Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alesund and Barcelona

For one person, living costs are similar in Alesund and in Barcelona: $2,329 and $2,399 a month, rent and utilities included.

Alesund
🇳🇴 Norway
$2,329
/mo nomad
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,399
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Alesund and in Barcelona

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Alesund and in Barcelona actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,329 per month in Alesund vs $2,399 in Barcelona, rent included.

  • Alesund $2,329
  • Barcelona $2,399

A couple spends around $3,663 per month in Alesund vs $3,410 in Barcelona, rent included.

  • Alesund $3,663
  • Barcelona $3,410

A family of three spends $4,997 per month in Alesund vs $4,421 in Barcelona, rent included.

  • Alesund $4,997
  • Barcelona $4,421

Alesund is about 3% cheaper than Barcelona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Alesund and Barcelona sit above the global median – Alesund by 72%, Barcelona by 78%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Alesund
Barcelona
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$21.26 NOK 200
$17.94 €15.96
18.51%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$88.8 NOK 836
$68.1 €60.5
30.53%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.23 NOK 125
$13.28 €11.81
-0.38%
Cappuccino
$4.07 NOK 38.31
$3.25 €2.89
25.23%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.08 NOK 19.55
$3.01 €2.67
-30.90%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.35 NOK 22.12
$1.87 €1.66
25.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$11.33 NOK 107
$3.85 €3.42
194.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.62 NOK 90.6
$4.48 €3.98
114.73%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Alesund
Barcelona
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.21 NOK 20.78
$1.29 €1.15
71.32%
White Bread (500g)
$3.04 NOK 28.64
$2.04 €1.81
49.02%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.08 NOK 28.99
$1.72 €1.53
79.07%
Eggs
$4.38 NOK 41.27
$4.77 €4.24
-8.18%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.88 NOK 140
$16.77 €14.92
-11.27%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.80 NOK 130
$8.93 €7.94
54.54%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.84 NOK 196
$19.88 €17.68
4.83%
Apples (1kg)
$2.63 NOK 24.72
$2.98 €2.65
-11.74%
Banana (1kg)
$2.27 NOK 21.34
$2.03 €1.80
11.82%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.26 NOK 21.28
$2.73 €2.43
-17.22%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.66 NOK 34.46
$2.68 €2.38
36.57%
Potato (1kg)
$2.45 NOK 23.10
$2.10 €1.87
16.67%
Onion (1kg)
$1.54 NOK 14.45
$2.08 €1.85
-25.96%
Lettuce (1 head)
$3.00 NOK 28.19
$1.45 €1.29
106.90%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 NOK 17.11
$0.89 €0.79
104.49%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.98 NOK 141
$6.94 €6.17
115.85%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.89 NOK 178
$7.78 €6.92
142.80%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.48 NOK 32.73
$1.45 €1.29
140.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.93 NOK 36.99
$2.57 €2.29
52.92%
🚌 Getting Around
Alesund
Barcelona
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$5.07 NOK 47.76
$2.99 €2.66
69.57%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$87.3 NOK 822
$25.20 €22.41
246.47%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$12.15 NOK 114
$3.12 €2.77
289.42%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.91 NOK 18.03
$1.44 €1.28
32.64%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$73.0 NOK 687
$33.50 €29.80
117.76%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.19 NOK 20.59
$1.79 €1.59
22.35%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$48.5K NOK 456.6K
$34.6K €30.8K
40.05%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$42.8K NOK 402.5K
$30.1K €26.7K
42.20%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Alesund
Barcelona
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$285 NOK 2,683
$178 €158
60.27%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$32.82 NOK 309
$13.32 €11.85
146.40%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$59.2 NOK 557
$34.88 €31.03
69.72%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Alesund
Barcelona
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$58.6 NOK 552
$53.3 €47.37
10.03%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$31.12 NOK 293
$16.01 €14.24
94.38%
Cinema Ticket
$17.43 NOK 164
$11.06 €9.84
57.59%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Alesund
Barcelona
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$235 NOK 2,209
$957 €851
-75.47%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,542 NOK 23.9K
$16.6K €14.7K
-84.66%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Alesund
Barcelona
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.7 NOK 816
$88.2 €78.4
-1.71%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.43 NOK 428
$39.49 €35.12
15.04%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$115 NOK 1,082
$103 €91.5
11.83%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$139 NOK 1,312
$121 €108
14.73%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Alesund
Barcelona
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,090 NOK 10.3K
$1,653 €1,470
-34.04%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$783 NOK 7,368
$1,302 €1,158
-39.87%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,159 NOK 10.9K
$2,557 €2,275
-54.70%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,615 NOK 15.2K
$1,915 €1,703
-15.63%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,476 NOK 42.1K
$7,286 €6,481
-38.57%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,399 NOK 22.6K
$5,080 €4,519
-52.78%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Alesund
Barcelona
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,224 NOK 39.8K
$2,281 €2,029
85.22%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.22
3.28
28.66%

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

Last update for Alesund: October 12, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Alesund
$783
Barcelona
$1.3K 66.3% $519
Groceries & Markets
Alesund
$420
Barcelona
$320 23.8% $100
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Alesund
$377
Barcelona
$226 40% $151
Eating Out
Alesund
$352
Barcelona
$270 23.3% $82
Clothing & Footwear
Alesund
$174
Barcelona
$158 8.9% $16
Getting Around
Alesund
$129
Barcelona
$47 63.3% $82
Sport & Entertainment
Alesund
$93
Barcelona
$75 19.3% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,090 in Alesund versus $1,653 in Barcelona. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 85% higher in Alesund, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89.0 in Alesund versus $68.0 in Barcelona. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $420 vs $320 – making Barcelona the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇳🇴 Alesund
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🕒 Local time
15:41 3:41 PM
15:41 3:41 PM
Same time as Alesund
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
58,683
1,660,122
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to NOK – Norwegian Krone Converter

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 9.41 NOK (1 NOK = 0.106 USD). 1 EUR = 10.58 NOK (100 NOK = 9.45 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Alesund Barcelona 2,360 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Alesund
  • Barcelona

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Alesund vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do Alesund and Barcelona compare in cost of living?
Barcelona costs about 3% more than Alesund, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
What salary covers living expenses in Alesund compared to Barcelona?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,493 per month in Alesund and $3,599 in Barcelona. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Alesund and Barcelona?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Alesund, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $89.0 in Alesund and $68.0 in Barcelona. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Alesund or Barcelona?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,329 in Alesund and $2,399 in Barcelona. That's a gap of about 3%.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Alesund, where all-in costs run around $2,329, than in Barcelona at $2,399. In Alesund it covers expenses comfortably, while in Barcelona it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Alesund and Barcelona?
It depends on your priorities. Barcelona has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,329 in Alesund to $2,399 in Barcelona. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Alesund or Barcelona safer for residents?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
How do I decide between Alesund and Barcelona?
If budget matters most, go with Alesund. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Barcelona makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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