Cost of Living Comparison Between Stavanger and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Stavanger and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,689 in Stavanger versus $2,337 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,070 in Stavanger versus $3,468 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,451 in Stavanger versus $4,599 in Barcelona.

Living in Stavanger is roughly 15% more expensive than Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Stavanger 100% above, Barcelona 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.39 NOK 241

$17.08 €14.72

48.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 NOK 1,138

$69.2 €59.7

73.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.31 NOK 145

$13.78 €11.87

11.10%

Cappuccino

$5.03 NOK 47.77

$2.76 €2.37

82.25%

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

$3.88 NOK 36.83

$2.79 €2.40

39.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.47 NOK 32.89

$1.99 €1.72

74.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.98 NOK 104

$4.36 €3.76

151.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.21 NOK 96.9

$4.74 €4.09

115.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 NOK 21.93

$1.29 €1.11

79.07%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 NOK 29.59

$2.05 €1.77

52.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.58 NOK 43.48

$1.99 €1.71

130.15%

Eggs

$4.48 NOK 42.52

$3.39 €2.92

32.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 NOK 122

$18.81 €16.21

-31.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.73 NOK 159

$9.36 €8.07

78.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.83 NOK 264

$19.12 €16.48

45.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.48 NOK 33.01

$2.70 €2.32

28.89%

Banana (1kg)

$2.64 NOK 25.03

$2.34 €2.02

12.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.11 NOK 29.53

$2.12 €1.83

46.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.68 NOK 44.37

$2.85 €2.46

64.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 NOK 19.77

$1.97 €1.70

5.58%

Onion (1kg)

$3.08 NOK 29.27

$1.80 €1.55

71.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 NOK 23.47

$1.45 €1.25

70.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 NOK 17.38

$0.86 €0.74

112.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.97 NOK 142

$6.78 €5.84

120.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.46 NOK 175

$7.90 €6.81

133.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.68 NOK 34.89

$1.39 €1.20

164.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 NOK 38.90

$2.37 €2.04

73.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.58 NOK 43.47

$2.92 €2.52

56.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.6 NOK 651

$28.69 €24.72

139.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.31 NOK 145

$4.46 €3.84

243.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.06 NOK 19.57

$2.05 €1.77

0.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$100 NOK 953

$29.55 €25.46

239.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 NOK 20.01

$1.82 €1.56

15.93%

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

$34.4K NOK 326.1K

$38.8K €33.5K

-11.53%

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

$32.4K NOK 307.3K

$33.1K €28.5K

-2.19%

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

$190 NOK 1,806

$189 €163

0.54%

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

$42.20 NOK 401

$22.80 €19.65

85.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$83.1 NOK 789

$37.59 €32.39

121.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 NOK 531

$57.7 €49.75

-3.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.16 NOK 334

$20.74 €17.87

69.53%

Cinema Ticket

$19.57 NOK 186

$10.82 €9.33

80.87%

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

$321 NOK 3,048

$728 €628

-55.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K NOK 123.1K

$14.8K €12.7K

-12.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$116 NOK 1,098

$88.6 €76.4

30.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 NOK 550

$36.85 €31.75

57.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 NOK 1,017

$102 €87.9

5.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$160 NOK 1,519

$116 €100

37.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 NOK 15.1K

$1,569 €1,352

1.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 NOK 10.7K

$1,218 €1,050

-7.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,732 NOK 25.9K

$2,795 €2,409

-2.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,774 NOK 16.8K

$1,975 €1,702

-10.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,036 NOK 57.3K

$7,754 €6,680

-22.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,366 NOK 50.9K

$5,176 €4,460

3.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,104 NOK 48.4K

$2,343 €2,019

117.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

3.39

33.04%

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

Last update for Stavanger: June 8, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,595 in Stavanger and $1,569 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stavanger pays 118% 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: $120 in Stavanger vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $473 vs $319 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

Stavanger vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Stavanger and Barcelona differ by about 15% in total monthly costs ($2,689 vs $2,337 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Stavanger pays 118% 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: $1,595 in Stavanger versus $1,569 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $321 in Stavanger versus $728 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 48% higher in Stavanger. 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, Stavanger 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 15% less than in Stavanger. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.