Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Lillestrom

For one person, living is cheaper in Athens: $1,771 a month against $2,615 in Lillestrom, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Athens
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,771
/mo nomad
Lillestrom
🇳🇴 Norway
$2,615
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Lillestrom

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,771 in Athens versus $2,615 in Lillestrom.

  • Athens $1,771
  • Lillestrom $2,615

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,736 in Athens versus $4,023 in Lillestrom.

  • Athens $2,736
  • Lillestrom $4,023

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,701 in Athens versus $5,432 in Lillestrom.

  • Athens $3,701
  • Lillestrom $5,432

Living in Athens costs roughly 32% less than in Lillestrom, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 31% above, Lillestrom 93% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Athens
Lillestrom
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.83 €14.97
$20.91 NOK 197
-19.51%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$68.2 €60.7
$121 NOK 1,135
-43.42%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.43 €10.17
$11.05 NOK 104
3.44%
Cappuccino
$4.06 €3.61
$6.17 NOK 58.1
-34.20%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.74 €2.44
$4.05 NOK 38.09
-32.35%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.53 €0.47
$3.12 NOK 29.36
-83.01%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.69 €5.06
$11.80 NOK 111
-51.78%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.68 €5.06
$10.45 NOK 98.4
-45.65%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Athens
Lillestrom
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.85 €1.64
$2.45 NOK 23.10
-24.49%
White Bread (500g)
$1.44 €1.28
$3.62 NOK 34.06
-60.22%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.82 €2.51
$4.08 NOK 38.37
-30.88%
Eggs
$4.86 €4.32
$5.73 NOK 53.9
-15.18%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.27 €13.58
$13.08 NOK 123
16.74%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.36 €9.21
$13.77 NOK 130
-24.76%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.10 €16.99
$27.30 NOK 257
-30.04%
Apples (1kg)
$2.22 €1.98
$3.46 NOK 32.55
-35.84%
Banana (1kg)
$1.92 €1.71
$2.81 NOK 26.45
-31.67%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.41 €1.25
$4.08 NOK 38.40
-65.44%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.04 €1.82
$5.45 NOK 51.3
-62.57%
Potato (1kg)
$1.05 €0.93
$2.75 NOK 25.85
-61.82%
Onion (1kg)
$1.17 €1.04
$3.69 NOK 34.71
-68.29%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.08 €0.96
$1.79 NOK 16.80
-39.66%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.84 €0.75
$2.28 NOK 21.44
-63.16%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.49 €4.89
$17.49 NOK 165
-68.61%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.17 €9.05
$16.88 NOK 159
-39.75%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.13 €1.90
$5.57 NOK 52.5
-61.76%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.28 €2.03
$5.86 NOK 55.1
-61.09%
🚌 Getting Around
Athens
Lillestrom
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.37 €1.22
$4.46 NOK 42.01
-69.28%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$29.71 €26.43
$83.8 NOK 789
-64.56%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.39 €3.90
$11.92 NOK 112
-63.17%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.00 €0.89
$1.85 NOK 17.44
-45.95%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.63 €14.79
$69.1 NOK 650
-75.93%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.38 €2.11
$2.29 NOK 21.53
3.93%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.4K €25.3K
$48.5K NOK 456.4K
-41.42%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.2K €24.2K
$44.4K NOK 418.1K
-38.72%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
Lillestrom
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$203 €181
$269 NOK 2,532
-24.37%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.79 €23.83
$32.87 NOK 309
-18.50%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.16 €26.82
$52.5 NOK 494
-42.52%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Athens
Lillestrom
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$53.7 €47.74
$49.58 NOK 467
8.27%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$26.40 €23.48
$36.47 NOK 343
-27.61%
Cinema Ticket
$10.59 €9.42
$17.09 NOK 161
-38.03%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Athens
Lillestrom
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$566 €504
$238 NOK 2,244
137.55%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.9K €11.4K
$13.1K NOK 122.8K
-1.47%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Athens
Lillestrom
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$89.1 €79.3
$101 NOK 955
-12.12%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.48 €36.01
$55.8 NOK 525
-27.43%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$104 €92.3
$126 NOK 1,186
-17.61%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €111
$158 NOK 1,484
-21.16%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Athens
Lillestrom
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$729 €648
$1,245 NOK 11.7K
-41.48%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$647 €576
$982 NOK 9,242
-34.07%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,328 €1,181
$1,945 NOK 18.3K
-31.72%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,169 €1,040
$1,658 NOK 15.6K
-29.53%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,024 €3,579
$6,206 NOK 58.4K
-35.16%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,483 €3,098
$4,015 NOK 37.8K
-13.25%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Athens
Lillestrom
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,240 €1,103
$3,767 NOK 35.5K
-67.08%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.48
4.94
-9.31%

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

Last update for Athens: October 20, 2026

Last update for Lillestrom: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Athens
$647
Lillestrom
$982 51.7% $334
Groceries & Markets
Athens
$312
Lillestrom
$491 57.2% $179
Eating Out
Athens
$271
Lillestrom
$383 41.5% $112
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
$260
Lillestrom
$354 36.1% $94
Clothing & Footwear
Athens
$161
Lillestrom
$198 23.2% $37
Sport & Entertainment
Athens
$75
Lillestrom
$84 11.9% $8.9
Getting Around
Athens
$45
Lillestrom
$123 176% $78

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $729 in Athens and $1,245 in Lillestrom. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lillestrom pays 204% 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: $68.0 in Athens vs $121 in Lillestrom for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $312 vs $491 per month, with Athens cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇷 Athens
🇳🇴 Lillestrom
🕒 Local time
19:55 7:55 PM
18:55 6:55 PM
1 h behind Athens
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,090,508 Capital
94,585
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

NOK, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 9.41 NOK (1 NOK = 0.106 USD). 1 EUR = 10.58 NOK (100 NOK = 9.45 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Athens Lillestrom 2,600 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Athens
  • Lillestrom

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
Athens vs Lillestrom: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Athens or Lillestrom?
Athens wins on cost – living expenses run 48% lower than in Lillestrom. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Athens the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Athens or in Lillestrom?
On paper, salaries run 204% lower in Lillestrom. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Athens compared to Lillestrom?
Rent for a central apartment: $729 in Athens versus $1,245 in Lillestrom. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Athens and in Lillestrom?
Dining out is cheaper in Athens – a meal for two runs $68.0 versus $121 in Lillestrom. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How much does it cost to live in Athens compared to Lillestrom?
All in, you'll spend $1,771 per month in Athens versus $2,615 in Lillestrom – a 48% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Athens or in Lillestrom?
At $1,771 in Athens versus $2,615 in Lillestrom, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Athens but tight or insufficient in Lillestrom. The gap between the two cities makes Athens the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Athens or Lillestrom?
Both work as nomad bases, but Athens delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,771 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Athens hard to pass up.
How safe is Athens compared to Lillestrom?
Safety-wise, Athens and Lillestrom are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Athens gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Lillestrom. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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