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: $2,748 in Trondheim versus $2,184 in Longyearbyen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,158 in Trondheim versus $3,519 in Longyearbyen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,569 in Trondheim versus $4,853 in Longyearbyen.

Living in Trondheim is roughly 26% more expensive than Longyearbyen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.17 NOK 206

$20.54 NOK 191

7.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 NOK 1,137

$102 NOK 947

20.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.43 NOK 134

$13.80 NOK 128

4.57%

Cappuccino

$4.84 NOK 45.00

$6.14 NOK 57.0

-21.17%

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

$3.58 NOK 33.30

$3.64 NOK 33.80

-1.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 NOK 27.02

$3.86 NOK 35.85

-24.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.67 NOK 99.2

$7.33 NOK 68.1

45.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.42 NOK 106

$9.56 NOK 88.8

19.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.60 NOK 24.19

$3.01 NOK 27.96

-13.62%

White Bread (500g)

$3.50 NOK 32.48

$3.38 NOK 31.44

3.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.84 NOK 35.70

$3.18 NOK 29.53

20.75%

Eggs

$4.43 NOK 41.15

$4.90 NOK 45.55

-9.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.20 NOK 113

$10.68 NOK 99.2

14.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.90 NOK 138

$14.80 NOK 137

0.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.82 NOK 268

$28.22 NOK 262

2.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.85 NOK 35.80

$3.33 NOK 30.89

15.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.95 NOK 27.37

$3.06 NOK 28.45

-3.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.64 NOK 24.49

$3.17 NOK 29.48

-16.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.18 NOK 48.10

$4.60 NOK 42.73

12.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.89 NOK 26.87

$3.21 NOK 29.82

-9.97%

Onion (1kg)

$3.28 NOK 30.49

$3.52 NOK 32.70

-6.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.17 NOK 29.41

$1.86 NOK 17.28

70.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 NOK 22.18

$0.66 NOK 6.11

262.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.01 NOK 139

$14.91 NOK 138

0.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.82 NOK 175

$15.22 NOK 141

23.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.84 NOK 35.65

$3.26 NOK 30.31

17.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 NOK 43.37

$4.10 NOK 38.09

13.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.65 NOK 43.20

$4.37 NOK 40.59

6.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.3 NOK 848

$74.3 NOK 690

22.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.44 NOK 143

$10.02 NOK 93.1

54.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.28 NOK 21.15

$1.02 NOK 9.45

123.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.6 NOK 814

$46.43 NOK 431

88.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.17 NOK 20.14

$2.09 NOK 19.42

3.83%

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

$32.0K NOK 297.3K

$35.2K NOK 327.2K

-9.15%

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

$41.8K NOK 388.2K

$38.8K NOK 360.4K

7.72%

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

$317 NOK 2,948

$75.3 NOK 699

321.75%

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

$43.17 NOK 401

$38.77 NOK 360

11.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.4 NOK 700

$49.58 NOK 461

51.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.29 NOK 393

$50.2 NOK 466

-15.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.17 NOK 429

$35.51 NOK 330

30.02%

Cinema Ticket

$17.30 NOK 161

$12.06 NOK 112

43.45%

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

$326 NOK 3,030

$279 NOK 2,595

16.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,458 NOK 78.6K

$9,997 NOK 92.9K

-15.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$113 NOK 1,051

$94.4 NOK 877

19.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.03 NOK 446

$52.6 NOK 488

-8.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 NOK 1,206

$110 NOK 1,018

18.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 NOK 1,229

$151 NOK 1,400

-12.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 NOK 13.1K

$700 NOK 6,506

100.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,080 NOK 10.0K

$884 NOK 8,214

22.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,208 NOK 20.5K

$1,809 NOK 16.8K

22.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,702 NOK 15.8K

$1,565 NOK 14.5K

8.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,371 NOK 59.2K

$6,164 NOK 57.3K

3.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,083 NOK 47.2K

$4,449 NOK 41.3K

14.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,336 NOK 40.3K

$2,954 NOK 27.4K

46.81%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Longyearbyen: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,407 in Trondheim and $700 in Longyearbyen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Trondheim pays 47% 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: $122 in Trondheim vs $102 in Longyearbyen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $488 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

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

Trondheim pays 47% 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: $1,407 in Trondheim 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 23% less than in Trondheim. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $326 in Trondheim 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 $2,748 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 26% less than in Trondheim. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.