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: $2,470 in Harstad versus $2,316 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,732 in Harstad versus $3,458 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,993 in Harstad versus $4,601 in Barcelona.

Living in Harstad is roughly 7% more expensive than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Harstad 85% above, Barcelona 73% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.58 NOK 130

$17.19 €15.08

-21.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$121 NOK 1,156

$70.7 €62.1

70.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.25 NOK 146

$14.02 €12.30

8.77%

Cappuccino

$6.21 NOK 59.4

$2.78 €2.44

123.38%

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

$3.62 NOK 34.61

$2.78 €2.44

30.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 NOK 29.83

$2.05 €1.79

52.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.99 NOK 105

$4.52 €3.96

143.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.23 NOK 108

$4.67 €4.10

140.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.45 NOK 23.41

$1.29 €1.13

89.92%

White Bread (500g)

$3.30 NOK 31.58

$2.14 €1.87

54.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.02 NOK 28.88

$1.93 €1.70

56.48%

Eggs

$4.14 NOK 39.66

$3.49 €3.06

18.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.47 NOK 100

$18.52 €16.25

-43.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.42 NOK 148

$9.53 €8.36

61.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$37.05 NOK 355

$18.90 €16.58

96.03%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 NOK 38.80

$2.62 €2.30

54.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.66 NOK 25.51

$2.34 €2.05

13.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.53 NOK 33.77

$2.08 €1.83

69.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.65 NOK 44.48

$2.85 €2.50

63.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 NOK 19.70

$1.96 €1.72

5.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 NOK 18.93

$1.85 €1.62

7.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.67 NOK 25.57

$1.53 €1.34

74.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 NOK 16.85

$0.90 €0.79

95.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.92 NOK 143

$6.77 €5.94

120.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.83 NOK 152

$7.79 €6.83

103.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.48 NOK 33.29

$1.38 €1.21

152.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.70 NOK 44.96

$2.32 €2.04

102.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$6.11 NOK 58.5

$3.00 €2.63

103.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.3 NOK 759

$28.62 €25.11

177.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.53 NOK 120

$4.58 €4.01

173.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 NOK 13.42

$2.13 €1.86

-34.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$50.8 NOK 486

$29.55 €25.93

71.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 NOK 20.50

$1.80 €1.58

18.89%

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

$33.3K NOK 319.0K

$38.5K €33.7K

-13.32%

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

$30.4K NOK 291.0K

$33.3K €29.2K

-8.62%

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

$162 NOK 1,552

$185 €162

-12.30%

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

$32.24 NOK 309

$22.68 €19.90

42.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.7 NOK 734

$36.78 €32.27

108.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.64 NOK 466

$57.8 €50.7

-15.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.38 NOK 339

$21.19 €18.59

66.97%

Cinema Ticket

$16.78 NOK 161

$10.83 €9.50

54.94%

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

$334 NOK 3,194

$727 €638

-54.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,159 NOK 49.4K

$14.7K €12.9K

-64.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.0 NOK 718

$87.6 €76.8

-14.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.21 NOK 318

$37.37 €32.78

-11.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 NOK 1,131

$103 €90.6

14.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 NOK 1,303

$119 €104

14.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,298 NOK 12.4K

$1,560 €1,369

-16.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 NOK 9,627

$1,221 €1,071

-17.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,189 NOK 20.9K

$2,742 €2,406

-20.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,471 NOK 14.1K

$1,992 €1,747

-26.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,805 NOK 55.6K

$7,489 €6,571

-22.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,967 NOK 38.0K

$5,207 €4,568

-23.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,370 NOK 32.3K

$2,355 €2,066

43.11%

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: July 20, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,298 in Harstad and $1,560 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Harstad pays 43% 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 Harstad vs $71.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $480 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

Harstad vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Harstad and Barcelona differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($2,470 vs $2,316 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 43% higher in Harstad, 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: $1,298 in Harstad versus $1,560 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $334 in Harstad versus $727 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 $2,316 in Barcelona versus $2,470 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 7% less than in Harstad. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.