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: $2,417 in Hamar versus $2,476 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,870 in Hamar versus $3,545 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,324 in Hamar versus $4,613 in Barcelona.

Living in Hamar costs roughly 2% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hamar 77% above, Barcelona 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.27 NOK 200

$18.74 €16.33

13.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$130 NOK 1,221

$69.5 €60.6

86.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.05 NOK 151

$13.77 €12.00

16.56%

Cappuccino

$6.13 NOK 57.7

$3.10 €2.70

97.74%

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

$4.14 NOK 39.05

$2.83 €2.47

46.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 NOK 31.56

$1.88 €1.64

78.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.03 NOK 113

$3.98 €3.47

202.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.43 NOK 79.4

$4.53 €3.95

86.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.51 NOK 23.66

$1.27 €1.11

97.64%

White Bread (500g)

$3.03 NOK 28.54

$2.16 €1.88

40.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 NOK 20.04

$1.76 €1.53

21.02%

Eggs

$5.90 NOK 55.6

$5.13 €4.47

15.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.32 NOK 107

$17.88 €15.59

-36.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.64 NOK 119

$9.65 €8.41

30.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$29.76 NOK 280

$20.15 €17.56

47.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 NOK 32.05

$3.25 €2.84

4.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.66 NOK 25.06

$2.23 €1.94

19.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.18 NOK 29.97

$2.60 €2.27

22.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.98 NOK 56.3

$2.76 €2.40

116.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.51 NOK 23.69

$2.21 €1.93

13.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 NOK 23.94

$2.12 €1.85

19.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.13 NOK 20.03

$1.55 €1.35

37.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 NOK 19.06

$0.95 €0.83

112.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.26 NOK 181

$7.34 €6.40

162.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.86 NOK 159

$8.05 €7.01

109.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.61 NOK 34.01

$1.54 €1.35

134.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 NOK 41.22

$2.79 €2.43

56.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.68 NOK 44.10

$3.11 €2.71

50.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.9 NOK 658

$25.86 €22.54

170.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.00 NOK 113

$3.27 €2.85

266.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 NOK 17.52

$1.48 €1.29

25.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$71.9 NOK 677

$34.27 €29.88

109.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.36 NOK 22.25

$1.73 €1.51

36.42%

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

$48.5K NOK 457.0K

$36.4K €31.7K

33.36%

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

$46.2K NOK 434.9K

$30.5K €26.6K

51.10%

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

$227 NOK 2,137

$187 €163

21.23%

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

$32.60 NOK 307

$15.14 €13.20

115.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.7 NOK 534

$37.69 €32.85

50.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.8 NOK 544

$55.9 €48.76

3.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.57 NOK 288

$17.08 €14.89

78.98%

Cinema Ticket

$19.33 NOK 182

$11.41 €9.95

69.41%

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

$217 NOK 2,044

$997 €869

-78.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K NOK 150.5K

$16.5K €14.4K

-3.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 NOK 950

$92.6 €80.8

8.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.8 NOK 572

$41.22 €35.93

47.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$133 NOK 1,254

$111 €96.9

19.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 NOK 991

$125 €109

-15.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 NOK 11.6K

$1,707 €1,488

-27.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$882 NOK 8,309

$1,286 €1,121

-31.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,635 NOK 15.4K

$2,565 €2,236

-36.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,540 NOK 14.5K

$1,942 €1,693

-20.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,449 NOK 41.9K

$7,647 €6,666

-41.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,468 NOK 32.7K

$5,167 €4,504

-32.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,256 NOK 40.1K

$2,348 €2,047

81.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.98

3.16

57.59%

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

Last update for Hamar: September 13, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,235 in Hamar and $1,707 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamar pays 81% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $130 in Hamar vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $455 vs $336 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 2% in total monthly costs ($2,417 vs $2,476 including rent). Hamar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 81% 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: $1,235 in Hamar versus $1,707 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $217 in Hamar versus $997 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 36% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,417 in Hamar versus $2,476 in Barcelona, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Hamar but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Hamar 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 Hamar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.