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: $2,485 in Harstad versus $2,336 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,699 in Harstad versus $3,475 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,912 in Harstad versus $4,614 in Barcelona.

Living in Harstad is roughly 6% more expensive than Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Harstad 85% above, Barcelona 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.48 NOK 125

$17.45 €14.88

-22.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$123 NOK 1,145

$69.8 €59.6

76.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.11 NOK 140

$13.91 €11.86

8.63%

Cappuccino

$5.99 NOK 55.7

$2.74 €2.34

118.61%

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

$3.44 NOK 31.99

$2.70 €2.30

27.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 NOK 28.55

$2.03 €1.73

51.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.11 NOK 103

$4.51 €3.85

146.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.20 NOK 104

$4.61 €3.93

142.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.33 NOK 21.67

$1.28 €1.09

82.03%

White Bread (500g)

$3.16 NOK 29.38

$2.10 €1.79

50.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.10 NOK 28.84

$1.99 €1.70

55.78%

Eggs

$4.28 NOK 39.79

$3.45 €2.95

24.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.56 NOK 98.2

$18.61 €15.87

-43.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.15 NOK 141

$9.41 €8.03

61.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$38.04 NOK 354

$18.70 €15.95

103.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.88 NOK 36.12

$2.61 €2.22

48.66%

Banana (1kg)

$2.77 NOK 25.80

$2.39 €2.04

15.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.52 NOK 32.72

$2.19 €1.86

60.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.64 NOK 43.16

$2.81 €2.40

65.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 NOK 18.54

$2.03 €1.73

-1.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 NOK 19.10

$1.87 €1.60

9.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.68 NOK 24.91

$1.45 €1.24

84.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 NOK 16.40

$0.92 €0.79

91.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.25 NOK 142

$6.82 €5.82

123.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.36 NOK 152

$7.71 €6.58

112.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.62 NOK 33.66

$1.38 €1.18

162.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 NOK 42.14

$2.33 €1.99

94.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$6.03 NOK 56.1

$2.88 €2.46

109.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.3 NOK 737

$29.04 €24.77

172.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.82 NOK 119

$4.43 €3.78

189.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 NOK 13.41

$2.14 €1.82

-32.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$50.5 NOK 470

$28.96 €24.71

74.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 NOK 19.78

$1.90 €1.62

12.11%

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

$33.5K NOK 311.9K

$37.9K €32.3K

-11.50%

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

$30.4K NOK 282.3K

$33.3K €28.4K

-8.84%

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

$159 NOK 1,480

$186 €158

-14.26%

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

$33.50 NOK 312

$22.17 €18.91

51.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.7 NOK 714

$36.52 €31.15

110.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.47 NOK 451

$58.4 €49.81

-16.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.46 NOK 330

$20.75 €17.70

70.89%

Cinema Ticket

$16.65 NOK 155

$11.10 €9.47

50.00%

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

$336 NOK 3,125

$705 €601

-52.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,048 NOK 47.0K

$15.2K €13.0K

-66.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.2 NOK 718

$86.4 €73.7

-10.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.68 NOK 304

$36.88 €31.46

-11.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 NOK 1,089

$104 €88.8

12.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 NOK 1,260

$115 €98.4

17.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 NOK 12.4K

$1,538 €1,312

-13.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,021 NOK 9,498

$1,242 €1,060

-17.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,200 NOK 20.5K

$2,728 €2,327

-19.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,443 NOK 13.4K

$2,011 €1,716

-28.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,987 NOK 55.7K

$7,155 €6,104

-16.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,636 NOK 43.1K

$4,843 €4,131

-4.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,563 NOK 33.1K

$2,474 €2,111

43.99%

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: April 19, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: April 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,331 in Harstad and $1,538 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Harstad pays 44% 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: $123 in Harstad vs $70 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $481 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 6% in total monthly costs ($2,485 vs $2,336 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Harstad pays 44% 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: $1,331 in Harstad versus $1,538 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $336 in Harstad versus $705 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 51% higher in Harstad. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,336 in Barcelona versus $2,485 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 6% less than in Harstad. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.