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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $2,748 in Trondheim.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $4,158 in Trondheim.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $5,569 in Trondheim.

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 14% less than in Trondheim, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Trondheim 105% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.26

$22.17 NOK 210

-20.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €59.4

$122 NOK 1,157

-44.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.20

$14.43 NOK 136

-2.56%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$4.84 NOK 45.79

-42.56%

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

$2.80 €2.43

$3.58 NOK 33.88

-21.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.79

$2.91 NOK 27.49

-29.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.87

$10.67 NOK 101

-58.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €4.00

$11.42 NOK 108

-59.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.08

$2.60 NOK 24.62

-52.31%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.76

$3.50 NOK 33.06

-42.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.67

$3.84 NOK 36.33

-50.00%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.87

$4.43 NOK 41.88

-25.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.99

$12.20 NOK 115

51.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.23

$14.90 NOK 141

-36.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.62

$28.82 NOK 272

-33.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.29

$3.85 NOK 36.44

-31.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.12

$2.95 NOK 27.85

-16.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.84

$2.64 NOK 24.92

-19.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.47

$5.18 NOK 48.95

-44.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.77

$2.89 NOK 27.35

-29.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.61

$3.28 NOK 31.02

-43.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.28

$3.17 NOK 29.93

-53.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$2.39 NOK 22.58

-64.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.20

$15.01 NOK 142

-52.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.84

$18.82 NOK 178

-58.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.20

$3.84 NOK 36.28

-64.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €2.00

$4.67 NOK 44.13

-50.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.59

$4.65 NOK 43.96

-35.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.39

$91.3 NOK 863

-67.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.99

$15.44 NOK 146

-70.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.79

$2.28 NOK 21.52

-9.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.32

$87.6 NOK 828

-66.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.60

$2.17 NOK 20.50

-15.21%

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

$39.0K €33.8K

$32.0K NOK 302.5K

21.91%

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

$32.7K €28.4K

$41.8K NOK 395.0K

-21.75%

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

$188 €163

$317 NOK 3,000

-40.82%

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

$22.93 €19.90

$43.17 NOK 408

-46.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.85

$75.4 NOK 712

-51.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.78

$42.29 NOK 400

35.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.96

$46.17 NOK 436

-55.17%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.71

$17.30 NOK 164

-35.32%

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

$721 €625

$326 NOK 3,084

121.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.1K

$8,458 NOK 80.0K

77.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.8

$113 NOK 1,070

-23.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €32.16

$48.03 NOK 454

-22.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €88.5

$130 NOK 1,227

-21.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €101

$132 NOK 1,251

-12.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,331

$1,407 NOK 13.3K

9.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,059

$1,080 NOK 10.2K

12.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,339

$2,208 NOK 20.9K

22.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,747

$1,702 NOK 16.1K

18.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,264

$6,371 NOK 60.2K

13.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,502

$5,083 NOK 48.1K

2.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,047

$4,336 NOK 41.0K

-45.59%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Trondheim: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $1,407 in Trondheim. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Trondheim pays 84% 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 $122 in Trondheim for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $488 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 16% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $2,748 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Trondheim earns 84% 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $1,407 in Trondheim. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $326 in Trondheim. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 54% higher in Trondheim. 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 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 16% less than in Trondheim. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.