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: $2,780 in Trondheim versus $2,261 in Longyearbyen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,125 in Trondheim versus $3,540 in Longyearbyen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,471 in Trondheim versus $4,819 in Longyearbyen.

Living in Trondheim is roughly 23% more expensive than in Longyearbyen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.76 NOK 219

$20.26 NOK 195

12.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 NOK 1,153

$101 NOK 969

18.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.31 NOK 138

$13.43 NOK 130

6.55%

Cappuccino

$4.67 NOK 45.06

$6.41 NOK 61.8

-27.15%

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

$3.54 NOK 34.15

$3.56 NOK 34.32

-0.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 NOK 28.88

$3.79 NOK 36.54

-20.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.77 NOK 104

$7.07 NOK 68.2

52.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.45 NOK 110

$9.54 NOK 92.0

20.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.65 NOK 25.59

$2.92 NOK 28.11

-9.25%

White Bread (500g)

$3.59 NOK 34.61

$3.31 NOK 31.91

8.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.81 NOK 36.75

$3.29 NOK 31.68

15.81%

Eggs

$4.42 NOK 42.60

$4.79 NOK 46.21

-7.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.33 NOK 119

$10.39 NOK 100

18.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.88 NOK 143

$14.72 NOK 142

1.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.83 NOK 268

$28.40 NOK 274

-2.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.77 NOK 36.31

$3.15 NOK 30.38

19.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.89 NOK 27.85

$3.01 NOK 29.04

-3.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 NOK 25.91

$3.13 NOK 30.23

-14.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.28 NOK 50.9

$4.56 NOK 43.98

15.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.91 NOK 28.04

$3.28 NOK 31.64

-11.28%

Onion (1kg)

$3.21 NOK 30.94

$3.34 NOK 32.17

-3.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.24 NOK 31.24

$1.85 NOK 17.88

75.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 NOK 24.34

$0.61 NOK 5.91

313.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.47 NOK 149

$15.20 NOK 147

1.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.24 NOK 176

$14.16 NOK 137

28.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.77 NOK 36.40

$3.28 NOK 31.61

14.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 NOK 45.06

$4.01 NOK 38.65

16.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.54 NOK 43.82

$4.35 NOK 41.99

4.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.6 NOK 912

$74.6 NOK 719

26.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.38 NOK 148

$10.08 NOK 97.2

52.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.24 NOK 21.62

$1.05 NOK 10.09

113.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$89.4 NOK 862

$47.15 NOK 455

89.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 NOK 21.35

$2.05 NOK 19.80

7.80%

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

$31.4K NOK 303.1K

$35.7K NOK 344.6K

-12.04%

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

$43.3K NOK 417.9K

$39.2K NOK 377.8K

10.63%

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

$326 NOK 3,146

$72.8 NOK 702

348.08%

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

$43.18 NOK 416

$37.60 NOK 363

14.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.6 NOK 739

$48.40 NOK 467

58.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.89 NOK 414

$49.55 NOK 478

-13.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.70 NOK 450

$35.16 NOK 339

32.82%

Cinema Ticket

$17.51 NOK 169

$12.02 NOK 116

45.67%

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

$330 NOK 3,179

$282 NOK 2,719

16.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,333 NOK 80.4K

$10.3K NOK 99.5K

-19.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$110 NOK 1,063

$95.6 NOK 922

15.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.54 NOK 458

$51.8 NOK 499

-8.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 NOK 1,212

$108 NOK 1,044

16.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 NOK 1,247

$155 NOK 1,491

-16.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,378 NOK 13.3K

$702 NOK 6,768

96.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 NOK 10.2K

$902 NOK 8,695

17.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,251 NOK 21.7K

$1,826 NOK 17.6K

23.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,660 NOK 16.0K

$1,532 NOK 14.8K

8.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,307 NOK 60.8K

$5,928 NOK 57.2K

6.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,811 NOK 46.4K

$3,914 NOK 37.7K

22.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,102 NOK 39.6K

$2,846 NOK 27.4K

44.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.32

4.38

-1.37%

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

Last update for Trondheim: July 13, 2026

Last update for Longyearbyen: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,378 in Trondheim and $702 in Longyearbyen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Trondheim pays 44% 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: $120 in Trondheim vs $101 in Longyearbyen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $487 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

Trondheim vs Longyearbyen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

Average pay runs 44% 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: $1,378 in Trondheim 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 27% less than in Trondheim. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $330 in Trondheim 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 $2,780 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 23% less than in Trondheim. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.