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: $2,399 in Barcelona versus $2,481 in Lillestrom.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,496 in Barcelona versus $3,944 in Lillestrom.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,592 in Barcelona versus $5,407 in Lillestrom.

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 3% less than in Lillestrom, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 80% above, Lillestrom 86% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.68 €15.42

$20.53 NOK 200

-13.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.1 €61.1

$103 NOK 1,003

-31.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.66 €11.91

$10.83 NOK 105

26.13%

Cappuccino

$2.74 €2.39

$4.79 NOK 46.64

-42.80%

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

$2.79 €2.43

$2.45 NOK 23.88

13.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.71

$2.15 NOK 20.96

-8.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.81

$9.18 NOK 89.4

-52.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 €3.99

$9.95 NOK 97.0

-53.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.13

$2.13 NOK 20.71

-39.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.79

$3.43 NOK 33.40

-40.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$3.16 NOK 30.74

-37.34%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.96

$4.16 NOK 40.56

-18.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.64 €16.26

$11.53 NOK 112

61.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.56 €8.34

$13.69 NOK 133

-30.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.83 €16.43

$25.02 NOK 244

-24.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 €2.40

$3.08 NOK 30.04

-10.71%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 €2.15

$2.34 NOK 22.83

5.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$3.27 NOK 31.80

-35.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.82 €2.46

$3.99 NOK 38.83

-29.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 €1.76

$2.25 NOK 21.95

-10.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.61

$2.15 NOK 20.98

-13.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.32

$2.07 NOK 20.15

-27.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.78

$1.91 NOK 18.56

-52.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.06 €6.16

$14.14 NOK 138

-50.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 €6.96

$16.95 NOK 165

-52.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.25

$3.14 NOK 30.62

-54.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €2.00

$3.95 NOK 38.51

-42.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 €2.51

$4.29 NOK 41.83

-32.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.77

$72.1 NOK 702

-60.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 €3.82

$5.19 NOK 50.5

-15.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.87

$1.39 NOK 13.56

53.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.15 €25.44

$60.3 NOK 587

-51.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.63

$2.08 NOK 20.30

-10.58%

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

$39.0K €34.0K

$35.2K NOK 342.6K

10.82%

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

$32.7K €28.5K

$30.8K NOK 299.9K

6.19%

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

$189 €165

$59.5 NOK 580

217.60%

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

$22.71 €19.82

$42.80 NOK 417

-46.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.51 €31.85

$37.55 NOK 366

-2.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 €50.3

$70.1 NOK 682

-17.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.37 €18.64

$17.58 NOK 171

21.56%

Cinema Ticket

$10.81 €9.43

$14.50 NOK 141

-25.45%

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

$726 €634

$235 NOK 2,292

208.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K €13.2K

$4,147 NOK 40.4K

264.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €76.5

$96.6 NOK 940

-9.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.89 €32.19

$46.78 NOK 456

-21.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €90.3

$99.9 NOK 973

3.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €102

$180 NOK 1,754

-35.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 €1,373

$1,239 NOK 12.1K

27.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,064

$1,208 NOK 11.8K

0.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,711 €2,366

$2,471 NOK 24.1K

9.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,966 €1,716

$2,242 NOK 21.8K

-12.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,811 €6,815

$6,150 NOK 59.9K

27.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,267 €4,595

$4,832 NOK 47.1K

9.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,375 €2,072

$3,695 NOK 36.0K

-35.73%

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: June 14, 2026

Last update for Lillestrom: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,573 in Barcelona and $1,239 in Lillestrom. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lillestrom pays 56% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $103 in Lillestrom for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $321 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 3% in total monthly costs ($2,399 vs $2,481 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 56% 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: $1,573 in Barcelona versus $1,239 in Lillestrom. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $235 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 $2,399 in Barcelona versus $2,481 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 3% less than in Lillestrom. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.