Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Horten Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Horten

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $2,318 in Horten.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $3,539 in Horten.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $4,760 in Horten.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 1% more expensive than Horten, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Horten 72% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$28.90 NOK 274

-40.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$101 NOK 956

-31.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$13.32 NOK 126

3.45%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$4.88 NOK 46.29

-43.44%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$2.44 NOK 23.15

14.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$2.13 NOK 20.23

-6.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$9.36 NOK 88.8

-53.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$9.77 NOK 92.8

-51.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$2.14 NOK 20.27

-39.72%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$3.39 NOK 32.19

-39.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$3.07 NOK 29.16

-35.18%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$4.31 NOK 40.91

-21.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$9.81 NOK 93.1

91.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$13.29 NOK 126

-29.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$23.59 NOK 224

-18.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$3.66 NOK 34.78

-26.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$2.28 NOK 21.61

2.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$3.37 NOK 32.02

-37.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$3.92 NOK 37.21

-27.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$2.00 NOK 19.03

-1.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$2.13 NOK 20.23

-15.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$2.80 NOK 26.61

-48.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$1.84 NOK 17.48

-53.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$14.05 NOK 133

-51.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$18.64 NOK 177

-57.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$3.33 NOK 31.65

-58.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$3.99 NOK 37.86

-40.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$5.17 NOK 49.08

-43.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

$74.9 NOK 711

-61.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$10.29 NOK 97.6

-56.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.09 NOK 10.31

88.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$103 NOK 978

-71.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$2.15 NOK 20.43

-15.35%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$35.9K NOK 340.5K

8.25%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$38.9K NOK 369.0K

-14.85%

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

$189 €163

$216 NOK 2,049

-12.33%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$43.90 NOK 417

-48.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$30.06 NOK 285

25.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$48.41 NOK 459

19.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$34.89 NOK 331

-40.56%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$15.09 NOK 143

-28.30%

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

$728 €628

$308 NOK 2,923

136.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$9,951 NOK 94.5K

48.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$114 NOK 1,085

-22.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$41.11 NOK 390

-10.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$54.9 NOK 521

85.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$184 NOK 1,745

-36.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$1,061 NOK 10.1K

47.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$820 NOK 7,779

48.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$1,686 NOK 16.0K

65.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$1,216 NOK 11.5K

62.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$6,059 NOK 57.5K

27.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

$4,365 NOK 41.4K

18.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

$3,426 NOK 32.5K

-31.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

13.00%

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Last update for Horten: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $1,061 in Horten. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Horten pays 46% 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 Horten for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $422 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 Horten: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Horten differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $2,318 including rent). Horten is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Horten earns 46% 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 $1,061 in Horten. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $308 in Horten. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 32% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,318 in Horten versus $2,337 in Barcelona, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Horten but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Horten 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 Horten 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 Horten gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.