Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Elverum Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Elverum

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $2,229 in Elverum.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $3,474 in Elverum.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $4,719 in Elverum.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$22.57 NOK 214

-24.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$101 NOK 963

-31.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$11.45 NOK 109

20.35%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$4.61 NOK 43.73

-40.13%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$3.45 NOK 32.78

-19.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$2.95 NOK 27.96

-32.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$10.71 NOK 102

-59.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$8.05 NOK 76.4

-41.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.09 NOK 10.38

18.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$3.61 NOK 34.25

-43.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$3.83 NOK 36.38

-48.04%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$1.78 NOK 16.91

90.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$7.16 NOK 68.0

162.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$12.04 NOK 114

-22.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$25.37 NOK 241

-24.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$0.99 NOK 9.36

172.73%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$2.98 NOK 28.28

-21.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.49 NOK 14.10

42.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$1.55 NOK 14.70

83.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$1.02 NOK 9.71

93.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$0.99 NOK 9.38

81.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$2.55 NOK 24.22

-43.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$2.44 NOK 23.15

-64.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$14.45 NOK 137

-53.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$18.81 NOK 179

-58.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$3.65 NOK 34.60

-61.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$4.81 NOK 45.64

-50.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$4.33 NOK 41.10

-32.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

$74.6 NOK 708

-61.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$15.16 NOK 144

-70.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$2.19 NOK 20.79

-6.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$90.1 NOK 855

-67.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$2.14 NOK 20.32

-14.95%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$31.8K NOK 302.1K

22.00%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$35.3K NOK 334.7K

-6.15%

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

$189 €163

$101 NOK 961

86.97%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$41.58 NOK 395

-45.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$66.7 NOK 633

-43.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$49.31 NOK 468

17.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$34.77 NOK 330

-40.35%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$12.26 NOK 116

-11.75%

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

$728 €628

$329 NOK 3,127

121.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$8,495 NOK 80.6K

73.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$113 NOK 1,072

-21.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$49.18 NOK 467

-25.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$130 NOK 1,231

-21.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$131 NOK 1,239

-11.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$1,200 NOK 11.4K

30.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$905 NOK 8,593

34.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$1,810 NOK 17.2K

54.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$1,560 NOK 14.8K

26.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$6,112 NOK 58.0K

26.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

$4,385 NOK 41.6K

18.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

$4,194 NOK 39.8K

-44.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.32

-21.53%

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Last update for Elverum: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $1,200 in Elverum. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Elverum pays 79% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $101 in Elverum for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $374 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 Elverum: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Elverum differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $2,229 including rent). Elverum is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Elverum earns 79% less. 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: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $1,200 in Elverum. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $329 in Elverum. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 17% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Elverum is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Elverum 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 Elverum 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.