33.77

$3.26 NOK 30.37

11.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.13 NOK 38.47

$4.10 NOK 38.17

0.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.66 NOK 43.40

$4.37 NOK 40.68

6.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.1 NOK 624

$74.3 NOK 691

-9.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$14.97 NOK 139

$10.02 NOK 93.3

49.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 NOK 19.74

$1.02 NOK 9.47

107.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$99.8 NOK 929

$46.43 NOK 432

114.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 NOK 20.00

$2.09 NOK 19.46

2.87%

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

$34.0K NOK 316.4K

$35.2K NOK 327.9K

-3.51%

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

$32.8K NOK 305.1K

$38.8K NOK 361.1K

-15.53%

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

$191 NOK 1,782

$75.3 NOK 701

154.35%

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

$42.73 NOK 398

$38.77 NOK 361

10.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$81.9 NOK 763

$49.58 NOK 462

65.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 NOK 520

$50.2 NOK 467

11.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.64 NOK 332

$35.51 NOK 331

0.37%

Cinema Ticket

$19.51 NOK 182

$12.06 NOK 112

61.77%

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

$318 NOK 2,963

$279 NOK 2,601

13.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K NOK 118.9K

$9,997 NOK 93.1K

27.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$119 NOK 1,109

$94.4 NOK 879

26.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.3 NOK 543

$52.6 NOK 489

10.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 NOK 983

$110 NOK 1,020

-3.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$157 NOK 1,463

$151 NOK 1,403

4.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 NOK 14.9K

$700 NOK 6,519

128.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,115 NOK 10.4K

$884 NOK 8,231

26.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,756 NOK 25.7K

$1,809 NOK 16.8K

52.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,738 NOK 16.2K

$1,565 NOK 14.6K

11.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,190 NOK 57.6K

$6,164 NOK 57.4K

0.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,435 NOK 50.6K

$4,449 NOK 41.4K

22.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,992 NOK 46.5K

$2,954 NOK 27.5K

69.02%

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: May 30, 2026

Last update for Longyearbyen: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Stavanger and $700 in Longyearbyen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stavanger pays 69% 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: $121 in Stavanger vs $102 in Longyearbyen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $472 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

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 26% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Stavanger pays 69% 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: $1,604 in Stavanger 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 11% less than in Stavanger. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $318 in Stavanger 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 $2,744 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 26% less than in Stavanger. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.