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: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $2,561 in Sarpsborg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $3,771 in Sarpsborg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $4,982 in Sarpsborg.

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 9% less than in Sarpsborg, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Sarpsborg 91% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$37.65 NOK 357

-54.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$92.3 NOK 876

-24.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$18.53 NOK 176

-25.63%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$5.28 NOK 50.1

-47.73%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$2.68 NOK 25.40

4.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$2.60 NOK 24.70

-23.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$5.89 NOK 55.9

-25.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$7.79 NOK 73.9

-39.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$2.26 NOK 21.41

-42.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$3.29 NOK 31.18

-37.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$3.14 NOK 29.85

-36.62%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$4.37 NOK 41.52

-22.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$11.93 NOK 113

57.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$14.93 NOK 142

-37.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$28.14 NOK 267

-32.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$3.60 NOK 34.19

-25.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$2.47 NOK 23.46

-5.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$3.32 NOK 31.54

-36.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$4.35 NOK 41.26

-34.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$2.48 NOK 23.58

-20.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$2.49 NOK 23.67

-27.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$2.78 NOK 26.37

-47.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$1.82 NOK 17.24

-52.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$15.31 NOK 145

-55.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$19.10 NOK 181

-58.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$3.40 NOK 32.24

-59.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$3.99 NOK 37.88

-40.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$2.47 NOK 23.40

18.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

$74.1 NOK 703

-61.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$10.15 NOK 96.3

-56.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.40 NOK 13.30

46.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$45.99 NOK 437

-35.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$2.14 NOK 20.32

-14.95%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$36.1K NOK 342.9K

7.47%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$38.6K NOK 366.1K

-14.18%

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

$189 €163

$238 NOK 2,263

-20.63%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$38.10 NOK 362

-40.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$56.1 NOK 532

-32.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$50.1 NOK 476

15.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$36.13 NOK 343

-42.60%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$16.31 NOK 155

-33.66%

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

$728 €628

$284 NOK 2,692

156.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$10.1K NOK 95.8K

46.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$97.6 NOK 926

-9.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$52.8 NOK 501

-30.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$109 NOK 1,033

-6.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$150 NOK 1,421

-22.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$1,209 NOK 11.5K

29.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$903 NOK 8,572

34.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$1,492 NOK 14.2K

87.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$1,319 NOK 12.5K

49.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$6,022 NOK 57.2K

28.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

$4,474 NOK 42.5K

15.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

$2,685 NOK 25.5K

-12.74%

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 7, 2026

Last update for Sarpsborg: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $1,209 in Sarpsborg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sarpsborg pays 15% 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 $92.0 in Sarpsborg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $457 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 10% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $2,561 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Sarpsborg earns 15% 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: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $1,209 in Sarpsborg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $284 in Sarpsborg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% 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 10% less than in Sarpsborg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.