Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Spain and Norway

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.

Spain
Norway
🇪🇸 Spain
$1,775
/mo nomad
🇳🇴 Norway
$2,917
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Spain and in Norway

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Spain and in Norway actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,775 per month in Spain vs $2,917 in Norway, rent included.

  • Spain $1,775
  • Norway $2,917

A couple spends around $2,606 per month in Spain vs $4,347 in Norway, rent included.

  • Spain $2,606
  • Norway $4,347

A family of three spends $3,438 per month in Spain vs $5,776 in Norway, rent included.

  • Spain $3,438
  • Norway $5,776

Cost ranges are similar: Spain spans $931–$2,610, Norway $1,521–$3,538. City choice affects budget similarly in either country.

The cost of living in Spain is roughly 39% lower than in Norway on average.

Both Spain and Norway are pricier than the global median – Spain by 30%, Norway by 114%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Spain
Norway
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.69 €14.95
$23.16 NOK 213
-27.94%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$55.7 €49.88
$106 NOK 976
-47.57%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.37 €10.18
$16.07 NOK 148
-29.25%
Cappuccino
$2.42 €2.16
$5.77 NOK 53.0
-58.06%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.68 €2.40
$4.15 NOK 38.11
-35.42%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.79 €1.60
$3.21 NOK 29.46
-44.24%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.42 €3.07
$11.76 NOK 108
-70.92%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.88 €3.47
$11.59 NOK 106
-66.52%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Spain
Norway
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.20 €1.07
$2.43 NOK 22.34
-50.62%
White Bread (500g)
$1.48 €1.33
$3.89 NOK 35.74
-61.95%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.67 €1.50
$3.67 NOK 33.76
-54.50%
Eggs
$3.42 €3.06
$5.38 NOK 49.45
-36.43%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.17 €12.69
$13.96 NOK 128
1.50%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.33 €7.46
$16.77 NOK 154
-50.33%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.20 €14.51
$32.96 NOK 303
-50.85%
Apples (1kg)
$2.45 €2.20
$3.77 NOK 34.61
-35.01%
Banana (1kg)
$2.03 €1.82
$2.87 NOK 26.33
-29.27%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.08 €1.86
$3.65 NOK 33.57
-43.01%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.58 €2.31
$5.36 NOK 49.22
-51.87%
Potato (1kg)
$1.83 €1.64
$2.74 NOK 25.16
-33.21%
Onion (1kg)
$2.00 €1.79
$3.13 NOK 28.73
-36.10%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.31 €1.17
$2.94 NOK 27.01
-55.44%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.77 €0.69
$2.32 NOK 21.33
-66.81%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.36 €5.70
$18.04 NOK 166
-64.75%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.64 €5.05
$18.09 NOK 166
-68.82%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.30 €1.17
$3.62 NOK 33.30
-64.09%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.09 €1.87
$4.49 NOK 41.24
-53.45%
🚌 Getting Around
Spain
Norway
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.64 €1.47
$4.81 NOK 44.15
-65.90%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$32.91 €29.48
$84.1 NOK 772
-60.85%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.43 €3.96
$12.48 NOK 115
-64.50%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.47 €1.31
$1.86 NOK 17.12
-20.97%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$24.98 €22.38
$72.9 NOK 670
-65.73%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.77 €1.59
$2.30 NOK 21.16
-23.04%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.5K €31.8K
$49.4K NOK 453.9K
-28.10%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.6K €27.4K
$44.9K NOK 412.3K
-31.79%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Spain
Norway
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$149 €134
$279 NOK 2,562
-46.47%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.67 €15.83
$39.68 NOK 365
-55.47%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.88 €28.55
$74.2 NOK 681
-57.01%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Spain
Norway
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.24 €39.62
$50.9 NOK 468
-13.15%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.29 €13.70
$37.79 NOK 347
-59.54%
Cinema Ticket
$9.66 €8.65
$18.88 NOK 173
-48.83%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Spain
Norway
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$544 €487
$297 NOK 2,732
83.05%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.6K €9,499
$8,106 NOK 74.5K
30.85%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Spain
Norway
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.9 €76.0
$111 NOK 1,017
-23.29%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.11 €33.24
$57.4 NOK 528
-35.38%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$89.2 €79.9
$125 NOK 1,150
-28.76%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$106 €94.7
$171 NOK 1,573
-38.26%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Spain
Norway
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,056 €946
$1,491 NOK 13.7K
-29.13%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$808 €723
$1,169 NOK 10.7K
-30.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,621 €1,452
$2,330 NOK 21.4K
-30.44%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,246 €1,116
$1,851 NOK 17.0K
-32.67%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,135 €3,704
$7,127 NOK 65.5K
-41.98%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,633 €2,358
$5,279 NOK 48.5K
-50.13%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Spain
Norway
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,999 €1,790
$4,273 NOK 39.3K
-53.22%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.3
4.99
-33.87%

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

Last update for Spain: October 24, 2026

Last update for Norway: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Spain
$808
Norway
$1.2K 44.7% $361
Groceries & Markets
Spain
$272
Norway
$519 91% $247
Eating Out
Spain
$239
Norway
$414 73% $175
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Spain
$199
Norway
$393 97.5% $194
Clothing & Footwear
Spain
$143
Norway
$209 46.6% $66
Sport & Entertainment
Spain
$64
Norway
$89 39.6% $25
Getting Around
Spain
$51
Norway
$125 144% $74

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $920 in Spain vs $1,278 in Norway. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,508 in Madrid and $2,133 in Oslo.

Average salary: $1,972 in Spain vs $4,024 in Norway. 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.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Spain
🇳🇴 Norway
🕒 Local time
01:46 1:46 AM
01:46 1:46 AM
Same time as Spain
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
47,415,750
5,594,340
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

NOK, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 9.19 NOK (1 NOK = 0.109 USD). 1 EUR = 10.26 NOK (100 NOK = 9.75 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Spain Norway 2,390 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Spain
  • 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
Spain vs Norway: 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.

Spain vs other spots: cost of living compared

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