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: $3,179 in Stavanger versus $2,878 in Longyearbyen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,668 in Stavanger versus $4,279 in Longyearbyen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,158 in Stavanger versus $5,679 in Longyearbyen.

Living in Stavanger is roughly 10% more expensive than in Longyearbyen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Stavanger 131% above, Longyearbyen 109% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.10 NOK 242

$20.42 NOK 190

27.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$100 NOK 929

$108 NOK 1,007

-7.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.98 NOK 148

$18.36 NOK 170

-12.96%

Cappuccino

$6.53 NOK 60.7

$7.09 NOK 65.9

-7.90%

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

$5.57 NOK 51.7

$6.03 NOK 56.0

-7.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 NOK 42.21

$5.80 NOK 53.8

-21.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.62 NOK 126

$7.83 NOK 72.7

73.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.09 NOK 112

$9.37 NOK 87.0

29.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.49 NOK 23.11

$2.48 NOK 23.03

0.40%

White Bread (500g)

$3.60 NOK 33.46

$5.03 NOK 46.70

-28.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.96 NOK 36.73

$4.29 NOK 39.79

-7.69%

Eggs

$4.97 NOK 46.18

$5.09 NOK 47.23

-2.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.64 NOK 136

$14.31 NOK 133

2.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.53 NOK 163

$20.15 NOK 187

-13.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$35.75 NOK 332

$30.53 NOK 283

17.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.70 NOK 34.37

$6.90 NOK 64.0

-46.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.86 NOK 26.53

$2.76 NOK 25.65

3.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.58 NOK 33.20

$7.31 NOK 67.9

-51.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.90 NOK 45.45

$7.02 NOK 65.1

-30.20%

Potato (1kg)

$2.60 NOK 24.18

$5.55 NOK 51.6

-53.15%

Onion (1kg)

$3.17 NOK 29.42

$4.73 NOK 43.96

-32.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.90 NOK 26.95

$4.64 NOK 43.08

-37.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 NOK 21.46

$3.63 NOK 33.75

-36.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.65 NOK 164

$17.72 NOK 165

-0.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.17 NOK 178

$15.17 NOK 141

26.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.85 NOK 35.74

$3.64 NOK 33.83

5.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 NOK 42.76

$4.47 NOK 41.47

3.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.89 NOK 45.43

$5.08 NOK 47.15

-3.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.1 NOK 809

$93.3 NOK 867

-6.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.48 NOK 60.1

$9.56 NOK 88.7

-32.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 NOK 16.56

$1.86 NOK 17.27

-4.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$105 NOK 976

$65.0 NOK 603

61.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 NOK 21.58

$2.19 NOK 20.31

5.94%

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

$48.7K NOK 452.4K

$45.9K NOK 426.0K

6.20%

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

$41.8K NOK 388.4K

$50.4K NOK 467.6K

-16.94%

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

$257 NOK 2,389

$266 NOK 2,473

-3.40%

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

$35.59 NOK 330

$33.06 NOK 307

7.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.9 NOK 788

$57.4 NOK 533

47.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.6 NOK 489

$50.4 NOK 468

4.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.90 NOK 343

$36.86 NOK 342

0.11%

Cinema Ticket

$22.33 NOK 207

$17.89 NOK 166

24.82%

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

$325 NOK 3,018

$267 NOK 2,477

21.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K NOK 133.5K

$10.4K NOK 96.2K

38.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$126 NOK 1,169

$101 NOK 938

24.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.7 NOK 564

$56.4 NOK 524

7.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$155 NOK 1,440

$126 NOK 1,170

23.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$203 NOK 1,886

$159 NOK 1,478

27.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,746 NOK 16.2K

$1,146 NOK 10.6K

52.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,387 NOK 12.9K

$1,024 NOK 9,511

35.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,840 NOK 26.4K

$2,040 NOK 18.9K

39.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,044 NOK 19.0K

$1,723 NOK 16.0K

18.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,241 NOK 57.9K

$6,518 NOK 60.5K

-4.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,530 NOK 51.3K

$4,228 NOK 39.3K

30.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,111 NOK 47.5K

$2,955 NOK 27.4K

72.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.27

4.96

6.25%

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

Last update for Stavanger: August 31, 2026

Last update for Longyearbyen: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,746 in Stavanger and $1,146 in Longyearbyen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stavanger pays 73% 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: $100 in Stavanger vs $108 in Longyearbyen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $530 vs $609 per month, with Stavanger 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 Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 73% 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: $1,746 in Stavanger versus $1,146 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 Stavanger. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $325 in Stavanger versus $267 in Longyearbyen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,878 in Longyearbyen versus $3,179 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 10% less than in Stavanger. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.