Cost of Living Comparison Between Trondheim and Longyearbyen Cost of Living Comparison Between Trondheim and Longyearbyen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,990 in Trondheim versus $2,878 in Longyearbyen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,295 in Trondheim versus $4,279 in Longyearbyen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,599 in Trondheim versus $5,679 in Longyearbyen.

Living in Trondheim is roughly 4% more expensive than in Longyearbyen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Trondheim 118% above, Longyearbyen 109% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.21 NOK 197

$20.42 NOK 190

3.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$108 NOK 1,004

$108 NOK 1,007

-0.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.17 NOK 150

$18.36 NOK 170

-11.93%

Cappuccino

$5.58 NOK 51.8

$7.09 NOK 65.9

-21.30%

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

$5.81 NOK 54.0

$6.03 NOK 56.0

-3.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 NOK 40.19

$5.80 NOK 53.8

-25.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.61 NOK 126

$7.83 NOK 72.7

73.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.10 NOK 122

$9.37 NOK 87.0

39.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.60 NOK 24.15

$2.48 NOK 23.03

4.84%

White Bread (500g)

$3.59 NOK 33.37

$5.03 NOK 46.70

-28.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.83 NOK 35.57

$4.29 NOK 39.79

-10.72%

Eggs

$5.06 NOK 47.00

$5.09 NOK 47.23

-0.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.32 NOK 124

$14.31 NOK 133

-6.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.56 NOK 154

$20.15 NOK 187

-17.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$32.75 NOK 304

$30.53 NOK 283

7.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 NOK 36.87

$6.90 NOK 64.0

-42.46%

Banana (1kg)

$3.03 NOK 28.13

$2.76 NOK 25.65

9.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.92 NOK 36.38

$7.31 NOK 67.9

-46.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.64 NOK 52.4

$7.02 NOK 65.1

-19.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.88 NOK 26.76

$5.55 NOK 51.6

-48.11%

Onion (1kg)

$3.10 NOK 28.82

$4.73 NOK 43.96

-34.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.99 NOK 27.77

$4.64 NOK 43.08

-35.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 NOK 21.81

$3.63 NOK 33.75

-35.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.92 NOK 166

$17.72 NOK 165

1.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.02 NOK 177

$15.17 NOK 141

25.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.73 NOK 34.60

$3.64 NOK 33.83

2.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 NOK 41.99

$4.47 NOK 41.47

1.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.76 NOK 44.21

$5.08 NOK 47.15

-6.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$102 NOK 952

$93.3 NOK 867

9.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.75 NOK 90.5

$9.56 NOK 88.7

1.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 NOK 15.31

$1.86 NOK 17.27

-11.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$59.9 NOK 556

$65.0 NOK 603

-7.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.30 NOK 21.35

$2.19 NOK 20.31

5.02%

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

$45.8K NOK 425.2K

$45.9K NOK 426.0K

-0.19%

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

$46.7K NOK 433.7K

$50.4K NOK 467.6K

-7.26%

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

$276 NOK 2,564

$266 NOK 2,473

3.68%

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

$36.40 NOK 338

$33.06 NOK 307

10.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$83.3 NOK 773

$57.4 NOK 533

44.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.49 NOK 404

$50.4 NOK 468

-13.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.47 NOK 385

$36.86 NOK 342

12.51%

Cinema Ticket

$21.11 NOK 196

$17.89 NOK 166

18.00%

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

$303 NOK 2,812

$267 NOK 2,477

13.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,410 NOK 40.9K

$10.4K NOK 96.2K

-57.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$110 NOK 1,021

$101 NOK 938

8.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.5 NOK 478

$56.4 NOK 524

-8.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 NOK 1,158

$126 NOK 1,170

-1.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$158 NOK 1,462

$159 NOK 1,478

-1.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,508 NOK 14.0K

$1,146 NOK 10.6K

31.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 NOK 11.2K

$1,024 NOK 9,511

18.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,241 NOK 20.8K

$2,040 NOK 18.9K

9.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,685 NOK 15.6K

$1,723 NOK 16.0K

-2.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,577 NOK 61.1K

$6,518 NOK 60.5K

0.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,047 NOK 46.9K

$4,228 NOK 39.3K

19.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,203 NOK 39.0K

$2,955 NOK 27.4K

42.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.32

4.96

7.26%

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

Last update for Trondheim: August 31, 2026

Last update for Longyearbyen: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,508 in Trondheim and $1,146 in Longyearbyen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Trondheim pays 42% 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: $108 in Trondheim vs $108 in Longyearbyen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $521 vs $609 per month, with Trondheim 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

Trondheim vs Longyearbyen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Longyearbyen is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 4% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 42% higher in Trondheim, 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: $1,508 in Trondheim 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 10% less than in Trondheim. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $303 in Trondheim 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 $2,990 in Trondheim, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Longyearbyen but tight or insufficient in Trondheim. 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 Trondheim, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Trondheim 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 4% less than in Trondheim. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.