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: $2,675 in Lillestrom versus $2,495 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,144 in Lillestrom versus $3,550 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,613 in Lillestrom versus $4,605 in Barcelona.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lillestrom 95% above, Barcelona 82% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.84 NOK 203

$18.39 €15.83

18.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$124 NOK 1,157

$69.2 €59.5

79.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.47 NOK 107

$14.13 €12.16

-18.83%

Cappuccino

$6.21 NOK 57.8

$3.13 €2.70

98.40%

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

$4.09 NOK 38.07

$3.02 €2.59

35.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 NOK 30.62

$1.96 €1.69

67.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.09 NOK 112

$4.00 €3.44

202.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.79 NOK 100

$4.76 €4.10

126.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.50 NOK 23.27

$1.25 €1.07

100.00%

White Bread (500g)

$5.05 NOK 47.00

$2.16 €1.86

133.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.20 NOK 39.08

$1.69 €1.45

148.52%

Eggs

$5.88 NOK 54.8

$4.93 €4.24

19.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.46 NOK 125

$17.88 €15.39

-24.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 NOK 132

$9.61 €8.27

47.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.86 NOK 259

$19.34 €16.64

44.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.64 NOK 33.89

$3.24 €2.78

12.35%

Banana (1kg)

$2.85 NOK 26.54

$2.18 €1.87

30.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.17 NOK 38.77

$2.67 €2.30

56.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.30 NOK 49.33

$2.77 €2.39

91.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.97 NOK 27.60

$2.21 €1.90

34.39%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 NOK 34.98

$2.19 €1.88

71.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.91 NOK 17.80

$1.52 €1.31

25.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 NOK 21.43

$0.92 €0.79

150.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.05 NOK 168

$7.12 €6.13

153.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.39 NOK 162

$8.14 €7.00

113.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.81 NOK 54.0

$1.50 €1.29

287.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 NOK 53.5

$2.78 €2.39

106.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.85 NOK 45.12

$3.15 €2.71

53.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.5 NOK 796

$26.99 €23.23

216.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$13.06 NOK 122

$3.25 €2.80

301.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 NOK 17.74

$1.50 €1.29

27.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$62.2 NOK 579

$34.89 €30.03

78.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.33 NOK 21.71

$1.75 €1.50

33.14%

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

$48.6K NOK 451.9K

$36.7K €31.5K

32.45%

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

$43.3K NOK 403.2K

$30.9K €26.6K

40.05%

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

$237 NOK 2,203

$188 €161

26.17%

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

$30.39 NOK 283

$15.44 €13.29

96.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.4 NOK 525

$37.80 €32.52

49.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.7 NOK 472

$57.2 €49.21

-11.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.77 NOK 342

$16.80 €14.45

118.87%

Cinema Ticket

$17.67 NOK 164

$11.58 €9.96

52.59%

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

$316 NOK 2,944

$1,003 €863

-68.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K NOK 114.2K

$17.0K €14.6K

-27.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 NOK 944

$89.2 €76.8

13.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.4 NOK 525

$40.87 €35.17

37.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 NOK 1,176

$110 €94.6

14.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 NOK 1,511

$123 €106

32.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,300 NOK 12.1K

$1,673 €1,440

-22.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,020 NOK 9,496

$1,331 €1,146

-23.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 NOK 18.8K

$2,596 €2,234

-22.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,686 NOK 15.7K

$1,950 €1,678

-13.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,118 NOK 66.2K

$7,573 €6,517

-6.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,682 NOK 34.3K

$5,370 €4,621

-31.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,787 NOK 35.2K

$2,402 €2,067

57.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.96

3.16

56.96%

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

Last update for Lillestrom: August 29, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,300 in Lillestrom and $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lillestrom pays 58% 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: $124 in Lillestrom vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $516 vs $332 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 7% in total monthly costs ($2,675 vs $2,495 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 58% higher in Lillestrom, 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: $1,300 in Lillestrom versus $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $316 in Lillestrom versus $1,003 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 56% higher in Lillestrom. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Barcelona is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 7% less than in Lillestrom. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.