Cost of Living Comparison Between Drammen and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Drammen and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,650 in Drammen versus $2,441 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,055 in Drammen versus $3,477 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,460 in Drammen versus $4,513 in Barcelona.

Living in Drammen is roughly 9% more expensive than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Drammen 96% above, Barcelona 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.89 NOK 201

$18.35 €16.30

13.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$127 NOK 1,217

$66.9 €59.4

89.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.89 NOK 105

$13.75 €12.21

-20.80%

Cappuccino

$5.20 NOK 49.98

$3.17 €2.81

64.04%

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

$3.96 NOK 38.02

$2.88 €2.55

37.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 NOK 19.07

$1.95 €1.73

1.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.53 NOK 111

$3.89 €3.45

196.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.64 NOK 63.8

$4.50 €3.99

47.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.51 NOK 24.11

$1.28 €1.14

96.09%

White Bread (500g)

$4.10 NOK 39.38

$2.07 €1.84

98.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.65 NOK 44.64

$1.79 €1.59

159.78%

Eggs

$4.75 NOK 45.63

$5.04 €4.48

-5.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.78 NOK 132

$17.29 €15.36

-20.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.28 NOK 147

$9.41 €8.36

62.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$29.64 NOK 285

$19.40 €17.23

52.78%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 NOK 32.46

$3.18 €2.82

6.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.58 NOK 24.82

$2.09 €1.86

23.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.53 NOK 33.94

$2.64 €2.35

33.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.93 NOK 57.0

$2.83 €2.52

109.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.74 NOK 26.36

$2.20 €1.96

24.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.91 NOK 27.97

$2.14 €1.90

35.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.11 NOK 29.84

$1.59 €1.42

95.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 NOK 23.78

$0.93 €0.83

166.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.89 NOK 162

$7.25 €6.44

132.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.00 NOK 154

$8.00 €7.11

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.38 NOK 32.50

$1.47 €1.31

129.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 NOK 40.86

$2.77 €2.46

53.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.39 NOK 32.59

$2.94 €2.61

15.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.9 NOK 903

$25.97 €23.07

261.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$11.88 NOK 114

$3.06 €2.72

288.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 NOK 17.45

$1.51 €1.34

20.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$69.5 NOK 668

$34.08 €30.28

104.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.26 NOK 21.76

$1.71 €1.52

32.16%

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

$45.0K NOK 432.3K

$36.3K €32.2K

24.07%

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

$45.2K NOK 434.0K

$30.6K €27.2K

47.41%

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

$263 NOK 2,526

$183 €163

43.33%

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

$32.92 NOK 316

$14.76 €13.11

123.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.3 NOK 512

$36.68 €32.58

45.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.0 NOK 769

$55.8 €49.60

43.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.50 €14.66

Cinema Ticket

$17.59 NOK 169

$11.30 €10.03

55.66%

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

$244 NOK 2,342

$983 €873

-75.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K NOK 150.6K

$16.7K €14.8K

-6.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$100 NOK 963

$91.9 €81.7

9.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.1 NOK 587

$40.15 €35.66

52.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 NOK 1,266

$108 €96.3

21.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$151 NOK 1,455

$122 €109

23.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,334 NOK 12.8K

$1,689 €1,500

-21.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$998 NOK 9,592

$1,323 €1,175

-24.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,082 NOK 20.0K

$2,617 €2,325

-20.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,567 NOK 15.1K

$1,924 €1,709

-18.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.7K NOK 102.6K

$7,336 €6,517

45.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,248 NOK 60.0K

$5,253 €4,666

18.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,633 NOK 34.9K

$2,313 €2,055

57.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

3.16

43.67%

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

Last update for Drammen: September 27, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: September 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,334 in Drammen and $1,689 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Drammen pays 57% 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: $127 in Drammen vs $67.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $500 vs $328 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

Drammen vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Drammen and Barcelona differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($2,650 vs $2,441 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 57% higher in Drammen, 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: $1,334 in Drammen versus $1,689 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $244 in Drammen versus $983 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 52% higher in Drammen. 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, Drammen 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 9% less than in Drammen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.