Cost of Living Comparison Between Harstad and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Harstad and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,422 in Harstad versus $2,367 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,693 in Harstad versus $3,465 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,965 in Harstad versus $4,563 in Barcelona.

Living in Harstad is roughly 2% more expensive than Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.57 NOK 128

$17.58 €15.26

-22.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$119 NOK 1,129

$68.4 €59.4

74.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.33 NOK 145

$14.06 €12.20

9.03%

Cappuccino

$6.05 NOK 57.2

$2.78 €2.41

117.63%

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

$3.45 NOK 32.61

$2.80 €2.43

23.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 NOK 28.30

$2.06 €1.79

45.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.22 NOK 106

$4.46 €3.87

151.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.32 NOK 107

$4.61 €4.00

145.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 NOK 21.90

$1.24 €1.08

87.10%

White Bread (500g)

$3.15 NOK 29.82

$2.03 €1.76

55.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.00 NOK 28.35

$1.92 €1.67

56.25%

Eggs

$4.18 NOK 39.48

$3.31 €2.87

26.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.56 NOK 99.9

$18.43 €15.99

-42.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.92 NOK 141

$9.49 €8.23

57.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$37.12 NOK 351

$19.16 €16.62

93.74%

Apples (1kg)

$4.06 NOK 38.37

$2.64 €2.29

53.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.68 NOK 25.35

$2.45 €2.12

9.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.46 NOK 32.74

$2.12 €1.84

63.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.67 NOK 44.15

$2.85 €2.47

63.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 NOK 18.86

$2.04 €1.77

-2.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 NOK 18.72

$1.85 €1.61

7.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.77 NOK 26.23

$1.47 €1.28

88.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 NOK 16.90

$0.84 €0.73

113.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.21 NOK 144

$7.14 €6.20

113.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.00 NOK 151

$7.88 €6.84

103.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.56 NOK 33.64

$1.38 €1.20

157.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.50 NOK 42.56

$2.31 €2.00

94.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.95 NOK 56.3

$2.98 €2.59

99.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.5 NOK 771

$29.26 €25.39

178.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.47 NOK 118

$4.60 €3.99

171.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 NOK 13.57

$2.07 €1.79

-30.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$51.3 NOK 485

$29.18 €25.32

75.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 NOK 19.96

$1.84 €1.60

14.67%

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

$33.6K NOK 317.9K

$39.0K €33.8K

-13.81%

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

$30.8K NOK 291.6K

$32.7K €28.4K

-5.66%

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

$160 NOK 1,509

$188 €163

-15.01%

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

$33.10 NOK 313

$22.93 €19.90

44.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.0 NOK 728

$36.71 €31.85

109.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.67 NOK 470

$57.4 €49.78

-13.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.08 NOK 341

$20.70 €17.96

74.30%

Cinema Ticket

$16.99 NOK 161

$11.19 €9.71

51.83%

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

$329 NOK 3,110

$721 €625

-54.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,131 NOK 48.5K

$15.0K €13.1K

-65.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.2 NOK 730

$86.2 €74.8

-10.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.44 NOK 316

$37.07 €32.16

-9.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 NOK 1,113

$102 €88.5

15.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 NOK 1,269

$116 €101

15.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,330 NOK 12.6K

$1,534 €1,331

-13.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,004 NOK 9,490

$1,220 €1,059

-17.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,212 NOK 20.9K

$2,696 €2,339

-17.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,494 NOK 14.1K

$2,013 €1,747

-25.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,005 NOK 56.8K

$7,220 €6,264

-16.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,540 NOK 42.9K

$5,189 €4,502

-12.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,581 NOK 33.9K

$2,359 €2,047

51.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.27

3.39

25.96%

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

Last update for Harstad: May 31, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,330 in Harstad and $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Harstad pays 52% 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: $119 in Harstad vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $476 vs $318 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

Harstad vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Harstad and Barcelona differ by about 2% in total monthly costs ($2,422 vs $2,367 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Harstad pays 52% 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: $1,330 in Harstad versus $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $329 in Harstad versus $721 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Harstad. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,367 in Barcelona versus $2,422 in Harstad, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Harstad. 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, Harstad 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 2% less than in Harstad. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.