Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Kongsberg Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Kongsberg

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $2,690 in Kongsberg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $4,006 in Kongsberg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $5,323 in Kongsberg.

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 8% less than in Kongsberg, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 81% above, Kongsberg 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.32

$21.13 NOK 199

-11.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.5

$74.0 NOK 697

-6.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €11.99

$16.39 NOK 154

-15.99%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$5.30 NOK 49.92

-41.51%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$4.09 NOK 38.50

-30.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$3.40 NOK 32.05

-44.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$11.78 NOK 111

-66.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$10.66 NOK 100

-57.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$2.64 NOK 24.85

-51.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$3.18 NOK 29.94

-32.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$4.71 NOK 44.38

-62.63%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$5.10 NOK 48.08

0.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.58

$11.08 NOK 104

61.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$12.49 NOK 118

-22.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.55

$18.77 NOK 177

7.35%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.83

$3.29 NOK 31.01

-1.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$2.66 NOK 25.06

-16.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$3.53 NOK 33.29

-26.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$4.93 NOK 46.41

-44.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$2.69 NOK 25.37

-17.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$2.54 NOK 23.91

-16.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$3.07 NOK 28.94

-49.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$2.46 NOK 23.17

-61.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$18.05 NOK 170

-59.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$16.19 NOK 153

-50.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$3.50 NOK 32.98

-56.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$3.99 NOK 37.57

-30.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$3.18 NOK 29.95

-2.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.53

$96.1 NOK 906

-73.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$12.44 NOK 117

-73.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.85 NOK 17.40

-20.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.86

$31.91 NOK 301

7.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$2.34 NOK 22.07

-26.07%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$48.9K NOK 460.8K

-25.65%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$44.8K NOK 421.9K

-31.80%

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

$187 €163

$323 NOK 3,045

-42.12%

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

$15.14 €13.19

$28.89 NOK 272

-47.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.83

$56.3 NOK 530

-33.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.73

$47.47 NOK 447

17.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.88

$56.7 NOK 534

-69.86%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.94

$19.37 NOK 182

-41.09%

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

$997 €868

$250 NOK 2,355

298.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$3,926 NOK 37.0K

321.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.7

$94.5 NOK 890

-1.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.91

$56.1 NOK 529

-26.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$135 NOK 1,275

-17.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$158 NOK 1,489

-20.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,487

$1,088 NOK 10.2K

56.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,120

$1,058 NOK 9,970

21.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,235

$2,046 NOK 19.3K

25.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,692

$1,712 NOK 16.1K

13.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,662

$6,368 NOK 60.0K

20.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,501

$4,275 NOK 40.3K

20.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,046

$3,695 NOK 34.8K

-36.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

4.98

-36.55%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Kongsberg: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $1,088 in Kongsberg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kongsberg pays 57% 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 $74.0 in Kongsberg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $433 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 Kongsberg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Kongsberg differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $2,690 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 57% lower in Kongsberg. 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $1,088 in Kongsberg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $250 in Kongsberg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Kongsberg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,476 in Barcelona versus $2,690 in Kongsberg, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Kongsberg. 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 Kongsberg 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 9% less than in Kongsberg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.