Its the same for any really remote areas - northern parts of Canada are the same - transportation is EXTREMLY expensive. So, food and all goods are likely 10 x more than what I would pay in Central Canada. When all of your food has to be shipped in by Air (most of the year, could maybe come by ship some times of the year, not during the 6 winter months). Just think about how much your shipping is for something you buy on line if its being shipped to you by ground, vs over night aired. This makes a massive difference to the price of goods.
What kinds of jobs do people work in the remote areas? Idk if good are so expensive how do people afford? I guess maybe houses/ apartments would be cheaper, but would that really offset the cost of food/ clothes?
Iirc they don't require any foreigners to get a VISA to live there, you just have to prove you can care for yourself and then you're allowed to stay as long as you like. They also have an incredibly high polar bear population.
I was in Longyearbyen a few weeks ago and it was incredibly wonderful there. Grocery shopping is expensive on the Norwegian mainland, but up there... The landscape makes up for it all. I will definitily come back again❤
I live in both Demark and the Faroe Islands (which are very remote, and far north where only potatoes can grow). The difference is huge. In Denmark I spend around 600-700 $ a month on groceries, whilst I spend 1500 $ in the Faroe Islands. It's insane, but were just used to it.
You can't go further south in Norway than Kristiansand, can you? I have a lovely cabin up in Tokke Kommune. Y'all have allowed waaay too many invisible tolls in your area, so I don't take the ferry from there anymore. It's closer to drive to Sandefjord anyway, and more enjoyable in every respect.
So you pay $1500/per month on food for 2 people, and 2 people earn roughly $6,000/month? Wow that is expensive. How much do you pay for rent and heating/utilities?
I also assume the 6000$ is pre-tax, as she then mentions what percentage tax is? Then the income would only be 5040$, so That still means you are spending around 30% of your income on food.
@@yersiniasilverfors6552 Everyone used to do that around 50 years ago, but it's definitely a pretty big disparity to how most people in rich countries live their lives these days.
@@Theorimlig Arguably things like rent/mortgages, insurances, power,...were cheaper 50 years ago. So yes, the balance was different, but it can't be compared.
@@yersiniasilverfors6552 Well, but back then you could actually pay off your mortgage. Houses weren't unattainably expensive. And this was quite often even done on the income from one working adult.
Greenhouses would be expensive BUT hydroponic growing would be reasonable. I was thinking of sending you an aero garden! The starter model has room for about 7 or 8 pods(plants) and you could grow tomatoes, strawberries, etc. Obviously, there are larger models. It's becoming the way of growing but you don't hear much about it, yet.
A greenhouse would need so much electricity all year round to work... Plus, you'd have to ship in all the dirt. Any compost pile or facility would need to be heated I guess. I can see how it probably wouldn't be viable.
We use Aerogarden hydroponic gardens on our counter near our sink. As long as you have access to water and electricity, you can grow herbs, tomatoes, peppers, fairy tale eggplant, etc. We've used them for 4 years and the light goes on and the water circulates, etc. by itself.
@@mhgg8748you know they just give the little bit so that people cannot protests because we didn't got any thing now they gave you €5 your more but every single product is €1 more download bin when you count you realise you actually have less money just and milk products I need to spend that €5 very stressed but you know they do this because of capitalism so that the rich stay rich the poor stay poor adverbs for so many years no one is stopping them all of us are just complaining instead of protesting against capitalism
@@neoc4611are you serious? That’s so dam cold! But that’s from an Australian and it’s our winter right now and the coldest night we had this winter was 5 degrees and the coldest day was 12 degrees but that was only for one day. We have no idea what cold is obviously 😂. Not to mention, after that 5 degree night I ended up getting sick for a week.
@@SavannahVu1985 As a Norwegian (from the south, but still) who lived in Sydney for two years…even I got sick when it got too cold! Houses here in Norway are so much more suited for the cold weather, so I would never feel as cold inside my own house as I did that one month when it actually got cold in Sydney 😅👀 I think the lowest I ever experienced was -2, but that was one day
@@Lizzybaby30500they could at least do it in the summer if they got solar panels, though I'm not sure at all if they could withstand the winter temps without shattering or something
@@Jesuslovesyou8525yeah they have 6 months of light six months of dark. But there are up high enough where not that bright UV-Wise since it's always cold and Frozen I believe.
Since the cruise ship Le Commandant Charcot has started using Svalbard as a stop off place to pick up passengers during the Summer, has it affected the price of food at the local supermarket? And, does Norway place a cap on the number of able bodied people allowed to live in Longyearbyen year round?
There is no cap. Everyone can go there as long as you can sustain yourself (having money saved or a job). Because of the special status of Svalbard, foreign citizens do not even need a visa to visit or even to move there, as long as their country has signed the the Svalbard Treaty of 1920 (46 countries have). However, unless you can arrange other transport (like expensive private plane/ship or joining the Russian mining company workers going to their mining village Barentsburg) you will need to fly from mainland Norway, and for that you need visa if you are not a Nordic or EU citizen.
Who else has a crazy budget in the US? We’re spending $1300 for 3 and still struggle to keep food in the house. 1 bag is around $60-100. Not even buying anything fancy.
And I thought it was expensive here in northern Greenland. LOL Though instead of 44% income tax, I would love to only pay 16%. That said I am happy for our grocery shop & the minibus that is out of action more than it is running. Right now the excuse is "waiting for mechanical parts" when really it is just summer holiday season. :P
When I first saw the cost, I was baffled at how much food two people might need in a month with that much money. Then when you said Svalbard, i immediately thought “Oh right yea, makes sense.” 😂
Alice Springs and the Northern Territory in Australia is insanley expensive for groceries and everything else as well. Its so remote that transport costs are insane
svalbard (also called spitzbergen) has a special place in my heart because my favorite band of all time, spitz, has a fanclub named spitzbergen :) they're japanese so they have nothing to do with norway but i know the lead singer has visited the island
You can order and buy freeze dried vegetables in family size containers, that rehydrate really well and are sold for a decent price. Like a three liter can of english pease, or niblet corn, died carrots, onions, or lima beans, sold by companies that sell food for long term storage.... like companies selling disaster preparation supplies. There are of course bulk quantities of things like ten to fifty+ pounds of adzuki beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, black eyed peas, navy beans, large lima beans, rice, pasta, quinoa, and even rounds of cheeses. A buyers group could probably work together to reduce costs when arranging your shipping. I was just thinking that some of these favorite items could be bought in bulk and would store nicely in such cold weather, so that you might could purchase just once every year or two. My best wishes to you!
I wondered about greenhouses. I've been to Iceland, it's about the same there. They only can grow tomatoes and cucumbers. You've got me saying "Vaersagod" to my dog.... Lol! (My keyboard is missing letters)
I feel like fully indoor automated hydroponics would work better, then it would be using the same heated air and insulation you use for yourself. But like the small home sized setups, industrial size hydroponics would be too expensive if you have to add heating costs.
My husband and I live in Malawi Africa so if you want anything that wasn't grown locally, like corn flakes lol you'll spend $10 a box... But even a big box either... Or $25 for a small tub of cream cheese. At least we can grow stuff here though, so most fruits and veggies are cheaper
I live in Sweden , 1500 dollars sound alot as i spend around 500 and can eat very good .my question is how much more expensive it is from Svalbard and the mainland?
Not sure exactly how much more expensive, but if you spend $1000/month for 2 people in mainland Norway, you can eat pretty well. It's not that much more expensive than Sweden, especially since the last year or two.
"we pay only 16% taxes" is on of the craziest lines i've read. we pay 17% in my country and i think it's hella expensive...no! i KNOW it! and yes i know some places have 30% taxes, HELLA CRAZY NOT A NORMAL THING
Guys she said that's what they spend on groceries, not the average that the people spend on groceries. She also said the average income is 3k monthly not that she herself earns that. So considering 1,5k to a 5k (after tax) salary is still a lot, I'm assuming she earns above average. Also consumes above average groceries. She buys the expensive stuff (from what I've seen of hauls), not just the essentials. But I feel like it's misleading. I'm sure there's people living there spending a lot less
Seems like a challenge... I want to grow food in Svalbard... don't know how, but is there any source of energy? wind?, waves? atomic? Solar? Anything that you could harvest and save? I mean as energy that you could convert as heat to save herbs?
16% tax is *LOW*?!?! Ouch. And yeah the struggles to get supplies and logistical needs met in the isolated conditions reminds me a lot of alaska, COL gets dramatically higher the more remote you go.
I don't think I even know what I spend in groceries. I honestly don't want to know but I know it doesn't reach 500€ ... we're a family of 4, and I cook so we eat all the meats and cakes from scratch with some packaged snacks for school... but it stays manageable. Svalbard sounds insane expensive! Like Sweden is famous for being expensive. We're in France so compared to Up Norf, we're poor!
Worst of both worlds situation: the only viable way to produce foodstuffs locally would be on a scale that's too large for the demand and then you'd have the reverse problem of having to transport out your excess. Maybe, maybe, maybe with some sort of waste heat recovery system and selected crops, but then your diet would turn monotone in a hurry.
Wouldn't hydroponics be viable if you built the grow room under or into the permafrost ground? That way the heat wouldn't be whisked away from ambient air temperature. (I'm still a newbie with hydroponics and greenhouses but it is an interest of mine.)
Honestly, I think I would be ok with this lifestyle just to escape the heat. I favor the winter, but I don't know if I could afford it. Is fishing an option? I could live on seafood for sure.
I wonder if you could have partially underground greenhouses...probably not since it would be too expensive to create since the ground is so frozen all year long
I just did on the maps on the island looks like during the summer that they have tours come in and quite a bit of camping but that is so desolate even I would have second thoughts... You can try whale seal and deer meat at the restaurants
Personally coming from india where we don't have a growing season and u can grow most vegetables and fruits in most parts of India in your backyard. This would be a nightmare. But kudos to u for staying here.
It's true, they don't have people hired by the gov't to take care of you so you may as well know that upfront. It's why taxes are so much higher other places.
Is this a volcanic soil area? I don't understand why thawed out soil in a green house couldn't be profitable or work. It seems like there could ultimately , if done right be a proper solution for growing your own food....?
If people are needed living there for jobs that need to be done or whatever, I feel like we should subsidize the food costs as much as we can. I feel bad for people who can barely afford food due to living in extreme areas or food deserts... Everyone should have access to the food they need to survive.
They might be able to do greenhouses, but they are going to have to use every available technology to make it work... south facinh right angled greenhouse (like a lean to) facing the sun, triple pane glass, insulated ground underneath, and on the sides, giant water barrels stacked to the roof painted black against a black insulated background wall to collect daytime light to release at night, solar powered air circulation, warm air captured during day is pumped into the soil under the ground (just above an underground insulation layer...and an insulative curtain would be rolled down by solar power at dusk to further prevent heat loss at night, I have to admit the capital investment would be high, but if anyone could pull it off, they would be the most valuable food supplier in the area... combined with plants habituated to a colder environment, and just to get the temp above zero... additional solar (and battery) could be used to add additional heat... I would love to try it as an experiment (government should help fund it...) if it works... it would create a whole new industry...
Scandinavian here (Denmark 🇩🇰) Generally Norway 🇳🇴 is thought off, as the most expensive place, to buy Fresh produce.. Sweden 🇸🇪 is one of the most affordable, Germany 🇩🇪 is with you go to buy alcohol, and Denmark 🇩🇰 is this Denmark 🇩🇰 😅
To not have a greenhouse to be able to eat plants. Some food anyway. you have a house, that's enough. buy seeds of such plants as, for example, lettuce, chives. needs water and light, no special care. You can also grow fruits like tomatoes, but you have to pollinate yourself.
As someone not from USA I’m just curious.. I keep seeing people mentioning that 16% is high for tax.. What’s a city and county tax? Sorry for the questions - just trying to understand how it works over there.
@@CeciliaBlomdahl oh okay. So no matter how much money you make you only pay 16% tax on it? It doesn’t increase even if your salary does ? That is very good.
Christ! You got Ballls to live there, I would HATE to get a Tooth infection or some kind of terrible cancer or painful disease....Not worth it in my opinion.......That cold weather is so my vibe though :(
Its the same for any really remote areas - northern parts of Canada are the same - transportation is EXTREMLY expensive. So, food and all goods are likely 10 x more than what I would pay in Central Canada. When all of your food has to be shipped in by Air (most of the year, could maybe come by ship some times of the year, not during the 6 winter months). Just think about how much your shipping is for something you buy on line if its being shipped to you by ground, vs over night aired. This makes a massive difference to the price of goods.
I live in BC. I won’t complain about the cost of food again. Thank you for the reminder that it could be worse.
Canadian income tax is crazy is it same where you live too or is the less compared to the other parts? Just curious
What kinds of jobs do people work in the remote areas? Idk if good are so expensive how do people afford? I guess maybe houses/ apartments would be cheaper, but would that really offset the cost of food/ clothes?
Then why don't all of you come to plains or live with others? Just i would like to know the reason not to hurt your lifestyle
Enjoy the carbon tax increase that hits next week.
“ you can stay for as long as you can take care of yourself” how very kind
😂😂😂 the fine print
LOL!
😂😂😂
It is what it is
Iirc they don't require any foreigners to get a VISA to live there, you just have to prove you can care for yourself and then you're allowed to stay as long as you like. They also have an incredibly high polar bear population.
I was in Longyearbyen a few weeks ago and it was incredibly wonderful there. Grocery shopping is expensive on the Norwegian mainland, but up there... The landscape makes up for it all.
I will definitily come back again❤
I spend $520 per month for 2 in NYC and I thought that was expensive.
That's not cheap but at least you probably have some benefit from regional producers.
Dang! I spend $200/week on groceries for 2 people who eat all 3 meals at home. I wonder what I'm doing wrong, if you're only spending $125/wk?!?
The whole of norway is really really expensive especily on food
It is when you’re taxed 30-40%
I live in both Demark and the Faroe Islands (which are very remote, and far north where only potatoes can grow). The difference is huge.
In Denmark I spend around 600-700 $ a month on groceries, whilst I spend 1500 $ in the Faroe Islands.
It's insane, but were just used to it.
I've always been interested in the greenhouse questions. Thank you for the quick information!😊
As a fellow Norwegian far down in the south (Kristiansand), this is really interesting to see how life is on Svalbard.
Is it balmy down there in the south?
:-)
You can't go further south in Norway than Kristiansand, can you? I have a lovely cabin up in Tokke Kommune. Y'all have allowed waaay too many invisible tolls in your area, so I don't take the ferry from there anymore. It's closer to drive to Sandefjord anyway, and more enjoyable in every respect.
@@makisp.1428comparatively speaking, you bet! I mean, the ground and water aren't Frozen, for starters! I don't know why anybody lives on Svalbard!
@@yvetteandjorgenlarsen9753 Those pesky toll-trolls. One day someone should rip them down with i dunno, an excavator?
So you pay $1500/per month on food for 2 people, and 2 people earn roughly $6,000/month? Wow that is expensive. How much do you pay for rent and heating/utilities?
I also assume the 6000$ is pre-tax, as she then mentions what percentage tax is? Then the income would only be 5040$, so That still means you are spending around 30% of your income on food.
@@yersiniasilverfors6552 Everyone used to do that around 50 years ago, but it's definitely a pretty big disparity to how most people in rich countries live their lives these days.
@@yersiniasilverfors6552you def need to try to live in Slavic countries 😢
@@Theorimlig Arguably things like rent/mortgages, insurances, power,...were cheaper 50 years ago. So yes, the balance was different, but it can't be compared.
@@yersiniasilverfors6552 Well, but back then you could actually pay off your mortgage. Houses weren't unattainably expensive. And this was quite often even done on the income from one working adult.
Greenhouses would be expensive BUT hydroponic growing would be reasonable. I was thinking of sending you an aero garden! The starter model has room for about 7 or 8 pods(plants) and you could grow tomatoes, strawberries, etc. Obviously, there are larger models. It's becoming the way of growing but you don't hear much about it, yet.
No it would not. Their light cycles aren’t normal and it’s cold all year round, it would take a lot of energy just to keep the plants warm and lit.
Hydroponic was my thought too. If they can keep houses warm and lit then they should be able to keep plants alive.
@@rachel705 Why not power it with wind and ocean currents? Those don't depend on the season or time of day.
UV light might be an extra cost but possible for this project
@@guessundheit6494 Because they’re preserving the wilderness, not trying to transplant all of civilization there.
A greenhouse would need so much electricity all year round to work...
Plus, you'd have to ship in all the dirt. Any compost pile or facility would need to be heated I guess. I can see how it probably wouldn't be viable.
We use Aerogarden hydroponic gardens on our counter near our sink. As long as you have access to water and electricity, you can grow herbs, tomatoes, peppers, fairy tale eggplant, etc. We've used them for 4 years and the light goes on and the water circulates, etc. by itself.
Food prices have increased over the past 10 years but wages haven't.
Unfortunately US wages have been lagging for decades
Thats aculy not true you get a bit more now then before but it still makes the food more expensive
@@mhgg8748you know they just give the little bit so that people cannot protests because we didn't got any thing now they gave you €5 your more but every single product is €1 more download bin when you count you realise you actually have less money just and milk products I need to spend that €5 very stressed but you know they do this because of capitalism so that the rich stay rich the poor stay poor adverbs for so many years no one is stopping them all of us are just complaining instead of protesting against capitalism
This is how capitalism works for many many years this is how the rich get richer and a poor people stay poor
@@fdm2155not just the US unfortunately
Thank you! That answered my questions!
Follow up question: What is the temperature range during the summer?
In between 5-10 °C Im here right now and it wasnt as warm as I thought.
@@neoc4611are you serious? That’s so dam cold! But that’s from an Australian and it’s our winter right now and the coldest night we had this winter was 5 degrees and the coldest day was 12 degrees but that was only for one day. We have no idea what cold is obviously 😂. Not to mention, after that 5 degree night I ended up getting sick for a week.
@@SavannahVu1985 As a Norwegian (from the south, but still) who lived in Sydney for two years…even I got sick when it got too cold! Houses here in Norway are so much more suited for the cold weather, so I would never feel as cold inside my own house as I did that one month when it actually got cold in Sydney 😅👀 I think the lowest I ever experienced was -2, but that was one day
Cecelia, have you seen those indoor hydroponic or light box things? You can grow all kinds of lettuce, herbs, tomatoes into tall vines in your house.
It would take alot of electricity
@@Lizzybaby30500they could at least do it in the summer if they got solar panels, though I'm not sure at all if they could withstand the winter temps without shattering or something
@@Jesuslovesyou8525solar panels aren't that helpful if they also don't get a lot of bright sunlight.
@@Jesuslovesyou8525yeah they have 6 months of light six months of dark. But there are up high enough where not that bright UV-Wise since it's always cold and Frozen I believe.
@@furbymaster4239 y'all are probably right, I forgot it wasn't strong because of how the snow's reflection can sunburn you there
my jaw dropped at 16% taxes being low. Where I live the local taxes are 7%.
Maybe she means income tax
Income tax.
Since the cruise ship Le Commandant Charcot has started using Svalbard as a stop off place to pick up passengers during the Summer, has it affected the price of food at the local supermarket? And, does Norway place a cap on the number of able bodied people allowed to live in Longyearbyen year round?
There is no cap. Everyone can go there as long as you can sustain yourself (having money saved or a job).
Because of the special status of Svalbard, foreign citizens do not even need a visa to visit or even to move there, as long as their country has signed the the Svalbard Treaty of 1920 (46 countries have).
However, unless you can arrange other transport (like expensive private plane/ship or joining the Russian mining company workers going to their mining village Barentsburg) you will need to fly from mainland Norway, and for that you need visa if you are not a Nordic or EU citizen.
I bought hydroponic lights and grew a few veggies in pots in my kitchen as well as herbs. Just enough for my small family.
Who else has a crazy budget in the US? We’re spending $1300 for 3 and still struggle to keep food in the house. 1 bag is around $60-100. Not even buying anything fancy.
And I thought it was expensive here in northern Greenland. LOL
Though instead of 44% income tax, I would love to only pay 16%. That said I am happy for our grocery shop & the minibus that is out of action more than it is running. Right now the excuse is "waiting for mechanical parts" when really it is just summer holiday season. :P
When I first saw the cost, I was baffled at how much food two people might need in a month with that much money.
Then when you said Svalbard, i immediately thought “Oh right yea, makes sense.” 😂
Alice Springs and the Northern Territory in Australia is insanley expensive for groceries and everything else as well. Its so remote that transport costs are insane
My dad use to live in Bermuda and groceries there are very expensive. It all has to be shipped on to the island.
In the US, the tax bracket you would be in would be around 12%. So high taxes and high food costs is a no-go for me. Though I might want to visit.
svalbard (also called spitzbergen) has a special place in my heart because my favorite band of all time, spitz, has a fanclub named spitzbergen :) they're japanese so they have nothing to do with norway but i know the lead singer has visited the island
You can order and buy freeze dried vegetables in family size containers, that rehydrate really well and are sold for a decent price. Like a three liter can of english pease, or niblet corn, died carrots, onions, or lima beans, sold by companies that sell food for long term storage.... like companies selling disaster preparation supplies. There are of course bulk quantities of things like ten to fifty+ pounds of adzuki beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, black eyed peas, navy beans, large lima beans, rice, pasta, quinoa, and even rounds of cheeses. A buyers group could probably work together to reduce costs when arranging your shipping. I was just thinking that some of these favorite items could be bought in bulk and would store nicely in such cold weather, so that you might could purchase just once every year or two. My best wishes to you!
i remember leaning about longyearbyen in geography and ever since ive just been obsessed and its the only thing i remember from geography class
We spend about $300 a week in Southern Manitoba for 3 people. :( Grocerie prices in Canada are PATHETIC!
Love your videos! Such an interesting place. What do you do for work there?
Thank you, I was curious about the greenhouse growing.
Yes! Those rice cakes are the best due to the salt amount and the thinness! Glad to see someone else also enjoying them besides me
Super nuts that humans live in places like these 😊
It’s fun to zoom around finding random islands on google earth and TH-cam searching them
Cold and expensive without any community amenities honestly sounds like hell! I hope you all can find a way to warmer temperatures.
right im just thinking 😭 at least Someone's gotta live there
Don't curse them like that!!
I wondered about greenhouses. I've been to Iceland, it's about the same there. They only can grow tomatoes and cucumbers. You've got me saying "Vaersagod" to my dog.... Lol! (My keyboard is missing letters)
On Iceland they have geothermal energy. That can be used to heat the greenhouses very cheaply.
I feel like fully indoor automated hydroponics would work better, then it would be using the same heated air and insulation you use for yourself. But like the small home sized setups, industrial size hydroponics would be too expensive if you have to add heating costs.
My husband and I live in Malawi Africa so if you want anything that wasn't grown locally, like corn flakes lol you'll spend $10 a box... But even a big box either... Or $25 for a small tub of cream cheese. At least we can grow stuff here though, so most fruits and veggies are cheaper
I spend £280 per week on groceries for 5 people here in England.
That's about $1,500 per month. We don't eat at restaurants often though.
I live in Sweden , 1500 dollars sound alot as i spend around 500 and can eat very good .my question is how much more expensive it is from Svalbard and the mainland?
Not sure exactly how much more expensive, but if you spend $1000/month for 2 people in mainland Norway, you can eat pretty well. It's not that much more expensive than Sweden, especially since the last year or two.
"we pay only 16% taxes" is on of the craziest lines i've read. we pay 17% in my country and i think it's hella expensive...no! i KNOW it!
and yes i know some places have 30% taxes, HELLA CRAZY NOT A NORMAL THING
you could get an LED grow light set up in a indoor grow tent n make youself some greens and herbs. only viable if powers cheap ofc
I spend about $125 a month on groceries and I lived by myself.
Guys she said that's what they spend on groceries, not the average that the people spend on groceries. She also said the average income is 3k monthly not that she herself earns that. So considering 1,5k to a 5k (after tax) salary is still a lot, I'm assuming she earns above average. Also consumes above average groceries. She buys the expensive stuff (from what I've seen of hauls), not just the essentials. But I feel like it's misleading. I'm sure there's people living there spending a lot less
Would love to see a monthly expenses breakdown for you including food, rent, bills etc.!
When I shop I always consider my stockpile because trust me I’ve used it and it works for me
Seems like a challenge... I want to grow food in Svalbard... don't know how, but is there any source of energy? wind?, waves? atomic? Solar?
Anything that you could harvest and save? I mean as energy that you could convert as heat to save herbs?
To be fair, the price for a loaf bread in Longyearbyen is almost double what it is, in the UK. If not triple, depending on brand, bought.
16% tax is *LOW*?!?! Ouch. And yeah the struggles to get supplies and logistical needs met in the isolated conditions reminds me a lot of alaska, COL gets dramatically higher the more remote you go.
How much is the average rent for a single person? Thank you
🍭
I don't think I even know what I spend in groceries. I honestly don't want to know but I know it doesn't reach 500€ ... we're a family of 4, and I cook so we eat all the meats and cakes from scratch with some packaged snacks for school... but it stays manageable. Svalbard sounds insane expensive! Like Sweden is famous for being expensive. We're in France so compared to Up Norf, we're poor!
Worst of both worlds situation: the only viable way to produce foodstuffs locally would be on a scale that's too large for the demand and then you'd have the reverse problem of having to transport out your excess.
Maybe, maybe, maybe with some sort of waste heat recovery system and selected crops, but then your diet would turn monotone in a hurry.
Wouldn't hydroponics be viable if you built the grow room under or into the permafrost ground? That way the heat wouldn't be whisked away from ambient air temperature. (I'm still a newbie with hydroponics and greenhouses but it is an interest of mine.)
In Spain, for two people, 500€ is going to the expensive, “rich people” supermarkets and eating excellently.
Another why to look at the greenhouse question is, how can you afford to heat a home without making it a greenhouse with plant lighting?
Honestly I would spring for an indoor aquaponics they even have small ones that’s aren’t super expensive if there is a post office anywhere
I do envy people there who can enjoy the auroras, but other thanthat I m thankful that I from the tropical country, salute from Indonesia.
Honestly, I think I would be ok with this lifestyle just to escape the heat. I favor the winter, but I don't know if I could afford it. Is fishing an option? I could live on seafood for sure.
In Australia for a family of 4 we spend around $1330 a month on groceries.
Sure, but that's Australian dollars and how much do you make?
Spectacular view ❤❤❤❤❤ love the snow
I would never live somewhere where nothing grows and you could die if you are outside too long
Ikr??????
Same in LA 😂😂😂
About all that grows in Phoenix is the population and we can die if we stay outside too long. High today 111 degrees F, 44 degrees C.
Wish could have other greenhouses even if homeowners had a small one.
What about an Aquaponic type of garden? Is that something individuals could do in their homes (vertical gardens) or is it still to cold
I wonder if you could have partially underground greenhouses...probably not since it would be too expensive to create since the ground is so frozen all year long
I wonder if you could extract any heat from underground to address the issue of no farming.
I can vouch for the cold. We were there midsummer five years ago. Summer there is similar to winter in the US pacific northwest
Thats tooooo expensive...in South Africa we spend around 75 dollars for two people.
I think the hole for the top bed should be lined up with the counter/bathroom so you can extend the shower and close the room
I spend around $500 a month on just myself. I buy in bulk and meal prep.
Very interesting shorts. Thanks a lot.
I just did on the maps on the island looks like during the summer that they have tours come in and quite a bit of camping but that is so desolate even I would have second thoughts... You can try whale seal and deer meat at the restaurants
Personally coming from india where we don't have a growing season and u can grow most vegetables and fruits in most parts of India in your backyard. This would be a nightmare. But kudos to u for staying here.
It's true, they don't have people hired by the gov't to take care of you so you may as well know that upfront.
It's why taxes are so much higher other places.
Have you considered a partially subterranean green house to grow food from seed? Have the heat solar powered
Thank you for sharing !
You've got a lot of counter space, have you tried growing herbs in your kitchen?
Living close to the equator has its benefits even though our government systems sux.
Could you grow herbs in the home? I imagine it would be hard with polar night etc
I should hope wages are higher and housing costs lower to accommodate for such high food and goods costs?
Can you guys build hothouses? They use the heat generated from the greenwaste on the ground inside and it heats the whole place up...
"his name is Grim and he lives on Svalbard!
an island close to the North Pole"
I can't stop hearing that whenever you say "Svalbard" XD
We spend less than $600 a month on food for 2 people, including fast food and takeout in the southern US, you spend more on food than I spend on rent!
totally a whole another level of living totally understand if you're happy why not live your life everyday your way
My Wife and I live on about $300 per month on groceries in Europe.
Maybe aquaphonic farming would be an option for the community with grow lights.
So much energy just to keep the water from freezing let alone keeping the plants at the correct temp
Is this a volcanic soil area? I don't understand why thawed out soil in a green house couldn't be profitable or work. It seems like there could ultimately , if done right be a proper solution for growing your own food....?
In the UK we spend £4000 a month on electricity, gas, fuel, bills and food. That’s for 4 people. Thought you had it bad!
If people are needed living there for jobs that need to be done or whatever, I feel like we should subsidize the food costs as much as we can. I feel bad for people who can barely afford food due to living in extreme areas or food deserts... Everyone should have access to the food they need to survive.
They might be able to do greenhouses, but they are going to have to use every available technology to make it work... south facinh right angled greenhouse (like a lean to) facing the sun, triple pane glass, insulated ground underneath, and on the sides, giant water barrels stacked to the roof painted black against a black insulated background wall to collect daytime light to release at night, solar powered air circulation, warm air captured during day is pumped into the soil under the ground (just above an underground insulation layer...and an insulative curtain would be rolled down by solar power at dusk to further prevent heat loss at night, I have to admit the capital investment would be high, but if anyone could pull it off, they would be the most valuable food supplier in the area... combined with plants habituated to a colder environment, and just to get the temp above zero... additional solar (and battery) could be used to add additional heat... I would love to try it as an experiment (government should help fund it...) if it works... it would create a whole new industry...
Damn here in texas our tax is 8%....... we dont have state taxes thankfully
Scandinavian here (Denmark 🇩🇰) Generally Norway 🇳🇴 is thought off, as the most expensive place, to buy Fresh produce.. Sweden 🇸🇪 is one of the most affordable, Germany 🇩🇪 is with you go to buy alcohol, and Denmark 🇩🇰 is this Denmark 🇩🇰 😅
I don’t know if I could live where I couldn’t grow things 😮
To not have a greenhouse to be able to eat plants. Some food anyway. you have a house, that's enough. buy seeds of such plants as, for example, lettuce, chives. needs water and light, no special care. You can also grow fruits like tomatoes, but you have to pollinate yourself.
I see bicycles in your videos. Is there a bicycle shop or even a bicycle mechanic in Longyearbyen?
"taxes are so low" laughs in Singapore
True but it’s also expensive so that’s the trade off
Me too living in Ontario, Canada with 13% tax 😂
Taxes only 16%? Dang High!!! I live in the States in Athens, Alabama. Our city tax rate is 9 and our county tax rate is 6.
As someone not from USA I’m just curious.. I keep seeing people mentioning that 16% is high for tax.. What’s a city and county tax? Sorry for the questions - just trying to understand how it works over there.
16% is total taxes. We have nothing else, no property tax etc etc
@@CeciliaBlomdahl oh okay. So no matter how much money you make you only pay 16% tax on it? It doesn’t increase even if your salary does ? That is very good.
Wait isn't Svalbard where they have the international seed bank? Seems odd to have that somewhere where nothing can grow...
For limited inferstrution etc, 16% tax isn't great. Considering you have to bring everything in, i thought it would be lower, and wages higher.
It's amazing how easy it could be to take for granted the access to necessities in the lower 48.
Until you see this.😊
That doesn't exactly explain WHAT you're purchasing
however, not local Government expenditures
I know it would be expensive initially but is there any geothermal locations on Svalbard this could be used for green houses.
Christ! You got Ballls to live there, I would HATE to get a Tooth infection or some kind of terrible cancer or painful disease....Not worth it in my opinion.......That cold weather is so my vibe though :(
Thx for sharing that.
Good luck!!!