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: $2,605 in Bergen versus $2,367 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,923 in Bergen versus $3,465 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,240 in Bergen versus $4,563 in Barcelona.

Living in Bergen is roughly 10% more expensive than Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 94% above, Barcelona 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.78 NOK 240

$17.58 €15.14

46.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$100 NOK 933

$68.4 €58.9

46.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.96 NOK 176

$14.06 €12.10

34.85%

Cappuccino

$5.36 NOK 49.93

$2.78 €2.39

92.81%

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

$3.21 NOK 29.92

$2.80 €2.41

14.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 NOK 28.20

$2.06 €1.78

47.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.53 NOK 107

$4.46 €3.84

158.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.67 NOK 90.0

$4.61 €3.97

109.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.64 NOK 24.55

$1.24 €1.07

112.90%

White Bread (500g)

$3.36 NOK 31.27

$2.03 €1.75

65.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.90 NOK 26.97

$1.92 €1.65

51.04%

Eggs

$5.11 NOK 47.55

$3.31 €2.85

54.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 NOK 130

$18.43 €15.87

-24.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.06 NOK 150

$9.49 €8.17

69.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.05 NOK 261

$19.16 €16.50

46.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.75 NOK 34.91

$2.64 €2.27

42.05%

Banana (1kg)

$2.94 NOK 27.35

$2.45 €2.11

20.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.61 NOK 33.63

$2.12 €1.83

70.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.52 NOK 51.4

$2.85 €2.45

93.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 NOK 25.30

$2.04 €1.75

33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.77 NOK 25.78

$1.85 €1.59

49.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 NOK 26.50

$1.47 €1.27

93.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 NOK 19.99

$0.84 €0.73

155.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.93 NOK 158

$7.14 €6.15

137.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.39 NOK 171

$7.88 €6.79

133.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.35 NOK 31.15

$1.38 €1.19

142.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 NOK 39.76

$2.31 €1.99

84.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.56 NOK 42.49

$2.98 €2.57

53.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 NOK 750

$29.26 €25.20

175.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.36 NOK 143

$4.60 €3.96

233.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.28 NOK 21.19

$2.07 €1.78

10.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$72.7 NOK 677

$29.18 €25.13

149.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.16 NOK 20.15

$1.84 €1.58

17.39%

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

$35.0K NOK 325.9K

$39.0K €33.6K

-10.27%

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

$43.6K NOK 405.6K

$32.7K €28.2K

33.24%

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

$238 NOK 2,212

$188 €162

26.49%

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

$38.16 NOK 355

$22.93 €19.75

66.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.1 NOK 596

$36.71 €31.61

74.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.2 NOK 514

$57.4 €49.41

-3.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.59 NOK 378

$20.70 €17.82

96.09%

Cinema Ticket

$19.99 NOK 186

$11.19 €9.64

78.64%

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

$281 NOK 2,615

$721 €621

-61.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K NOK 120.3K

$15.0K €13.0K

-14.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.5 NOK 843

$86.2 €74.2

4.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.0 NOK 512

$37.07 €31.92

48.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 NOK 1,037

$102 €87.9

9.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$147 NOK 1,372

$116 €99.8

27.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 NOK 11.9K

$1,534 €1,321

-16.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$997 NOK 9,283

$1,220 €1,051

-18.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,004 NOK 18.7K

$2,696 €2,321

-25.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,576 NOK 14.7K

$2,013 €1,734

-21.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,998 NOK 74.5K

$7,220 €6,217

10.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,773 NOK 44.4K

$5,189 €4,468

-8.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,646 NOK 43.3K

$2,359 €2,032

96.93%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,275 in Bergen and $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 97% 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: $100 in Bergen vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $490 vs $318 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 10% in total monthly costs ($2,605 vs $2,367 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Bergen pays 97% more on average, 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: $1,275 in Bergen versus $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $281 in Bergen versus $721 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 54% higher in Bergen. 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, 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 10% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.