Cost of Living Comparison Between Lillestrom and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Lillestrom and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,539 in Lillestrom versus $2,336 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,976 in Lillestrom versus $3,475 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,413 in Lillestrom versus $4,614 in Barcelona.

Living in Lillestrom is roughly 9% more expensive than Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lillestrom 89% above, Barcelona 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.83 NOK 194

$17.45 €14.88

19.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$100 NOK 931

$69.8 €59.6

43.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.92 NOK 102

$13.91 €11.86

-21.50%

Cappuccino

$4.84 NOK 45.03

$2.74 €2.34

76.64%

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

$2.42 NOK 22.51

$2.70 €2.30

-10.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 NOK 20.05

$2.03 €1.73

6.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.90 NOK 82.7

$4.51 €3.85

97.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.21 NOK 95.0

$4.61 €3.93

121.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 NOK 20.16

$1.28 €1.09

69.53%

White Bread (500g)

$3.38 NOK 31.44

$2.10 €1.79

60.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.17 NOK 29.53

$1.99 €1.70

59.30%

Eggs

$4.14 NOK 38.52

$3.45 €2.95

20.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.38 NOK 106

$18.61 €15.87

-38.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.98 NOK 130

$9.41 €8.03

48.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.65 NOK 229

$18.70 €15.95

31.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.11 NOK 28.96

$2.61 €2.22

19.16%

Banana (1kg)

$2.32 NOK 21.57

$2.39 €2.04

-2.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.28 NOK 30.47

$2.19 €1.86

49.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.17 NOK 38.79

$2.81 €2.40

48.40%

Potato (1kg)

$2.20 NOK 20.49

$2.03 €1.73

8.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 NOK 20.64

$1.87 €1.60

18.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 NOK 18.67

$1.45 €1.24

38.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 NOK 16.90

$0.92 €0.79

97.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.97 NOK 130

$6.82 €5.82

104.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.08 NOK 159

$7.71 €6.58

121.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.18 NOK 29.60

$1.38 €1.18

130.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.06 NOK 37.78

$2.33 €1.99

74.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.18 NOK 38.87

$2.88 €2.46

45.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.2 NOK 681

$29.04 €24.77

151.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.05 NOK 46.95

$4.43 €3.78

14.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 NOK 12.93

$2.14 €1.82

-35.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.6 NOK 573

$28.96 €24.71

112.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 NOK 20.45

$1.90 €1.62

15.79%

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

$34.4K NOK 319.7K

$37.9K €32.3K

-9.27%

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

$30.7K NOK 285.2K

$33.3K €28.4K

-7.91%

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

$60.9 NOK 566

$186 €158

-67.21%

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

$44.30 NOK 412

$22.17 €18.91

99.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.96 NOK 353

$36.52 €31.15

3.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.3 NOK 653

$58.4 €49.81

20.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.02 NOK 168

$20.75 €17.70

-13.16%

Cinema Ticket

$14.92 NOK 139

$11.10 €9.47

34.41%

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

$233 NOK 2,168

$705 €601

-66.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,128 NOK 38.4K

$15.2K €13.0K

-72.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.0 NOK 893

$86.4 €73.7

11.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.15 NOK 439

$36.88 €31.46

27.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.8 NOK 919

$104 €88.8

-5.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$178 NOK 1,653

$115 €98.4

54.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 NOK 11.3K

$1,538 €1,312

-20.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,212 NOK 11.3K

$1,242 €1,060

-2.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 NOK 23.5K

$2,728 €2,327

-7.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,246 NOK 20.9K

$2,011 €1,716

11.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,923 NOK 55.1K

$7,155 €6,104

-17.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,555 NOK 42.4K

$4,843 €4,131

-5.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,858 NOK 35.9K

$2,474 €2,111

55.91%

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 Lillestrom: April 21, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: April 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,220 in Lillestrom and $1,538 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lillestrom pays 56% 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: $100 in Lillestrom vs $70 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $425 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

Lillestrom vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lillestrom and Barcelona differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($2,539 vs $2,336 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lillestrom pays 56% 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: $1,220 in Lillestrom versus $1,538 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $233 in Lillestrom 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 34% higher in Lillestrom. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,336 in Barcelona versus $2,539 in Lillestrom, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Lillestrom. 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, Lillestrom 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 9% less than in Lillestrom. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.