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: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $3,030 in Fredrikstad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $4,355 in Fredrikstad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $5,681 in Fredrikstad.

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 18% less than in Fredrikstad, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 82% above, Fredrikstad 121% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.87

$23.41 NOK 218

-21.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$119 NOK 1,110

-41.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.19

$12.56 NOK 117

12.50%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.70

$6.72 NOK 62.6

-53.42%

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

$3.02 €2.60

$5.87 NOK 54.7

-48.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$4.60 NOK 42.82

-57.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.45

$12.33 NOK 115

-67.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.11

$9.41 NOK 87.7

-49.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.08

$2.42 NOK 22.54

-48.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.87

$4.34 NOK 40.42

-50.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$3.56 NOK 33.13

-52.53%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.26

$6.10 NOK 56.9

-19.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.43

$13.26 NOK 124

34.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.29

$18.44 NOK 172

-47.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.69

$35.83 NOK 334

-46.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.79

$4.68 NOK 43.62

-30.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.88

$3.55 NOK 33.03

-38.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$4.46 NOK 41.58

-40.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.39

$5.21 NOK 48.57

-46.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$2.95 NOK 27.45

-25.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.89

$2.83 NOK 26.35

-22.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$2.96 NOK 27.61

-48.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.80

$2.40 NOK 22.37

-61.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.14

$16.07 NOK 150

-55.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €7.02

$22.17 NOK 207

-63.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$3.58 NOK 33.35

-58.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.40

$4.28 NOK 39.88

-35.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.72

$4.16 NOK 38.72

-24.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.29

$66.8 NOK 622

-59.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.80

$12.99 NOK 121

-74.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.30

$1.69 NOK 15.76

-11.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.11

$72.7 NOK 677

-52.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$2.39 NOK 22.29

-26.78%

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

$36.7K €31.6K

$42.7K NOK 397.8K

-14.15%

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

$30.9K €26.7K

$50.0K NOK 466.3K

-38.18%

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

$188 €162

$338 NOK 3,153

-44.55%

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

$15.44 €13.32

$46.68 NOK 435

-66.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.61

$66.5 NOK 619

-43.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.34

$59.1 NOK 550

-3.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.49

$41.58 NOK 387

-59.60%

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.99

$20.69 NOK 193

-44.03%

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

$1,003 €865

$174 NOK 1,621

476.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.7K

$11.1K NOK 103.3K

53.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €77.0

$162 NOK 1,508

-44.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.27

$79.4 NOK 740

-48.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.9

$144 NOK 1,343

-23.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €106

$114 NOK 1,061

7.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,444

$1,391 NOK 13.0K

20.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,149

$1,125 NOK 10.5K

18.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,240

$1,851 NOK 17.2K

40.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,683

$1,510 NOK 14.1K

29.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,535

$6,312 NOK 58.8K

19.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,634

$4,204 NOK 39.2K

27.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,073

$3,454 NOK 32.2K

-30.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

4.95

-36.16%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Last update for Fredrikstad: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $1,391 in Fredrikstad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fredrikstad pays 44% 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $119 in Fredrikstad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $560 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 21% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $3,030 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 44% 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: $1,673 in Barcelona versus $1,391 in Fredrikstad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $174 in Fredrikstad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 69% higher in Fredrikstad. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Barcelona 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 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 21% less than in Fredrikstad. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.