Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Sarpsborg Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Sarpsborg

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $2,802 in Sarpsborg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $4,162 in Sarpsborg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $5,521 in Sarpsborg.

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 12% less than in Sarpsborg, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 81% above, Sarpsborg 105% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$40.12 NOK 378

-53.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$107 NOK 1,010

-35.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$19.57 NOK 184

-29.64%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$5.76 NOK 54.2

-46.18%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$2.90 NOK 27.37

-2.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$2.65 NOK 25.01

-29.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$8.82 NOK 83.2

-54.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$11.73 NOK 111

-61.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$2.36 NOK 22.24

-46.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$3.30 NOK 31.09

-34.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$3.76 NOK 35.40

-53.19%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$5.08 NOK 47.90

0.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$12.87 NOK 121

38.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$15.59 NOK 147

-38.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$29.86 NOK 281

-32.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$3.49 NOK 32.90

-6.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$2.78 NOK 26.16

-19.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$3.60 NOK 33.90

-27.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$4.52 NOK 42.58

-38.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$2.60 NOK 24.51

-15.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$2.98 NOK 28.08

-28.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$3.11 NOK 29.30

-50.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$2.33 NOK 21.97

-59.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$19.68 NOK 185

-62.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$17.86 NOK 168

-54.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$3.61 NOK 34.03

-57.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$4.32 NOK 40.74

-35.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$2.70 NOK 25.46

15.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$77.7 NOK 732

-66.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$10.98 NOK 104

-70.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.95 NOK 18.39

-24.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$73.9 NOK 696

-53.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$2.18 NOK 20.53

-20.64%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$45.0K NOK 423.6K

-19.10%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$40.2K NOK 378.5K

-23.97%

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

$187 €163

$273 NOK 2,571

-31.42%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$30.00 NOK 283

-49.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$59.3 NOK 559

-36.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$51.4 NOK 484

8.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$32.10 NOK 302

-46.79%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$16.91 NOK 159

-32.53%

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

$997 €869

$253 NOK 2,384

293.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$13.2K NOK 124.2K

25.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$97.1 NOK 915

-4.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$52.2 NOK 492

-21.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$113 NOK 1,065

-1.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$182 NOK 1,711

-31.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$1,257 NOK 11.8K

35.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$1,038 NOK 9,785

23.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$1,609 NOK 15.2K

59.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$1,388 NOK 13.1K

39.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$6,265 NOK 59.0K

22.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$4,159 NOK 39.2K

24.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$2,721 NOK 25.6K

-13.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

5.18

-39.00%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Sarpsborg: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $1,257 in Sarpsborg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sarpsborg pays 16% 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 $107 in Sarpsborg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $486 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 Sarpsborg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Sarpsborg differ by about 13% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $2,802 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 16% lower in Sarpsborg. 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 $1,257 in Sarpsborg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $253 in Sarpsborg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 45% higher in Sarpsborg. 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 Sarpsborg 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 13% less than in Sarpsborg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.