Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamar and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamar and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,379 in Hamar versus $2,359 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,737 in Hamar versus $3,498 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,095 in Hamar versus $4,638 in Barcelona.

Living in Hamar is roughly 1% more expensive than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hamar 79% above, Barcelona 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.39 NOK 241

$17.15 €14.86

48.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 NOK 1,157

$68.1 €58.9

79.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.27 NOK 145

$13.64 €11.82

11.95%

Cappuccino

$5.07 NOK 48.03

$2.78 €2.41

82.37%

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

$4.21 NOK 39.92

$2.82 €2.44

49.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 NOK 30.12

$1.96 €1.70

62.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.96 NOK 113

$4.43 €3.84

169.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.19 NOK 77.6

$4.61 €3.99

77.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 NOK 19.93

$1.27 €1.10

65.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.84 NOK 26.97

$2.13 €1.85

33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 NOK 19.40

$1.99 €1.72

3.02%

Eggs

$5.20 NOK 49.27

$3.37 €2.92

54.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 NOK 98.8

$18.96 €16.42

-45.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.20 NOK 116

$9.53 €8.26

28.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$31.13 NOK 295

$18.73 €16.22

66.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.44 NOK 32.66

$2.65 €2.29

29.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.50 NOK 23.69

$2.35 €2.04

6.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 NOK 27.37

$2.09 €1.81

38.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.08 NOK 48.21

$2.73 €2.37

86.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.38 NOK 22.55

$1.96 €1.70

21.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 NOK 22.69

$1.81 €1.56

32.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 NOK 18.96

$1.51 €1.31

32.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 NOK 17.92

$0.89 €0.77

112.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.40 NOK 165

$6.78 €5.87

156.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.04 NOK 171

$7.92 €6.86

127.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.52 NOK 33.37

$1.37 €1.19

156.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 NOK 40.34

$2.40 €2.08

77.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.48 NOK 42.53

$2.91 €2.52

53.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.5 NOK 612

$28.66 €24.82

125.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.97 NOK 94.6

$4.58 €3.96

117.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 NOK 13.12

$2.04 €1.77

-32.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.66 NOK 404

$28.72 €24.87

48.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 NOK 19.97

$1.82 €1.58

15.93%

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

$35.9K NOK 340.4K

$39.3K €34.0K

-8.70%

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

$43.2K NOK 409.8K

$32.5K €28.1K

33.08%

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

$218 NOK 2,072

$187 €162

17.07%

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

$31.47 NOK 298

$22.29 €19.30

41.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.2 NOK 533

$36.37 €31.50

54.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.7 NOK 528

$57.5 €49.82

-3.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.97 NOK 265

$20.74 €17.96

34.86%

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 NOK 171

$10.77 €9.33

67.32%

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

$203 NOK 1,921

$725 €628

-72.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K NOK 138.6K

$15.2K €13.1K

-3.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 NOK 1,002

$87.9 €76.1

20.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.4 NOK 573

$36.81 €31.88

64.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 NOK 1,148

$103 €89.6

17.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 NOK 976

$119 €103

-13.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,160 NOK 11.0K

$1,524 €1,319

-23.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$824 NOK 7,811

$1,227 €1,062

-32.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 NOK 14.2K

$2,727 €2,362

-45.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,445 NOK 13.7K

$1,984 €1,718

-27.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,211 NOK 39.9K

$7,469 €6,468

-43.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,448 NOK 32.7K

$5,243 €4,541

-34.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,111 NOK 39.0K

$2,393 €2,072

71.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.08

3.39

49.85%

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

Last update for Hamar: July 27, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,160 in Hamar and $1,524 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamar pays 72% 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: $122 in Hamar vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $438 vs $319 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

Hamar vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hamar and Barcelona differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($2,379 vs $2,359 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 72% higher in Hamar, 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: $1,160 in Hamar versus $1,524 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $203 in Hamar versus $725 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Hamar. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,359 in Barcelona versus $2,379 in Hamar, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Hamar. 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, Hamar 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 1% less than in Hamar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.