Measurement units Temperature, distance and clock format
Last update: Oct 2026
Cost of Living Comparison Between Norway and Spain
For one person, living is cheaper in Spain: $1,775 a month against $2,917 in Norway, rent and utilities included – about $13,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Norway and in Spain actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
A single person spends $2,917 per month in Norway vs $1,775 in Spain, rent included.
Norway $2,917
Spain $1,775
A couple spends around $4,347 per month in Norway vs $2,606 in Spain, rent included.
Norway $4,347
Spain $2,606
A family of three spends $5,776 per month in Norway vs $3,438 in Spain, rent included.
Norway $5,776
Spain $3,438
📏
Cost ranges are similar: Norway spans $1,521–$3,538, Spain $931–$2,610. City choice affects budget similarly in either country.
🌍
The cost of living in Norway is about 64% higher than in Spain on average.
📊
Both Norway and Spain are pricier than the global median – Norway by 114%, Spain by 30%.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Norway
Spain
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$23.16NOK 213
$16.69€14.95
38.77%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$106NOK 976
$55.7€49.88
90.72%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$16.07NOK 148
$11.37€10.18
41.34%
Cappuccino
$5.77NOK 53.0
$2.42€2.16
138.43%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$4.15NOK 38.11
$2.68€2.40
54.85%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.21NOK 29.46
$1.79€1.60
79.33%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$11.76NOK 108
$3.42€3.07
243.86%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$11.59NOK 106
$3.88€3.47
198.71%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Norway
Spain
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$2.43NOK 22.34
$1.20€1.07
102.50%
White Bread(500g)
$3.89NOK 35.74
$1.48€1.33
162.84%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$3.67NOK 33.76
$1.67€1.50
119.76%
Eggs
$5.38NOK 49.45
$3.42€3.06
57.31%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$13.96NOK 128
$14.17€12.69
-1.48%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$16.77NOK 154
$8.33€7.46
101.32%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$32.96NOK 303
$16.20€14.51
103.46%
Apples(1kg)
$3.77NOK 34.61
$2.45€2.20
53.88%
Banana(1kg)
$2.87NOK 26.33
$2.03€1.82
41.38%
Oranges(1kg)
$3.65NOK 33.57
$2.08€1.86
75.48%
Tomato(1kg)
$5.36NOK 49.22
$2.58€2.31
107.75%
Potato(1kg)
$2.74NOK 25.16
$1.83€1.64
49.73%
Onion(1kg)
$3.13NOK 28.73
$2.00€1.79
56.50%
Lettuce(1 head)
$2.94NOK 27.01
$1.31€1.17
124.43%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$2.32NOK 21.33
$0.77€0.69
201.30%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$18.04NOK 166
$6.36€5.70
183.65%
Wine(Bottle)
$18.09NOK 166
$5.64€5.05
220.74%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$3.62NOK 33.30
$1.30€1.17
178.46%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$4.49NOK 41.24
$2.09€1.87
114.83%
🚌 Getting Around
Norway
Spain
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$4.81NOK 44.15
$1.64€1.47
193.29%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$84.1NOK 772
$32.91€29.48
155.42%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$12.48NOK 115
$4.43€3.96
181.72%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.86NOK 17.12
$1.47€1.31
26.53%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$72.9NOK 670
$24.98€22.38
191.83%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$2.30NOK 21.16
$1.77€1.59
29.94%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$49.4KNOK 453.9K
$35.5K€31.8K
39.08%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$44.9KNOK 412.3K
$30.6K€27.4K
46.61%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Norway
Spain
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$279NOK 2,562
$149€134
86.82%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$39.68NOK 365
$17.67€15.83
124.56%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$74.2NOK 681
$31.88€28.55
132.59%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Norway
Spain
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$50.9NOK 468
$44.24€39.62
15.14%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$37.79NOK 347
$15.29€13.70
147.16%
Cinema Ticket
$18.88NOK 173
$9.66€8.65
95.45%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Norway
Spain
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$297NOK 2,732
$544€487
-45.37%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$8,106NOK 74.5K
$10.6K€9,499
-23.58%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Norway
Spain
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$111NOK 1,017
$84.9€76.0
30.37%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$57.4NOK 528
$37.11€33.24
54.76%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$125NOK 1,150
$89.2€79.9
40.36%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$171NOK 1,573
$106€94.7
61.96%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Norway
Spain
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,491NOK 13.7K
$1,056€946
41.11%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,169NOK 10.7K
$808€723
44.69%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,330NOK 21.4K
$1,621€1,452
43.75%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,851NOK 17.0K
$1,246€1,116
48.53%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$7,127NOK 65.5K
$4,135€3,704
72.36%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$5,279NOK 48.5K
$2,633€2,358
100.54%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Norway
Spain
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$4,273NOK 39.3K
$1,999€1,790
113.76%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
4.99
3.3
51.21%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Norway: October 24, 2026
Last update for Spain: October 24, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Norway
$1.2K 40.1%
Spain
$808 45.5% ↓ 30.9%$361
🛒Groceries & Markets
Norway
$519 17.8%
Spain
$272 15.3% ↓ 47.6%$247
🍽Eating Out
Norway
$414 14.2%
Spain
$239 13.5% ↓ 42.2%$175
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Norway
$393 13.5%
Spain
$199 11.2% ↓ 49.4%$194
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Norway
$209 7.2%
Spain
$143 8% ↓ 31.8%$66
🚌Getting Around
Norway
$125 4.3%
Spain
$51 2.9% ↓ 59%$74
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Norway
$89 3%
Spain
$64 3.6% ↓ 28.3%$25
🏠Accommodation & Living
Norway
$1.9K 32%
Spain
$1.2K 36.3% ↓ 32.7%$605
🛒Groceries & Markets
Norway
$1.2K 20.8%
Spain
$646 18.8% ↓ 46.2%$555
🍽Eating Out
Norway
$1.4K 23.4%
Spain
$763 22.2% ↓ 43.5%$588
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Norway
$432 7.5%
Spain
$217 6.3% ↓ 49.9%$216
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Norway
$465 8%
Spain
$317 9.2% ↓ 31.8%$148
🚌Getting Around
Norway
$260 4.5%
Spain
$106 3.1% ↓ 59.3%$154
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Norway
$215 3.7%
Spain
$142 4.1% ↓ 33.8%$73
Cost Breakdown
🏠Average rent: $1,278 in Norway vs $920 in Spain. For reference, capital cities sit at $2,133 in Oslo and $1,508 in Madrid.
💰Average salary: $4,024 in Norway vs $1,972 in Spain. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.
Cost Highlights
⭐Rent is 39% higher in Norway.
⭐Dining out costs 86% more in Norway.
⭐Public transport is 165% more expensive in Norway.
⭐Salaries are about 2 times higher in Norway, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Norway.
Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.
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
Norway vs Spain: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Norway more expensive than Spain?
Spain is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 39% lower on average.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Housing costs more in Norway: a central one-bedroom averages $1,278 versus $920 in Spain.
Which country is cheaper for everyday spending?
Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Spain – part of why living there is about 39% cheaper overall.
Is $3,000 a realistic budget in Norway or in Spain?
$3,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Spain, but in Norway it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.
Should I move to Norway or to Spain?
Spain is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.