Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Drammen Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Drammen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $2,212 in Drammen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $3,324 in Drammen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $4,437 in Drammen.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 5% more expensive than in Drammen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Drammen 66% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.45

$20.63 NOK 199

-14.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$74.8 NOK 721

-6.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.39

$13.18 NOK 127

7.44%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$4.73 NOK 45.63

-40.80%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$2.45 NOK 23.64

14.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$2.68 NOK 25.80

-23.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.02

$8.14 NOK 78.5

-43.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.10

$6.23 NOK 60.1

-24.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$2.11 NOK 20.32

-41.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$3.13 NOK 30.17

-35.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$3.32 NOK 32.00

-40.36%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$4.19 NOK 40.41

-16.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.04

$11.24 NOK 108

63.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.60

$13.19 NOK 127

-25.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.73

$17.36 NOK 167

10.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.38

$1.95 NOK 18.81

40.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$2.26 NOK 21.75

5.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$3.29 NOK 31.71

-36.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$3.79 NOK 36.51

-27.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$2.30 NOK 22.22

-14.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.34 NOK 12.90

33.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.79 NOK 17.23

-17.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$1.83 NOK 17.69

-50.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.24

$14.30 NOK 138

-50.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.89

$12.44 NOK 120

-36.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$2.93 NOK 28.29

-52.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$4.08 NOK 39.37

-41.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.63

$2.83 NOK 27.26

6.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.68

$76.5 NOK 737

-61.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$10.25 NOK 98.8

-57.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.22 NOK 11.73

74.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.90

$99.6 NOK 960

-70.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.59

$2.16 NOK 20.84

-15.74%

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

$37.9K €33.1K

$41.1K NOK 396.1K

-7.75%

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

$32.4K €28.3K

$39.1K NOK 377.1K

-17.20%

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

$189 €165

$218 NOK 2,103

-13.32%

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

$22.29 €19.50

$43.27 NOK 417

-48.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.51

$37.61 NOK 363

-1.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$84.5 NOK 815

-31.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.08

$35.41 NOK 341

-41.65%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.51

$15.17 NOK 146

-28.35%

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

$706 €618

$302 NOK 2,909

134.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$10.1K NOK 97.6K

46.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$97.2 NOK 937

-7.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.02

$24.93 NOK 240

46.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.0

$101 NOK 971

3.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$144 NOK 1,391

-17.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,381

$942 NOK 9,081

67.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,083

$769 NOK 7,415

61.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,373

$1,460 NOK 14.1K

85.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,784

$1,366 NOK 13.2K

49.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,585

$10.3K NOK 99.7K

-27.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,584

$6,145 NOK 59.3K

-14.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,068

$3,527 NOK 34.0K

-32.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.38

-22.60%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Drammen: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $942 in Drammen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Drammen pays 49% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $75.0 in Drammen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $376 per month, with Barcelona 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

Barcelona vs Drammen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Drammen differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $2,212 including rent). Drammen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 49% lower in Drammen. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $942 in Drammen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $302 in Drammen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 18% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,212 in Drammen versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Drammen but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Drammen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Barcelona and Drammen 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 Drammen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.