Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,650 in Bergen versus $2,320 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,988 in Bergen versus $3,426 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,327 in Bergen versus $4,532 in Barcelona.

Living in Bergen is roughly 14% more expensive than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 98% above, Barcelona 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.72 NOK 248

$17.66 €15.43

45.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$103 NOK 993

$69.7 €60.9

47.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.51 NOK 188

$14.16 €12.37

37.78%

Cappuccino

$5.42 NOK 52.2

$2.80 €2.45

93.57%

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

$3.20 NOK 30.82

$2.81 €2.46

13.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 NOK 27.87

$2.06 €1.80

40.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.82 NOK 114

$4.60 €4.02

156.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.78 NOK 94.2

$4.69 €4.10

108.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.65 NOK 25.54

$1.23 €1.07

115.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.28 NOK 31.58

$2.03 €1.78

61.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.88 NOK 27.77

$1.98 €1.73

45.45%

Eggs

$4.90 NOK 47.23

$3.49 €3.05

40.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.20 NOK 137

$18.33 €16.01

-22.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.06 NOK 155

$9.83 €8.59

63.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.21 NOK 272

$19.13 €16.71

47.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.94 NOK 37.99

$2.73 €2.38

44.32%

Banana (1kg)

$2.96 NOK 28.52

$2.38 €2.08

24.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.75 NOK 36.17

$2.08 €1.82

80.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.62 NOK 54.2

$2.75 €2.41

104.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.73 NOK 26.29

$1.96 €1.71

39.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.91 NOK 28.04

$1.79 €1.57

62.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 NOK 27.00

$1.48 €1.29

89.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 NOK 20.64

$0.91 €0.80

135.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.95 NOK 163

$7.13 €6.23

137.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.26 NOK 166

$7.88 €6.88

119.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.30 NOK 31.80

$1.38 €1.20

139.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 NOK 42.18

$2.39 €2.09

83.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.47 NOK 43.07

$3.01 €2.63

48.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.2 NOK 783

$29.35 €25.65

176.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.23 NOK 147

$4.36 €3.81

249.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.25 NOK 21.66

$2.13 €1.86

5.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$72.5 NOK 699

$29.60 €25.86

145.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 NOK 20.51

$1.82 €1.59

17.03%

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

$35.3K NOK 340.4K

$37.9K €33.1K

-6.73%

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

$43.1K NOK 415.0K

$32.4K €28.3K

33.06%

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

$242 NOK 2,333

$189 €165

28.16%

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

$38.51 NOK 371

$22.29 €19.48

72.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.7 NOK 623

$37.16 €32.47

74.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.9 NOK 520

$58.0 €50.7

-7.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.36 NOK 389

$20.66 €18.05

95.35%

Cinema Ticket

$20.20 NOK 195

$10.87 €9.50

85.83%

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

$286 NOK 2,753

$706 €617

-59.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K NOK 121.0K

$14.9K €13.0K

-15.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.1 NOK 878

$89.4 €78.2

1.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.5 NOK 535

$36.60 €31.98

51.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 NOK 1,071

$104 €90.9

6.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$145 NOK 1,400

$119 €104

21.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,284 NOK 12.4K

$1,579 €1,379

-18.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$976 NOK 9,397

$1,238 €1,082

-21.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,019 NOK 19.4K

$2,712 €2,370

-25.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,558 NOK 15.0K

$2,039 €1,782

-23.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,575 NOK 73.0K

$7,527 €6,576

0.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,645 NOK 44.7K

$5,239 €4,577

-11.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,344 NOK 41.8K

$2,364 €2,065

83.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.85

3.39

43.07%

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

Last update for Bergen: July 12, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,284 in Bergen and $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen 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: $103 in Bergen vs $70.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $489 vs $320 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

Bergen vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bergen and Barcelona differ by about 14% in total monthly costs ($2,650 vs $2,320 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 84% higher in Bergen, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,284 in Bergen versus $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $286 in Bergen versus $706 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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

At $2,320 in Barcelona versus $2,650 in Bergen, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Bergen. 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, Bergen and Barcelona 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 14% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.