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: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $2,531 in Sarpsborg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $3,800 in Sarpsborg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $5,068 in Sarpsborg.

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 7% less than in Sarpsborg, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Sarpsborg 90% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.96

$38.33 NOK 368

-55.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €59.3

$92.9 NOK 891

-26.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.89

$18.37 NOK 176

-25.75%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.42

$5.45 NOK 52.3

-48.99%

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

$2.82 €2.46

$2.74 NOK 26.26

2.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.71

$2.50 NOK 23.96

-21.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.86

$5.92 NOK 56.8

-25.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €4.01

$7.85 NOK 75.3

-41.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$2.25 NOK 21.60

-43.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.86

$3.43 NOK 32.87

-37.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.73

$3.30 NOK 31.69

-39.70%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.93

$4.35 NOK 41.68

-22.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.53

$11.81 NOK 113

60.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.31

$14.83 NOK 142

-35.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.33

$27.38 NOK 263

-31.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.31

$3.53 NOK 33.89

-24.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$2.49 NOK 23.86

-5.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.82

$3.31 NOK 31.78

-36.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.38

$4.40 NOK 42.21

-37.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.71

$2.45 NOK 23.51

-20.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.58

$2.56 NOK 24.60

-29.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.32

$2.76 NOK 26.52

-45.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.78

$1.82 NOK 17.41

-51.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.91

$15.07 NOK 145

-55.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.90

$16.63 NOK 160

-52.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$3.28 NOK 31.48

-58.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.09

$3.98 NOK 38.21

-39.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.54

$2.51 NOK 24.12

15.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.98

$73.1 NOK 701

-60.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.99

$10.02 NOK 96.1

-54.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.78

$1.45 NOK 13.93

40.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €25.03

$46.91 NOK 450

-38.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.59

$2.08 NOK 19.92

-12.50%

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

$39.3K €34.3K

$36.1K NOK 346.1K

8.97%

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

$32.5K €28.3K

$39.2K NOK 376.1K

-17.18%

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

$187 €163

$238 NOK 2,282

-21.55%

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

$22.29 €19.43

$38.73 NOK 372

-42.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.71

$55.2 NOK 529

-34.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €50.2

$49.40 NOK 474

16.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €18.08

$34.87 NOK 334

-40.52%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.39

$16.78 NOK 161

-35.82%

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

$725 €632

$288 NOK 2,761

151.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.2K

$10.1K NOK 97.0K

49.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.6

$95.4 NOK 915

-7.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €32.09

$52.7 NOK 506

-30.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €90.2

$106 NOK 1,021

-2.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$151 NOK 1,449

-21.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,328

$1,192 NOK 11.4K

27.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,070

$885 NOK 8,493

38.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,378

$1,532 NOK 14.7K

78.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,730

$1,290 NOK 12.4K

53.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,511

$5,754 NOK 55.2K

29.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,571

$4,063 NOK 39.0K

29.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,086

$2,612 NOK 25.1K

-8.41%

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 Sarpsborg: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $1,192 in Sarpsborg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sarpsborg pays 9% 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 $93.0 in Sarpsborg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $450 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 7% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $2,531 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 9% 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $1,192 in Sarpsborg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $288 in Sarpsborg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% higher in Sarpsborg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,359 in Barcelona versus $2,531 in Sarpsborg, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Sarpsborg. 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 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 7% less than in Sarpsborg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.