Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Fredrikstad Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Fredrikstad

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $2,682 in Fredrikstad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $4,010 in Fredrikstad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $5,338 in Fredrikstad.

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 13% less than in Fredrikstad, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Fredrikstad 101% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.45

$17.97 NOK 173

-1.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$114 NOK 1,094

-38.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.39

$11.91 NOK 115

18.89%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$5.34 NOK 51.5

-47.57%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$3.97 NOK 38.25

-29.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$2.74 NOK 26.47

-24.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.02

$11.01 NOK 106

-58.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.10

$10.29 NOK 99.3

-54.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$2.19 NOK 21.09

-43.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$4.25 NOK 41.02

-52.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$3.27 NOK 31.54

-39.45%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$5.22 NOK 50.4

-33.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.04

$11.78 NOK 114

55.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.60

$16.02 NOK 155

-38.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.73

$34.17 NOK 330

-44.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.38

$4.51 NOK 43.50

-39.47%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$3.52 NOK 33.95

-32.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$4.50 NOK 43.39

-53.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$5.04 NOK 48.63

-45.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$2.75 NOK 26.52

-28.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$2.66 NOK 25.64

-32.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$2.64 NOK 25.50

-43.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$1.85 NOK 17.81

-50.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.24

$14.87 NOK 143

-52.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.89

$21.86 NOK 211

-63.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$3.43 NOK 33.04

-59.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$6.11 NOK 59.0

-60.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.63

$3.87 NOK 37.35

-22.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.68

$63.7 NOK 614

-53.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$6.22 NOK 60.0

-29.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.46 NOK 14.04

45.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.90

$52.3 NOK 504

-43.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.59

$2.27 NOK 21.93

-19.82%

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

$37.9K €33.1K

$35.1K NOK 338.3K

7.99%

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

$32.4K €28.3K

$39.1K NOK 377.0K

-17.17%

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

$189 €165

$339 NOK 3,272

-44.28%

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

$22.29 €19.50

$37.93 NOK 366

-41.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.51

$57.0 NOK 550

-34.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$48.85 NOK 471

18.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.08

$39.15 NOK 377

-47.23%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.51

$22.16 NOK 214

-50.95%

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

$706 €618

$284 NOK 2,737

148.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$10.2K NOK 98.3K

45.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$154 NOK 1,484

-41.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.02

$60.2 NOK 581

-39.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.0

$166 NOK 1,605

-37.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$133 NOK 1,279

-10.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,381

$1,266 NOK 12.2K

24.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,083

$943 NOK 9,096

31.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,373

$2,100 NOK 20.3K

29.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,784

$1,541 NOK 14.9K

32.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,585

$5,874 NOK 56.6K

28.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,584

$3,915 NOK 37.8K

33.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,068

$3,227 NOK 31.1K

-26.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.25

-20.24%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Fredrikstad: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $1,266 in Fredrikstad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fredrikstad pays 37% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $114 in Fredrikstad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $523 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 Fredrikstad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Fredrikstad differ by about 16% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $2,682 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 37% lower in Fredrikstad. 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 $1,266 in Fredrikstad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $284 in Fredrikstad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 63% higher in Fredrikstad. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,320 in Barcelona versus $2,682 in Fredrikstad, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Fredrikstad. The gap between the two cities makes Barcelona 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 Fredrikstad 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 Barcelona gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Fredrikstad. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.