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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $2,385 in Kongsberg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $3,610 in Kongsberg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $4,835 in Kongsberg.

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 1% less than in Kongsberg, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Kongsberg 78% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$21.87 NOK 203

-19.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$70.1 NOK 651

-2.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$13.62 NOK 127

3.23%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$4.90 NOK 45.54

-43.27%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$2.51 NOK 23.32

11.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$2.15 NOK 19.98

-4.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$9.37 NOK 87.0

-52.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$10.26 NOK 95.3

-55.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$2.18 NOK 20.21

-43.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$2.98 NOK 27.69

-31.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$3.25 NOK 30.23

-40.92%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$4.61 NOK 42.82

-28.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$10.44 NOK 97.0

76.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$11.72 NOK 109

-19.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$18.12 NOK 168

5.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$3.02 NOK 28.05

-12.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.26 NOK 21.04

8.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$3.28 NOK 30.46

-35.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$4.13 NOK 38.38

-30.99%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$2.19 NOK 20.37

-6.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$2.24 NOK 20.83

-17.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$2.92 NOK 27.10

-49.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.82 NOK 16.88

-53.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$17.52 NOK 163

-59.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$16.39 NOK 152

-51.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$3.19 NOK 29.63

-56.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$3.84 NOK 35.70

-39.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$2.57 NOK 23.91

15.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$91.2 NOK 848

-67.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$10.09 NOK 93.7

-54.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.45 NOK 13.46

42.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$30.30 NOK 281

-3.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$2.20 NOK 20.41

-16.36%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$37.2K NOK 346.0K

4.76%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$40.0K NOK 371.5K

-18.22%

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

$188 €162

$217 NOK 2,016

-13.44%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$26.89 NOK 250

-14.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$38.57 NOK 358

-4.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$45.30 NOK 421

26.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$53.3 NOK 495

-61.14%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$20.23 NOK 188

-44.69%

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

$721 €620

$306 NOK 2,847

135.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$3,663 NOK 34.0K

310.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$86.1 NOK 799

0.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$52.1 NOK 484

-28.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$159 NOK 1,479

-35.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$164 NOK 1,522

-29.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$1,003 NOK 9,314

52.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$902 NOK 8,378

35.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$1,723 NOK 16.0K

56.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$1,539 NOK 14.3K

30.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$6,208 NOK 57.7K

16.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$4,384 NOK 40.7K

18.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$3,604 NOK 33.5K

-34.53%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Kongsberg: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $1,003 in Kongsberg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kongsberg pays 53% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $70.0 in Kongsberg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $391 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 1% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $2,385 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Kongsberg earns 53% 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $1,003 in Kongsberg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $306 in Kongsberg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Kongsberg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,367 in Barcelona versus $2,385 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 1% less than in Kongsberg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.