Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Lillestrom Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Lillestrom

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $2,519 in Lillestrom.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $3,937 in Lillestrom.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $5,354 in Lillestrom.

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 6% less than in Lillestrom, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Lillestrom 89% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$20.58 NOK 195

-16.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$103 NOK 973

-33.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$10.91 NOK 103

25.02%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$4.84 NOK 45.88

-42.56%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$2.55 NOK 24.22

10.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$2.19 NOK 20.81

-10.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$9.16 NOK 86.8

-51.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$10.04 NOK 95.2

-54.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$2.13 NOK 20.22

-40.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$3.35 NOK 31.75

-36.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$3.15 NOK 29.87

-36.83%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$4.32 NOK 40.98

-21.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$11.53 NOK 109

64.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$13.93 NOK 132

-31.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$24.85 NOK 236

-24.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$3.05 NOK 28.88

-13.11%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$2.25 NOK 21.31

4.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$3.35 NOK 31.81

-37.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$4.08 NOK 38.73

-33.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$2.22 NOK 21.09

-11.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$2.15 NOK 20.39

-15.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$1.98 NOK 18.74

-23.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$1.89 NOK 17.88

-52.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$14.21 NOK 135

-52.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$16.81 NOK 159

-52.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$3.18 NOK 30.18

-56.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$3.91 NOK 37.06

-38.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$4.24 NOK 40.18

-31.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

$72.3 NOK 686

-60.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$5.02 NOK 47.61

-8.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$1.39 NOK 13.20

46.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$61.8 NOK 586

-53.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$2.16 NOK 20.44

-15.74%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$35.2K NOK 334.2K

11.55%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$30.8K NOK 292.3K

5.34%

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

$187 €162

$61.5 NOK 583

203.36%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$44.27 NOK 420

-49.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$38.60 NOK 366

-5.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$70.7 NOK 670

-18.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$17.36 NOK 165

19.47%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$14.59 NOK 138

-26.18%

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

$725 €628

$240 NOK 2,280

201.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$4,151 NOK 39.4K

264.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$97.6 NOK 926

-10.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$46.42 NOK 440

-20.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$99.4 NOK 942

4.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$174 NOK 1,650

-31.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$1,238 NOK 11.7K

23.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$1,238 NOK 11.7K

-0.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$2,523 NOK 23.9K

8.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$2,199 NOK 20.9K

-9.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$5,590 NOK 53.0K

33.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$4,151 NOK 39.4K

26.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

$3,710 NOK 35.2K

-35.51%

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 27, 2026

Last update for Lillestrom: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $1,238 in Lillestrom. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lillestrom pays 55% 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 $103 in Lillestrom for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $425 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 Lillestrom: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Lillestrom differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $2,519 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 55% lower in Lillestrom. 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $1,238 in Lillestrom. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $240 in Lillestrom. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Lillestrom. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,359 in Barcelona versus $2,519 in Lillestrom, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Lillestrom. 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 Lillestrom 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 7% less than in Lillestrom. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.