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: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $2,316 in Kongsberg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $3,511 in Kongsberg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $4,705 in Kongsberg.

Monthly costs are close between Barcelona and Kongsberg; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Kongsberg 73% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.43

$22.56 NOK 217

-21.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €60.9

$70.6 NOK 680

-1.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.37

$13.14 NOK 127

7.76%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$4.82 NOK 46.38

-41.91%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$2.47 NOK 23.79

13.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.80

$2.12 NOK 20.39

-2.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.02

$8.99 NOK 86.6

-48.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.10

$10.07 NOK 97.0

-53.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.07

$2.11 NOK 20.37

-41.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$3.05 NOK 29.36

-33.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$3.18 NOK 30.65

-37.74%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$4.69 NOK 45.18

-25.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.01

$10.32 NOK 99.4

77.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.59

$11.68 NOK 113

-15.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.71

$17.66 NOK 170

8.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.38

$3.17 NOK 30.52

-13.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.08

$2.35 NOK 22.65

1.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$3.24 NOK 31.24

-35.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$4.12 NOK 39.70

-33.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.71

$2.20 NOK 21.20

-10.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$2.24 NOK 21.55

-20.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$3.02 NOK 29.05

-50.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$1.83 NOK 17.62

-50.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.23

$17.19 NOK 166

-58.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.88

$15.05 NOK 145

-47.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.20

$3.21 NOK 30.89

-57.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$3.84 NOK 36.96

-37.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.63

$2.46 NOK 23.66

22.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.65

$89.4 NOK 861

-67.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.81

$10.28 NOK 99.0

-57.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.39 NOK 13.34

53.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.86

$30.31 NOK 292

-2.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.59

$2.15 NOK 20.71

-15.35%

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

$37.9K €33.1K

$37.8K NOK 363.9K

0.29%

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

$32.4K €28.3K

$40.6K NOK 390.8K

-20.20%

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

$189 €165

$215 NOK 2,068

-11.97%

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

$22.29 €19.48

$27.07 NOK 261

-17.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.47

$38.56 NOK 371

-3.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.7

$44.95 NOK 433

29.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.05

$53.3 NOK 513

-61.20%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.50

$20.47 NOK 197

-46.90%

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

$706 €617

$302 NOK 2,908

133.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$3,636 NOK 35.0K

308.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.2

$87.8 NOK 846

1.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €31.98

$51.3 NOK 494

-28.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €90.9

$156 NOK 1,503

-33.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$159 NOK 1,530

-24.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,379

$993 NOK 9,567

58.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,082

$884 NOK 8,516

40.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,370

$1,765 NOK 17.0K

53.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,782

$1,583 NOK 15.2K

28.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,576

$6,007 NOK 57.9K

25.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,577

$4,030 NOK 38.8K

30.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,065

$3,474 NOK 33.5K

-31.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.38

-22.60%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Kongsberg: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $993 in Kongsberg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kongsberg pays 47% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $71.0 in Kongsberg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $388 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

On paper, salaries run 47% 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $993 in Kongsberg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $302 in Kongsberg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Kongsberg – a meal for two runs $71.0 versus $70.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,316 in Kongsberg versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Kongsberg but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Kongsberg 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.

It comes down to priorities – Kongsberg wins on affordability, Barcelona on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.