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: $2,907 in Bergen versus $2,495 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,400 in Bergen versus $3,550 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,894 in Bergen versus $4,605 in Barcelona.

Living in Bergen is roughly 17% more expensive than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 112% above, Barcelona 82% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.49 NOK 238

$18.39 €15.87

38.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$141 NOK 1,309

$69.2 €59.7

103.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.21 NOK 151

$14.13 €12.19

14.72%

Cappuccino

$5.63 NOK 52.5

$3.13 €2.70

79.87%

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

$5.28 NOK 49.18

$3.02 €2.60

74.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 NOK 44.12

$1.96 €1.69

141.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.91 NOK 120

$4.00 €3.45

222.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.52 NOK 98.0

$4.76 €4.11

121.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.48 NOK 23.08

$1.25 €1.08

98.40%

White Bread (500g)

$3.83 NOK 35.70

$2.16 €1.87

77.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.58 NOK 33.31

$1.69 €1.45

111.83%

Eggs

$6.70 NOK 62.5

$4.93 €4.26

35.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.27 NOK 142

$17.88 €15.43

-14.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.52 NOK 163

$9.61 €8.29

82.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$35.05 NOK 327

$19.34 €16.69

81.23%

Apples (1kg)

$4.22 NOK 39.28

$3.24 €2.79

30.25%

Banana (1kg)

$2.71 NOK 25.26

$2.18 €1.88

24.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.72 NOK 34.67

$2.67 €2.30

39.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.61 NOK 52.3

$2.77 €2.39

102.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.56 NOK 23.82

$2.21 €1.91

15.84%

Onion (1kg)

$3.48 NOK 32.38

$2.19 €1.89

58.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.03 NOK 28.22

$1.52 €1.31

99.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 NOK 18.50

$0.92 €0.80

116.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.89 NOK 167

$7.12 €6.14

151.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.74 NOK 175

$8.14 €7.02

130.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.62 NOK 33.70

$1.50 €1.29

141.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.24 NOK 39.52

$2.78 €2.40

52.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.17 NOK 48.14

$3.15 €2.72

64.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.2 NOK 840

$26.99 €23.29

234.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.70 NOK 118

$3.25 €2.80

290.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 NOK 17.74

$1.50 €1.30

26.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$73.1 NOK 681

$34.89 €30.11

109.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 NOK 20.90

$1.75 €1.51

28.00%

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

$49.8K NOK 463.6K

$36.7K €31.6K

35.73%

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

$43.8K NOK 408.1K

$30.9K €26.7K

41.57%

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

$286 NOK 2,662

$188 €162

52.29%

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

$31.94 NOK 298

$15.44 €13.32

106.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.6 NOK 732

$37.80 €32.61

107.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.64 NOK 416

$57.2 €49.34

-21.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$43.59 NOK 406

$16.80 €14.49

159.46%

Cinema Ticket

$19.25 NOK 179

$11.58 €9.99

66.23%

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

$241 NOK 2,242

$1,003 €865

-76.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K NOK 111.3K

$17.0K €14.7K

-29.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 NOK 994

$89.2 €77.0

19.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 NOK 506

$40.87 €35.27

32.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 NOK 1,145

$110 €94.9

11.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$169 NOK 1,576

$123 €106

37.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,514 NOK 14.1K

$1,673 €1,444

-9.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,119 NOK 10.4K

$1,331 €1,149

-15.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,489 NOK 23.2K

$2,596 €2,240

-4.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,758 NOK 16.4K

$1,950 €1,683

-9.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,741 NOK 72.1K

$7,573 €6,535

2.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,935 NOK 46.0K

$5,370 €4,634

-8.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,828 NOK 45.0K

$2,402 €2,073

100.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.31

3.16

68.04%

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

Last update for Bergen: August 30, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,514 in Bergen and $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 101% 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: $141 in Bergen vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $538 vs $332 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 17% in total monthly costs ($2,907 vs $2,495 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 101% 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: $1,514 in Bergen versus $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $241 in Bergen versus $1,003 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 62% 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 17% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.