Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Trondheim Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Trondheim

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,336 in Barcelona versus $2,769 in Trondheim.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,475 in Barcelona versus $4,199 in Trondheim.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,614 in Barcelona versus $5,628 in Trondheim.

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 16% less than in Trondheim, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Trondheim 107% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.45 €14.88

$22.24 NOK 207

-21.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.8 €59.6

$120 NOK 1,120

-42.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.91 €11.86

$14.02 NOK 130

-0.78%

Cappuccino

$2.74 €2.34

$4.76 NOK 44.30

-42.44%

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

$2.70 €2.30

$3.62 NOK 33.68

-25.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 €1.73

$3.00 NOK 27.86

-32.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.51 €3.85

$10.48 NOK 97.5

-56.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.93

$11.60 NOK 108

-60.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.09

$2.52 NOK 23.44

-49.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 €1.79

$3.46 NOK 32.19

-39.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.70

$3.86 NOK 35.89

-48.45%

Eggs

$3.45 €2.95

$4.45 NOK 41.37

-22.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.61 €15.87

$12.26 NOK 114

51.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.41 €8.03

$15.12 NOK 141

-37.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.70 €15.95

$28.16 NOK 262

-33.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 €2.22

$3.90 NOK 36.27

-33.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.39 €2.04

$2.86 NOK 26.62

-16.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 €1.86

$2.63 NOK 24.44

-16.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.81 €2.40

$5.28 NOK 49.08

-46.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 €1.73

$3.02 NOK 28.12

-32.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 €1.60

$3.35 NOK 31.13

-44.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.24

$3.14 NOK 29.23

-53.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$2.52 NOK 23.43

-63.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.82

$15.30 NOK 142

-55.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.71 €6.58

$18.44 NOK 172

-58.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$3.70 NOK 34.38

-62.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 €1.99

$4.70 NOK 43.74

-50.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 €2.46

$4.60 NOK 42.76

-37.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.04 €24.77

$94.2 NOK 876

-69.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.78

$15.28 NOK 142

-71.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.82

$2.25 NOK 20.94

-4.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.96 €24.71

$89.5 NOK 832

-67.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 €1.62

$2.16 NOK 20.13

-12.04%

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

$37.9K €32.3K

$31.6K NOK 294.2K

19.80%

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

$33.3K €28.4K

$42.2K NOK 392.6K

-21.12%

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

$186 €158

$323 NOK 3,000

-42.45%

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

$22.17 €18.91

$42.66 NOK 397

-48.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.52 €31.15

$74.3 NOK 691

-50.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.4 €49.81

$41.93 NOK 390

39.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.75 €17.70

$46.26 NOK 430

-55.14%

Cinema Ticket

$11.10 €9.47

$17.54 NOK 163

-36.72%

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

$705 €601

$328 NOK 3,054

114.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$8,586 NOK 79.9K

77.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 €73.7

$110 NOK 1,023

-21.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.88 €31.46

$47.72 NOK 444

-22.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €88.8

$126 NOK 1,170

-17.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 €98.4

$132 NOK 1,230

-12.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,538 €1,312

$1,377 NOK 12.8K

11.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 €1,060

$1,077 NOK 10.0K

15.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,728 €2,327

$2,227 NOK 20.7K

22.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,011 €1,716

$1,686 NOK 15.7K

19.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,155 €6,104

$6,271 NOK 58.3K

14.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,843 €4,131

$4,863 NOK 45.2K

-0.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,474 €2,111

$4,445 NOK 41.3K

-44.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.32

-21.53%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 19, 2026

Last update for Trondheim: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,538 in Barcelona and $1,377 in Trondheim. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Trondheim pays 80% 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 in Barcelona vs $120 in Trondheim for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $487 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 Trondheim: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Trondheim differ by about 19% in total monthly costs ($2,336 vs $2,769 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Trondheim earns 80% 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: $1,538 in Barcelona versus $1,377 in Trondheim. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $705 in Barcelona versus $328 in Trondheim. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 53% higher in Trondheim. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,336 in Barcelona versus $2,769 in Trondheim, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Trondheim. 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 Trondheim 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 19% less than in Trondheim. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.