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: $2,507 in Lillestrom versus $2,367 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,952 in Lillestrom versus $3,465 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,397 in Lillestrom versus $4,563 in Barcelona.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lillestrom 87% above, Barcelona 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.40 NOK 193

$17.58 €15.26

16.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$103 NOK 974

$68.4 €59.4

50.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.73 NOK 101

$14.06 €12.20

-23.68%

Cappuccino

$4.90 NOK 46.30

$2.78 €2.41

76.26%

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

$2.46 NOK 23.21

$2.80 €2.43

-12.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 NOK 20.44

$2.06 €1.79

4.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.21 NOK 87.1

$4.46 €3.87

106.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.18 NOK 96.3

$4.61 €4.00

120.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.12 NOK 20.02

$1.24 €1.08

70.97%

White Bread (500g)

$3.27 NOK 30.88

$2.03 €1.76

61.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 NOK 31.31

$1.92 €1.67

72.40%

Eggs

$4.29 NOK 40.53

$3.31 €2.87

29.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.54 NOK 109

$18.43 €15.99

-37.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.07 NOK 133

$9.49 €8.23

48.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.22 NOK 229

$19.16 €16.62

26.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.07 NOK 28.99

$2.64 €2.29

16.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 NOK 21.84

$2.45 €2.12

-5.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.37 NOK 31.88

$2.12 €1.84

58.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.11 NOK 38.86

$2.85 €2.47

44.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 NOK 20.95

$2.04 €1.77

8.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 NOK 21.09

$1.85 €1.61

20.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 NOK 18.62

$1.47 €1.28

34.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 NOK 17.43

$0.84 €0.73

119.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.29 NOK 135

$7.14 €6.20

100.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.97 NOK 160

$7.88 €6.84

115.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.19 NOK 30.11

$1.38 €1.20

131.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 NOK 36.43

$2.31 €2.00

66.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.13 NOK 39.00

$2.98 €2.59

38.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.8 NOK 688

$29.26 €25.39

148.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.17 NOK 48.84

$4.60 €3.99

12.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 NOK 13.80

$2.07 €1.79

-29.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.4 NOK 571

$29.18 €25.32

106.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 NOK 19.83

$1.84 €1.60

14.13%

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

$34.3K NOK 323.9K

$39.0K €33.8K

-12.19%

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

$30.8K NOK 290.8K

$32.7K €28.4K

-5.92%

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

$60.0 NOK 567

$188 €163

-68.05%

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

$43.22 NOK 409

$22.93 €19.90

88.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 NOK 351

$36.71 €31.85

1.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.7 NOK 677

$57.4 €49.78

24.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.55 NOK 166

$20.70 €17.96

-15.22%

Cinema Ticket

$14.91 NOK 141

$11.19 €9.71

33.24%

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

$240 NOK 2,266

$721 €625

-66.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,228 NOK 40.0K

$15.0K €13.1K

-71.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.4 NOK 921

$86.2 €74.8

12.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.99 NOK 444

$37.07 €32.16

26.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.3 NOK 929

$102 €88.5

-3.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$180 NOK 1,703

$116 €101

55.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 NOK 11.4K

$1,534 €1,331

-21.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 NOK 11.6K

$1,220 €1,059

0.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,499 NOK 23.6K

$2,696 €2,339

-7.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,191 NOK 20.7K

$2,013 €1,747

8.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,082 NOK 57.5K

$7,220 €6,264

-15.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,440 NOK 42.0K

$5,189 €4,502

-14.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,818 NOK 36.1K

$2,359 €2,047

61.84%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,208 in Lillestrom and $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lillestrom pays 62% 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: $103 in Lillestrom vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $424 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 6% in total monthly costs ($2,507 vs $2,367 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lillestrom pays 62% 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: $1,208 in Lillestrom versus $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $240 in Lillestrom 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 33% 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 6% less than in Lillestrom. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.