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: $2,370 in Hamar versus $2,341 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,691 in Hamar versus $3,462 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,011 in Hamar versus $4,582 in Barcelona.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hamar 77% above, Barcelona 75% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.45 NOK 237

$17.61 €15.04

44.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$121 NOK 1,128

$68.7 €58.7

76.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.88 NOK 139

$13.75 €11.74

8.22%

Cappuccino

$5.05 NOK 47.02

$2.76 €2.36

82.97%

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

$4.10 NOK 38.25

$2.78 €2.38

47.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 NOK 29.62

$2.05 €1.75

55.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.08 NOK 113

$4.61 €3.93

162.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.94 NOK 74.0

$4.59 €3.92

72.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.07 NOK 19.32

$1.28 €1.09

61.72%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 NOK 26.79

$2.11 €1.80

36.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 NOK 19.30

$1.97 €1.68

5.08%

Eggs

$4.97 NOK 46.29

$3.44 €2.94

44.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.69 NOK 99.6

$18.83 €16.08

-43.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.99 NOK 112

$9.45 €8.07

26.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$31.44 NOK 293

$19.01 €16.24

65.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.48 NOK 32.45

$2.72 €2.32

27.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.61 NOK 24.32

$2.37 €2.03

10.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.88 NOK 26.81

$2.08 €1.77

38.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.16 NOK 48.05

$2.76 €2.36

86.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.39 NOK 22.24

$1.97 €1.68

21.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.45 NOK 22.84

$1.79 €1.53

36.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 NOK 18.73

$1.51 €1.29

33.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 NOK 18.10

$0.90 €0.77

115.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.88 NOK 157

$6.76 €5.77

149.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.77 NOK 175

$7.55 €6.44

148.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.40 NOK 31.68

$1.44 €1.23

136.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 NOK 38.80

$2.41 €2.06

72.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.48 NOK 41.76

$3.03 €2.59

47.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 NOK 607

$28.39 €24.25

129.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.20 NOK 95.1

$4.43 €3.78

130.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 NOK 13.07

$2.05 €1.75

-31.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.35 NOK 395

$29.33 €25.05

44.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 NOK 19.60

$1.89 €1.61

11.11%

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

$36.9K NOK 344.0K

$38.7K €33.1K

-4.74%

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

$43.4K NOK 404.4K

$32.4K €27.6K

34.08%

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

$215 NOK 2,007

$189 €161

14.21%

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

$31.45 NOK 293

$22.21 €18.96

41.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.0 NOK 521

$36.82 €31.44

51.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 NOK 521

$58.0 €49.52

-3.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.85 NOK 260

$20.99 €17.93

32.68%

Cinema Ticket

$17.91 NOK 167

$11.05 €9.44

62.08%

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

$199 NOK 1,856

$726 €620

-72.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K NOK 138.5K

$15.2K €13.0K

-2.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 NOK 982

$88.3 €75.4

19.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.6 NOK 574

$36.98 €31.58

66.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 NOK 1,157

$103 €87.6

21.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.8 NOK 930

$119 €102

-16.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,168 NOK 10.9K

$1,526 €1,304

-23.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$847 NOK 7,898

$1,218 €1,040

-30.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,489 NOK 13.9K

$2,794 €2,386

-46.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,435 NOK 13.4K

$2,027 €1,731

-29.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,391 NOK 40.9K

$7,094 €6,058

-38.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,528 NOK 32.9K

$4,849 €4,141

-27.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,348 NOK 40.5K

$2,404 €2,053

80.87%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,168 in Hamar and $1,526 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamar pays 81% 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: $121 in Hamar vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $441 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

Hamar vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hamar and Barcelona differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($2,370 vs $2,341 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Hamar pays 81% 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: $1,168 in Hamar versus $1,526 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $199 in Hamar versus $726 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Hamar. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,341 in Barcelona versus $2,370 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.