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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $2,663 in Lillestrom.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $4,157 in Lillestrom.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $5,651 in Lillestrom.

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 7% less than in Lillestrom, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 81% above, Lillestrom 95% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.32

$21.44 NOK 202

-12.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.5

$122 NOK 1,151

-43.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €11.99

$11.74 NOK 111

17.29%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$6.34 NOK 59.7

-51.10%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$4.21 NOK 39.62

-32.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$3.26 NOK 30.74

-42.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$12.57 NOK 118

-68.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$10.88 NOK 103

-58.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$2.41 NOK 22.67

-47.30%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$3.78 NOK 35.62

-42.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$4.28 NOK 40.28

-58.88%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$5.97 NOK 56.3

-14.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.58

$13.60 NOK 128

31.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$14.03 NOK 132

-31.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.55

$28.41 NOK 268

-29.07%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.83

$3.56 NOK 33.57

-8.71%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$2.92 NOK 27.53

-23.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$4.41 NOK 41.57

-41.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$5.36 NOK 50.5

-48.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$2.97 NOK 27.93

-25.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$3.78 NOK 35.57

-43.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.86 NOK 17.56

-16.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$2.43 NOK 22.90

-60.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$18.18 NOK 171

-59.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$16.86 NOK 159

-52.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$5.80 NOK 54.6

-73.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$5.88 NOK 55.4

-52.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$4.60 NOK 43.35

-32.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.53

$87.5 NOK 824

-70.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$11.87 NOK 112

-72.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.83 NOK 17.23

-19.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.86

$81.9 NOK 771

-58.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$2.32 NOK 21.84

-25.43%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$49.1K NOK 462.5K

-25.92%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$49.2K NOK 463.1K

-37.87%

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

$187 €163

$258 NOK 2,432

-27.52%

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

$15.14 €13.19

$36.16 NOK 341

-58.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.83

$64.6 NOK 608

-41.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.73

$51.2 NOK 482

9.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.88

$36.85 NOK 347

-53.65%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.94

$18.04 NOK 170

-36.75%

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

$997 €868

$250 NOK 2,359

298.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$13.3K NOK 125.7K

23.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.7

$102 NOK 960

-9.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.91

$56.8 NOK 535

-27.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$127 NOK 1,198

-12.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$159 NOK 1,495

-21.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,487

$1,306 NOK 12.3K

30.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,120

$1,027 NOK 9,670

25.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,235

$2,049 NOK 19.3K

25.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,692

$1,690 NOK 15.9K

14.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,662

$6,240 NOK 58.8K

22.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,501

$4,378 NOK 41.2K

18.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,046

$3,815 NOK 35.9K

-38.44%

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 Lillestrom: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $1,306 in Lillestrom. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lillestrom pays 62% 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 $122 in Lillestrom for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $506 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 8% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $2,663 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 62% 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $1,306 in Lillestrom. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

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

Supermarket bills run roughly 51% higher in Lillestrom. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Barcelona is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 8% less than in Lillestrom. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.