Cost of Living Comparison Between Kongsberg and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Kongsberg and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,385 in Kongsberg versus $2,367 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,610 in Kongsberg versus $3,465 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,835 in Kongsberg versus $4,563 in Barcelona.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Kongsberg 78% above, Barcelona 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.87 NOK 203

$17.58 €15.12

24.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.1 NOK 651

$68.4 €58.9

2.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.62 NOK 127

$14.06 €12.09

-3.13%

Cappuccino

$4.90 NOK 45.54

$2.78 €2.39

76.26%

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

$2.51 NOK 23.32

$2.80 €2.41

-10.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 NOK 19.98

$2.06 €1.78

4.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.37 NOK 87.0

$4.46 €3.84

110.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.26 NOK 95.3

$4.61 €3.96

122.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 NOK 20.21

$1.24 €1.07

75.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.98 NOK 27.69

$2.03 €1.74

46.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 NOK 30.23

$1.92 €1.65

69.27%

Eggs

$4.61 NOK 42.82

$3.31 €2.85

39.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.44 NOK 97.0

$18.43 €15.85

-43.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.72 NOK 109

$9.49 €8.16

23.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.12 NOK 168

$19.16 €16.48

-5.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 NOK 28.05

$2.64 €2.27

14.39%

Banana (1kg)

$2.26 NOK 21.04

$2.45 €2.11

-7.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.28 NOK 30.46

$2.12 €1.82

54.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.13 NOK 38.38

$2.85 €2.45

44.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 NOK 20.37

$2.04 €1.75

7.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 NOK 20.83

$1.85 €1.59

21.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.92 NOK 27.10

$1.47 €1.26

98.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 NOK 16.88

$0.84 €0.73

116.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.52 NOK 163

$7.14 €6.14

145.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.39 NOK 152

$7.88 €6.78

107.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.19 NOK 29.63

$1.38 €1.19

131.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.84 NOK 35.70

$2.31 €1.99

66.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.57 NOK 23.91

$2.98 €2.56

-13.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.2 NOK 848

$29.26 €25.17

211.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.09 NOK 93.7

$4.60 €3.95

119.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.45 NOK 13.46

$2.07 €1.78

-29.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.30 NOK 281

$29.18 €25.10

3.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 NOK 20.41

$1.84 €1.58

19.57%

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

$37.2K NOK 346.0K

$39.0K €33.6K

-4.54%

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

$40.0K NOK 371.5K

$32.7K €28.1K

22.29%

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

$217 NOK 2,016

$188 €162

15.53%

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

$26.89 NOK 250

$22.93 €19.73

17.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.57 NOK 358

$36.71 €31.58

5.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.30 NOK 421

$57.4 €49.35

-21.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$53.3 NOK 495

$20.70 €17.80

157.34%

Cinema Ticket

$20.23 NOK 188

$11.19 €9.63

80.79%

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

$306 NOK 2,847

$721 €620

-57.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,663 NOK 34.0K

$15.0K €12.9K

-75.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.1 NOK 799

$86.2 €74.2

-0.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 NOK 484

$37.07 €31.89

40.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$159 NOK 1,479

$102 €87.8

56.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 NOK 1,522

$116 €99.7

41.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 NOK 9,314

$1,534 €1,319

-34.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$902 NOK 8,378

$1,220 €1,050

-26.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,723 NOK 16.0K

$2,696 €2,319

-36.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,539 NOK 14.3K

$2,013 €1,732

-23.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,208 NOK 57.7K

$7,220 €6,211

-14.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,384 NOK 40.7K

$5,189 €4,463

-15.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,604 NOK 33.5K

$2,359 €2,029

52.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.38

3.39

29.20%

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

Last update for Kongsberg: May 31, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Kongsberg and $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kongsberg pays 53% 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: $70.0 in Kongsberg vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $391 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

Kongsberg vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kongsberg and Barcelona differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($2,385 vs $2,367 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Kongsberg pays 53% 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: $1,003 in Kongsberg versus $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $306 in Kongsberg 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 23% higher in Kongsberg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,367 in Barcelona versus $2,385 in Kongsberg, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Kongsberg. 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, Kongsberg 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 Kongsberg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.