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: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $2,271 in Horten.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $3,451 in Horten.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $4,631 in Horten.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 3% more expensive than Horten, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 75% above, Horten 70% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.04

$28.64 NOK 267

-38.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.7

$101 NOK 945

-32.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.74

$13.56 NOK 126

1.40%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$5.06 NOK 47.12

-45.45%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$2.53 NOK 23.62

9.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$2.12 NOK 19.77

-3.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.93

$9.18 NOK 85.6

-49.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.92

$9.85 NOK 91.8

-53.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.09

$2.14 NOK 19.95

-40.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.80

$3.38 NOK 31.52

-37.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$3.20 NOK 29.78

-38.44%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.94

$4.18 NOK 38.94

-17.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.08

$9.52 NOK 88.7

97.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.07

$13.25 NOK 124

-28.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.24

$23.68 NOK 221

-19.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.32

$3.62 NOK 33.70

-24.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$2.23 NOK 20.83

6.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.77

$3.25 NOK 30.27

-36.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$3.84 NOK 35.79

-28.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$2.01 NOK 18.73

-1.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$2.15 NOK 20.07

-16.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$2.81 NOK 26.20

-46.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$1.82 NOK 16.93

-50.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.77

$14.10 NOK 131

-52.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.44

$18.65 NOK 174

-59.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$3.27 NOK 30.48

-55.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$4.08 NOK 38.06

-40.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$5.04 NOK 46.93

-39.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.25

$75.6 NOK 704

-62.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.78

$10.32 NOK 96.2

-57.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.75

$1.08 NOK 10.08

89.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.05

$99.3 NOK 926

-70.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.61

$2.08 NOK 19.40

-9.13%

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

$38.7K €33.1K

$35.3K NOK 329.4K

9.62%

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

$32.4K €27.6K

$38.1K NOK 355.5K

-15.16%

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

$189 €161

$216 NOK 2,017

-12.86%

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

$22.21 €18.96

$42.91 NOK 400

-48.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.44

$30.17 NOK 281

22.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.52

$49.02 NOK 457

18.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.93

$34.95 NOK 326

-39.94%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.44

$14.70 NOK 137

-24.83%

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

$726 €620

$309 NOK 2,878

135.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$9,993 NOK 93.1K

52.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.4

$114 NOK 1,064

-22.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.58

$40.42 NOK 377

-8.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.6

$56.8 NOK 529

80.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$181 NOK 1,685

-34.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,304

$1,045 NOK 9,737

46.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,040

$802 NOK 7,477

51.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,386

$1,715 NOK 16.0K

62.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,731

$1,217 NOK 11.3K

66.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,058

$6,086 NOK 56.7K

16.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,141

$4,662 NOK 43.5K

4.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,053

$3,505 NOK 32.7K

-31.40%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Horten: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $1,045 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 $320 vs $420 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 3% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $2,271 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: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $1,045 in Horten. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $309 in Horten. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 31% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,271 in Horten versus $2,341 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 3% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.