# Would you live in Longyearbyen, Svalbard if you were gonna get paid 50,000 USD a month?



## Lunar Eclipse Paradox (Jul 22, 2021)

Longyearbyen is a far north arctic town with only 2,000 people. The temperature is always shitty with temperatures averaging 45F during it's hottest month, July. It is so cold that no trees grow there. The highest temperature ever recorded there was barely over 70F. Longyearbyen's Latitude is 78 parallel north. Far past the Arctic Circle meaning Midnight Sun (meaning the sun does not set) lasts for 128 Days between April 18 to August 23 while Polar Nights (meaning the sun does not rise) lasts for 111 Days between October 27 and February 15. To you, would it be worth that Fortune?


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## Ramborambo (Jul 22, 2021)

Oh fuck yeah. I spent a few years working 16 hour days in Deadhorse/Prudhoe for about a fifth of that. I'd take that deal in a heartbeat.


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## sasazuka (Jul 22, 2021)

I've wanted to visit Svalbard since reading a _National Geographic_ article about "Spitsbergen" (as the article called it) when I was a kid. (I believe Spitsbergen is the main island while Svalbard refers to the archipelago as a whole.)

Would I want to live there? I'm split, I prefer cool weather in summer anyway but I also like night and I don't know what I'd do without night for several months a year. I'd probably just live in the Radisson Blu Polar Hotel with blackout shades, and I think I wouldn't go outside at all in winter.


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## Ramborambo (Jul 22, 2021)

sasazuka said:


> I think I wouldn't go outside at all in winter.


I've been in weather so cold before that even when wearing insulated gloves with your hands in your parka pockets the tips of your fingers still stung. I'd imagine that place is exactly the same if not worse. But the stinging is a good thing. As long as you can feel the pain from the cold, your golden. It's once you go numb and can't feel anymore that you need to worry. 

After googling Svalbard a bit, it actually looks like a rather cozy and romantic place. Extreme for sure. But I wouldn't mind going there just to visit, even without the pay incentive.


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## sasazuka (Jul 22, 2021)

I live in Canada anyway so I'm used to moderately cold winters and I think there's a certain maritime current influence on the temperatures so it's very cold in Svalbard in winter but not nearly as cold as it is at the equivalent south latitude in Antarctica. The daily mean in winter for Longyearbyen is still warmer than in Whitehorse, Yukon, which is "only" at 60°43′27″N but which is hundreds of kilometres from the Pacific Ocean and which doesn't get any maritime influence on the temperatures due to the Yukon Range mountains separating it from the milder Alaskan Panhandle.


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## Complete Reprobate (Jul 22, 2021)

What's in Svalbard? Industry wise, I mean. Fishing? Ice cube manufacturing?


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## Penis Drager (Jul 22, 2021)

I'd do so for a few years and then GTFO to live as a millionaire in the US. 
We're talking 600k a year here. I could live comfortably there for _well_ under 100k giving me _at least_ 500k in savings every year. 5 years of that and I've got 2.5M to invest and live a comfy life supplemented by a lazy min wage job.


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## Lunar Eclipse Paradox (Jul 22, 2021)

sasazuka said:


> and I think I wouldn't go outside at all in winter.


I've experienced Temperatures of around -30F but yeah. That's way too cold for me to bear but it didn't stop me from living in that said area the experiences it.


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## Megatardingo (Jul 22, 2021)

50k a month for how long? Also how much do I have to pay for being there? Like I need to know the prices of living in there to know if it's a really retarded idea or if it's okay. If you're telling me I can mostly make 50k a month clean then absolutely, if I'm gonna end up with a big chunk of that eaten by taxation and standard living expenses then fuck no lmao


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## Iron Jaguar (Jul 22, 2021)

No problem. As long as I don't have to take the wife and kids with me.


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## sasazuka (Jul 22, 2021)

Megatardingo said:


> Like I need to know the prices of living in there to know if it's a really retarded idea or if it's okay.



Various prices in Longyearbyen in US dollars.

A little expensive but a lot cheaper than living in many U.S. cities and I doubt I'd be spending much more than maybe $7,000 U.S. a month out of the hypothetical $50,000 per month I'd be receiving. I think the most expensive thing I'd do would be importing from Canada La Fin du Monde beer and some other foodstuffs I doubt I'd be able to get locally. (I guess it would have to be flown in by plane in winter?)


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## Megatardingo (Jul 22, 2021)

sasazuka said:


> Various prices in Longyearbyen in US dollars.
> 
> A little expensive but a lot cheaper than living in many U.S. cities and I doubt I'd be spending much more than maybe $7,000 U.S. a month out of the hypothetical $50,000 per month I'd be receiving. I think the most expensive thing I'd do would be importing from Canada La Fin du Monde beer and some other foodstuffs I doubt I'd be able to get locally. (I guess it would have to be flown in by plane in winter?)


Then yeah absolutely, even if you hate the cold you can make a lot of cash pretty easily, so you can dip your toes in make a big net positive and if you're fed up by the end of the year then leave.


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## Lunar Eclipse Paradox (Jul 22, 2021)

Megatardingo said:


> 50k a month for how long? Also how much do I have to pay for being there? Like I need to know the prices of living in there to know if it's a really retarded idea or if it's okay. If you're telling me I can mostly make 50k a month clean then absolutely, if I'm gonna end up with a big chunk of that eaten by taxation and standard living expenses then fuck no lmao


Luckily you don't have to worry about getting a Visa there.


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## Lonely Grave (Jul 22, 2021)

> A popular claim made about the town is that it is illegal to die there but the wording in such a claim is misleading. While it is not actually illegal to die in Longyearbyen, there are no options for burial of bodies there (ashes can be buried with permission from the government) and residents considered terminally ill are typically required to move to the mainland. The decision to disallow burials came in 1950, when it was discovered that the bodies of residents who had died as a result of the 1918 flu pandemic had not begun to decompose.


Spooky, but honestly I'd spend 80% of the year indoors just like what happened last year with the long lockdown. 

Just make sure I have a reliable internet connection and power supply and I'll be golden thanks.


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## Pimpleking55 (Jul 22, 2021)

When do i leave??


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## mr.moon1488 (Jul 22, 2021)

Yes.  I like the cold, I'm a night owl, and not into partying much anymore anyway.


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## Lunar Eclipse Paradox (Jul 22, 2021)

Pimpleking55 said:


> When do i leave??


If you leave, you no longer inherent any future money.


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## User names must be unique (Jul 22, 2021)

All depends on the job and how well I get on with the locals. 

I've never really minded the cold even when I worked outdoors in freezing rain, hail and snow because I knew exactly when I'd be back to the van where I can change clothes get a cup of coffee and turn the heater up to max.


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## glass_houses (Jul 22, 2021)

I'd do if for a year, but that's probably the limit on how long I'd last, even with 50KUSD per month. I'm adapted for the tropics, cold fucks me up physically.


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## Honk Hill (Jul 22, 2021)

I've worked in mining towns with aboriginals, meth heads and outlaw bikers for that kinda cash every 3 months.

Not sure I can deal with faggot Scandinavians.


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## Lunar Eclipse Paradox (Jul 22, 2021)

Longyearbyen is a far north arctic town with only 2,000 people. The temperature is always shitty with temperatures averaging 45F during it's hottest month, July. It is so cold that no trees grow there. The highest temperature ever recorded there was barely over 70F. Longyearbyen's Latitude is 78 parallel north. Far past the Arctic Circle meaning Midnight Sun (meaning the sun does not set) lasts for 128 Days between April 18 to August 23 while Polar Nights (meaning the sun does not rise) lasts for 111 Days between October 27 and February 15. To you, would it be worth that Fortune?


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## Battlecruiser3000ad (Jul 22, 2021)

I don't think I could handle the half year of no night, the rest is acceptable.


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## Queen Elizabeth II (Jul 22, 2021)

Send me a ticket


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## Finder (Jul 22, 2021)

I’d seriously consider living in the Arctic. I’ve spent time in northern Russia and that part of the world is amazing, it’s cold, but you get a real sense of being of the edge and very far away from the rest of the world. The naturals wonders are amazing to, the northern lights never ever get old and are maybe one of the most consistently amazing things I’ve seen. 

Sure I’d have to stay inside and close to home and it’s hard to go anywhere, but that’s been the story of the last year anyway.


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## whatever I feel like (Jul 22, 2021)

Does it have internet? I'd be on that in a heartbeat.


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## AnimeGirlConnoisseur (Jul 22, 2021)

Where do I sign up?


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## Harvey Danger (Jul 22, 2021)

I hate the cold, but for $600k I can haul back to the US, I could put up with that for a year.


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## KittyGremlin (Jul 22, 2021)

I'd pay 50k a month to be this far away from retards.


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## Bees (Jul 22, 2021)

Will I have to pretend I’m not a racist TERF?


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## Forgetful Kiwi (Jul 22, 2021)

Isn't it mandatory to carry a gun with you outside of the settlement because of polar bears there?


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## MrTroll (Jul 22, 2021)

Are there any niggers there?


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## draggs (Jul 22, 2021)

Yes I want to live with the _panserbjorne_


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## Karl der Grosse (Jul 22, 2021)

Only if everybody agrees to call me Alexander Supertramp.


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## Madre Muerte (Jul 22, 2021)

I live in the Pyrenees, I'll be fine.


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## Karl der Grosse (Jul 22, 2021)

Are you sure?  I don't think there are any sheep in longyearbyen.


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## TheShedCollector (Jul 22, 2021)

Do they get next day Amazon Prime?


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## Coolio55 (Jul 22, 2021)

Yeah, I'd live on that unreal tournament map you posted a picture of.
Living in bumfuck nowhere isn't that big a deal. Even if they don't have internet I can just get sled dogs to send me USBs of software, roms and rude pictures.


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## Oliveoil (Jul 22, 2021)

This all depends on what the cost of living is.
In Alaska the wage is higher but food and necessities are also 3x more expensive.
It also does not look like a good place to retire to since all the cold and snow.


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## Aqua Panda (Jul 22, 2021)

For 50k a month? Pretty damn sure that would be an immediate yes.

Even with higher food/goods/services costs ala Alaska, that's still a great deal. As long as I have access to some sort of basic general store, some sort of rudimentary internet, and a basic postal service that could ship things in (even if it took weeks at a time),  I'd be sold. I've done long term night shifts where I don't see a bit of sunlight for years. Wouldn't be a problem. All I need to do is prepare a few large external hard drives beforehand if the internet was really slow and/or capped.

Cold weather has never really bothered me. If anything, I LIKE dressing up in heavier clothing. T-shirts and shorts in the summer just make me feel nakedish sometimes.


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## Battlecruiser3000ad (Jul 22, 2021)

Aqua Panda said:


> Cold weather has never really bothered me. If anything, I LIKE dressing up in heavier clothing. T-shirts and shorts in the summer just make me feel nakedish sometimes.



With cold you can just layer more clothes on you, but with heat you end up wanting to even rip your skin off. 
It's also very comfy to go to sleep when it's cold, huddled in the duvets. I keep my place way below regular room temperature during the winter to enjoy this.


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## N. Gin (Jul 22, 2021)

Unironically would love to live there, even if I had to pay. Fucking love Winter, always wanted to see places like Alaska & Norway.  I'll be expecting my ticket and my first payment by the end of the month, OP.


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## Lunar Eclipse Paradox (Jul 22, 2021)

Longyearbyen is a far north arctic town with only 2,000 people. The temperature is always shitty with temperatures averaging 45F during it's hottest month, July. It is so cold that no trees grow there. The highest temperature ever recorded there was barely over 70F. Longyearbyen's Latitude is 78 parallel north. Far past the Arctic Circle meaning Midnight Sun (meaning the sun does not set) lasts for 128 Days between April 18 to August 23 while Polar Nights (meaning the sun does not rise) lasts for 111 Days between October 27 and February 15. To you, would it be worth that Fortune?


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## sasazuka (Jul 22, 2021)

whatever I feel like said:


> Does it have internet? I'd be on that in a heartbeat.



According to this Reddit thread, the average Internet speed is something like 45Mbps and you can probably pay more for faster Internet although I think 45Mbps already about 3x faster than what I have in eastern Ontario.


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## Agent Abe Caprine (Jul 22, 2021)

Is the internet okay for downloading 60gb files? If yes, sure. I love cold weather. Bundling up under tons of blankets every night, not having to worry about my computer getting too hot, comfy jackets. Sounds like paradise.


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## Aqua Panda (Jul 22, 2021)

sasazuka said:


> According to this Reddit thread, the average Internet speed is something like 45Mbps and you can probably pay more for faster Internet although I think 45Mbps already about 3x faster than what I have in eastern Ontario.


Yeah, while not spectacular, that's fully workable. Basically 70 a month in US dollars.

Sounds like I would be paid extremely well to live in paradise OP.

Edit: I'm going over the general costs of living as found here. It's basically more remote Alaska prices. For 50k a month I would still be making out as an absolute bandit. I'd happily work the rest of my adult life there and then retire early somewhere nice to enjoy my golden years. https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/in/Longyearbyen-Norway?displayCurrency=USD


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## Blamo (Jul 22, 2021)

Sure, no worries. Especially if the Internet connection is good enough. But I hope I won't be stabbed by some somalis. lol
Not to mention. I could finally dig deeper into the Santa question.


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## sasazuka (Jul 22, 2021)

Blamo said:


> But I hope I won't be stabbed by some somalis. lol


I think you're safe north of the Arctic Circle. No chance of being stabbed other than by reindeer antlers.


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## DoNotReadTheFinePrint (Jul 22, 2021)

I would. I love low temperatures in summer and work best during the night and getting 50k a month would also be nice. And if I get to fed up with the weather, midnight sun, or long night, I would take a long vacation somewhere else, since you didn't said I can't have those.


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## sasazuka (Jul 22, 2021)

I'm assuming the hypothetical $50,000 a month is no strings attached and I could just hole myself up in the Radisson Blu Polar Hotel or a comfy apartment in winter and live the ultimate NEET lifestyle.

I'd say I'd rather have my own detached home with that kind of money but I'm not even sure that's a realistic option in Longyearbyen and having the most inner apartment in one of those box-shaped apartment buildings that I see on Google Street View is a weirdly appealing idea as it would probably be the coziest place to be in winter (where I wouldn't even need to pay much for heating compared to an apartment on the outside of the building) and it would be the darkest place to be in summer.


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## Childe (Jul 22, 2021)

If you said you wouldn’t take this deal you’re lying imagine how many anime waifus you can buy with 50k a month in genshin impact. All I need is internet and I’m set to whale for every single big tittied bitch the gacha world could ever produce. Win fucking win situation. I don’t see the sunlight as it is.


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## sasazuka (Jul 23, 2021)

Another benefit of Longyearbyen if you're doing a mental cost/benefit analysis is that you can easily get by without owning a car since it's a small town and pretty much everything you need is within walking distance, plus there is a taxi service and also shuttle buses for when you don't want to walk, especially in winter. If you absolutely need to drive somewhere, you can rent a car. Not that you can get all that far from the town by road since there is no road network connecting every little community in Svalbard.

You probably wouldn't even want to own a car that's all that nice (aside from maybe a luxury SUV) due to the harsh winter environment.


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## stares at error messages (Jul 23, 2021)

Solar Eclipse Paradox said:


> Longyearbyen is a far north arctic town with only 2,000 people. The temperature is always shitty with temperatures averaging 45F during it's hottest month, July. It is so cold that no trees grow there. The highest temperature ever recorded there was barely over 70F. Longyearbyen's Latitude is 78 parallel north. Far past the Arctic Circle meaning Midnight Sun (meaning the sun does not set) lasts for 128 Days between April 18 to August 23 while Polar Nights (meaning the sun does not rise) lasts for 111 Days between October 27 and February 15. To you, would it be worth that Fortune?
> View attachment 2369410


What is my residency status while living in Norway under this proposed program?


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## Smug Cat (Jul 23, 2021)

No sun is fine, but midnight sun would irritate the fuck out of me. I'd have to get really aggressive blackout curtains for all my windows.

That said, yes. Absolutely. 100%. That is a lot of money and I like the cold.


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## stares at error messages (Jul 23, 2021)

Also why would I want USA money if I'm living in Norway? That doesn't make sense. The dollars set to tank in the next few years, so you should just pay me in real Norweagan money not that fake Uncle Sam funny money.


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## Lunar Eclipse Paradox (Jul 23, 2021)

stares at error messages said:


> Also why would I want USA money if I'm living in Norway? That doesn't make sense. The dollars set to tank in the next few years, so you should just pay me in real Norweagan money not that fake Uncle Sam funny money.


Nah. You're gonna get 50,000 USD worth of Norwegian Krone every month.


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## stares at error messages (Jul 23, 2021)

Solar Eclipse Paradox said:


> Nah. You're gonna get 50,000 USD worth of Norwegian Krone every month.


Okay cool. That seems like it could be a good deal then.

What's my immigration status in Norway? Can I vote, run for government office, open lobbying firm, and under what circumstances can I be deported?


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## sasazuka (Jul 23, 2021)

Would I be able to travel overseas a few weeks a year, namely late September through mid October, so I can see the leaves change in Canada?

Would I at least be allowed to travel to mainland Norway, like to the relative teeming metropolis of Tromsø, a few times a year for a Whopper (Tromsø has Burger King but not McDonald's)? Although, I suppose, were I making $50,000 a month, I might just save up for a year and open my own franchise in Longyearbyen. I wonder if they'd let me open a Wendy's or KFC there?


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## BalthasarGelt (Jul 23, 2021)

No. I fucking hate the cold and winter and it doesn't even look like I can ski there to make it more tolerable. Plus I'm pretty sure I'd die from vitamin deficiency or something.


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## Lunar Eclipse Paradox (Jul 23, 2021)

sasazuka said:


> Would I be able to travel overseas a few weeks a year, namely late September through mid October, so I can see the leaves change in Canada?
> 
> Would I at least be allowed to travel to mainland Norway, like to the relative teeming metropolis of Tromsø, a few times a year for a Whopper (Tromsø has Burger King but not McDonald's)? Although, I suppose, were I making $50,000 a month, I might just save up for a year and open my own franchise in Longyearbyen. I wonder if they'd let me open a Wendy's or KFC there?


No more than 2 months max per year.


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## sasazuka (Jul 23, 2021)

Geez, I was checking the distance between towns using a distance calculator and Svalbard is further from the Scandinavian peninsula than I assumed. It's 600 miles/958 kilometres from Longyearbyen to Tromsø (where the Burger King is), but the closest McDonald's is in Murmansk, Russia, which is 717 miles/1,154 kilometres away.

Since I doubt Russia would let me enter the country just to have a Big Mac, the next closest McDonald's locations to Longyearbyen, as far as I can tell, are probably in Rovaniemi, Finland (833 miles/1341 km) and Steinkjer, Norway (985 miles/1,585km). I'd probably just order like two dozen Big Macs and fries at once and put them in a freezer bag and then put them in a chest freezer in Longyearbyen. (Yeah, I know, owning a freezer seems like it would be redundant in Longyearbyen but they'd thaw outside in summer.)


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## Quantum Diabetes (Jul 25, 2021)

Can I get chewing tobacco or at least swedish snus there?


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## sasazuka (Jul 25, 2021)

@Quantum Diabetes I'm not sure. I know Svalbard is a tax free zone so tobacco is relatively cheap compared to mainland Norway but I'm not sure which stores in Longyearbyen sell it or whether chewing tobacco is available.

There is the world's most northern Circle K convenience store in Longyearbyen so I'd imagine that might be where you can buy it.


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## Lunar Eclipse Paradox (Jul 22, 2021)

Longyearbyen is a far north arctic town with only 2,000 people. The temperature is always shitty with temperatures averaging 45F during it's hottest month, July. It is so cold that no trees grow there. The highest temperature ever recorded there was barely over 70F. Longyearbyen's Latitude is 78 parallel north. Far past the Arctic Circle meaning Midnight Sun (meaning the sun does not set) lasts for 128 Days between April 18 to August 23 while Polar Nights (meaning the sun does not rise) lasts for 111 Days between October 27 and February 15. To you, would it be worth that Fortune?


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## Quantum Diabetes (Jul 25, 2021)

sasazuka said:


> @Quantum Diabetes I'm not sure. I know Svalbard is a tax free zone so tobacco is relatively cheap compared to mainland Norway but I'm not sure which stores in Longyearbyen sell it or whether chewing tobacco is available.
> 
> There is the world's most northern Circle K convenience store in Longyearbyen so I'd imagine that might be where you can buy it.


Its probably more likely to be snus but I can live with that.


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## sasazuka (Jul 25, 2021)

It took me a while to find a Google Maps user-uploaded picture of the tobacco selection at the Svalbardbutikken supermarket/department store.

I see cartons of cigarettes and a cabinet marked "Snus".

Also, did you know Svalbard residents have a quota card where they can only buy 24 containers of beer and 1 litre of liquor a month?


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## Miss Misery (Jul 25, 2021)

Where do I sign up?


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## Liber Pater (Jul 25, 2021)

>Nice and cool
>Fresh seafood
>Arctic wildlife
>Hiking
>Skiing
>Dog-sledding
>No niggers

You wouldn't even have to pay me


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## Vaccine (Jul 25, 2021)

i would live there for free


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## Dark Master (Jul 25, 2021)

Yes, I would instantly. I want to get away from cities and live a peaceful quiet life. I don't care if it's freezing or not. I yearn to live in the tundra of Alaska one day.


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## Quantum Diabetes (Jul 25, 2021)

sasazuka said:


> It took me a while to find a Google Maps user-uploaded picture of the tobacco selection at the Svalbardbutikken supermarket/department store.
> 
> I see cartons of cigarettes and a cabinet marked "Snus".
> 
> Also, did you know Svalbard residents have a quota card where they can only buy 24 containers of beer and 1 litre of liquor a month?


Snus is pretty good. They use different flavors like Bergamot and things related to tea. I guess I’ll have to learn to say “Pack a lip bubba yee yee” in a new language


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## sasazuka (Jul 25, 2021)

Quantum Diabetes said:


> Snus is pretty good. They use different flavors like Bergamot and things related to tea. I guess I’ll have to learn to say “Pack a lip bubba yee yee” in a new language



I wouldn't rule out the possibility that there's also chewing tobacco in that Snus cabinet.


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## Miss Misery (Jul 25, 2021)

stares at error messages said:


> Okay cool. That seems like it could be a good deal then.
> 
> What's my immigration status in Norway? Can I vote, run for government office, open lobbying firm, and under what circumstances can I be deported?


Svalbard doesn't require a visa, but if you want to go to mainland Norge then you are subject to the visa rules for your home country. Time spent in Svalbard does not count towards Norwegian residency requirements.


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## totallyrandomusername (Jul 25, 2021)

Without a doubt. Any chance this is a real thing? Where is the website where I can sign up?


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## sasazuka (Jul 25, 2021)

Jesus H Christ said:


> Without a doubt. Any chance this is a real thing? Where is the website where I can sign up?



Considering the housing shortage in Longyearbyen primarily due to the increase in scientists staying on Svalbard to study the effects of Arctic warming, I don't think Norway is in any position to pay people to live there.


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