Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Stavanger Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Stavanger

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,399 in Barcelona versus $2,773 in Stavanger.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,496 in Barcelona versus $4,172 in Stavanger.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,592 in Barcelona versus $5,570 in Stavanger.

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 13% less than in Stavanger, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 80% above, Stavanger 108% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.68 €15.22

$25.16 NOK 238

-29.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.1 €60.3

$120 NOK 1,137

-41.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.66 €11.76

$14.88 NOK 141

-8.20%

Cappuccino

$2.74 €2.36

$5.21 NOK 49.33

-47.41%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$3.91 NOK 37.04

-28.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$3.35 NOK 31.75

-41.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$10.96 NOK 104

-60.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 €3.94

$10.32 NOK 97.8

-55.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$2.34 NOK 22.21

-44.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$3.14 NOK 29.78

-34.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.71

$4.45 NOK 42.15

-55.51%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$4.47 NOK 42.30

-24.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.64 €16.05

$13.02 NOK 123

43.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.56 €8.23

$16.38 NOK 155

-41.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.83 €16.22

$27.93 NOK 265

-32.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 €2.37

$3.59 NOK 34.00

-23.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 €2.13

$2.55 NOK 24.13

-3.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 €1.80

$3.06 NOK 28.99

-31.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.82 €2.43

$4.74 NOK 44.89

-40.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 €1.74

$2.15 NOK 20.36

-6.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$2.91 NOK 27.57

-36.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.30

$2.53 NOK 23.96

-40.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$1.74 NOK 16.51

-48.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.06 €6.08

$14.98 NOK 142

-52.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 €6.87

$18.43 NOK 175

-56.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.23

$3.62 NOK 34.32

-60.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €1.97

$4.14 NOK 39.23

-44.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 €2.48

$4.45 NOK 42.11

-35.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.45

$68.1 NOK 645

-58.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 €3.77

$15.31 NOK 145

-71.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.84

$2.13 NOK 20.21

0.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.15 €25.10

$100 NOK 951

-70.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.61

$2.22 NOK 21.07

-16.22%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$34.2K NOK 324.3K

13.83%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$33.3K NOK 315.6K

-1.86%

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

$189 €163

$191 NOK 1,812

-1.14%

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

$22.71 €19.56

$42.07 NOK 398

-46.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.51 €31.43

$81.5 NOK 772

-55.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 €49.59

$55.9 NOK 530

2.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.37 €18.40

$35.10 NOK 332

-39.12%

Cinema Ticket

$10.81 €9.31

$18.95 NOK 180

-42.96%

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

$726 €625

$314 NOK 2,976

131.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K €13.0K

$12.8K NOK 121.5K

17.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €75.5

$117 NOK 1,110

-25.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.89 €31.77

$60.1 NOK 569

-38.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €89.2

$105 NOK 994

-1.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$156 NOK 1,480

-25.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 €1,355

$1,591 NOK 15.1K

-1.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$1,148 NOK 10.9K

6.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,711 €2,335

$2,775 NOK 26.3K

-2.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,966 €1,693

$1,773 NOK 16.8K

10.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,811 €6,726

$6,070 NOK 57.5K

28.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,267 €4,535

$5,176 NOK 49.0K

1.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,375 €2,045

$4,897 NOK 46.4K

-51.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.51

-24.83%

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 14, 2026

Last update for Stavanger: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,573 in Barcelona and $1,591 in Stavanger. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stavanger pays 106% 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 $120 in Stavanger for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $321 vs $471 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 Stavanger: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Stavanger differ by about 16% in total monthly costs ($2,399 vs $2,773 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Stavanger earns 106% 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: $1,573 in Barcelona versus $1,591 in Stavanger. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $314 in Stavanger. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 47% higher in Stavanger. 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 Stavanger 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 16% less than in Stavanger. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.