Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Lillestrom Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Lillestrom

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,948 in Bergen versus $2,663 in Lillestrom.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,449 in Bergen versus $4,157 in Lillestrom.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,950 in Bergen versus $5,651 in Lillestrom.

Living in Bergen is roughly 11% more expensive than in Lillestrom, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 115% above, Lillestrom 95% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.70 NOK 233

$21.44 NOK 202

15.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$139 NOK 1,310

$122 NOK 1,151

13.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.86 NOK 149

$11.74 NOK 111

35.09%

Cappuccino

$5.68 NOK 53.5

$6.34 NOK 59.7

-10.41%

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

$5.31 NOK 49.99

$4.21 NOK 39.62

26.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 NOK 42.68

$3.26 NOK 30.74

38.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.85 NOK 121

$12.57 NOK 118

2.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.60 NOK 99.9

$10.88 NOK 103

-2.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.33 NOK 21.94

$2.41 NOK 22.67

-3.32%

White Bread (500g)

$3.90 NOK 36.76

$3.78 NOK 35.62

3.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.57 NOK 33.67

$4.28 NOK 40.28

-16.59%

Eggs

$6.62 NOK 62.4

$5.97 NOK 56.3

10.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.02 NOK 141

$13.60 NOK 128

10.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.61 NOK 166

$14.03 NOK 132

25.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$35.64 NOK 336

$28.41 NOK 268

25.45%

Apples (1kg)

$4.02 NOK 37.87

$3.56 NOK 33.57

12.92%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 NOK 26.64

$2.92 NOK 27.53

-3.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.67 NOK 34.53

$4.41 NOK 41.57

-16.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.50 NOK 51.8

$5.36 NOK 50.5

2.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 NOK 23.99

$2.97 NOK 27.93

-14.14%

Onion (1kg)

$3.30 NOK 31.09

$3.78 NOK 35.57

-12.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.94 NOK 27.69

$1.86 NOK 17.56

58.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 NOK 17.95

$2.43 NOK 22.90

-21.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.18 NOK 171

Wine (Bottle)

$18.23 NOK 172

$16.86 NOK 159

8.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.52 NOK 33.19

$5.80 NOK 54.6

-39.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 NOK 41.31

$5.88 NOK 55.4

-25.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.12 NOK 48.19

$4.60 NOK 43.35

11.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.2 NOK 850

$87.5 NOK 824

3.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.62 NOK 119

$11.87 NOK 112

6.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 NOK 18.42

$1.83 NOK 17.23

7.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$74.5 NOK 702

$81.9 NOK 771

-9.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.37 NOK 22.33

$2.32 NOK 21.84

2.16%

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

$49.1K NOK 462.4K

$49.1K NOK 462.5K

-0.02%

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

$44.2K NOK 416.8K

$49.2K NOK 463.1K

-10.00%

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

$288 NOK 2,716

$258 NOK 2,432

11.70%

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

$31.45 NOK 296

$36.16 NOK 341

-13.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.6 NOK 741

$64.6 NOK 608

21.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.85 NOK 432

$51.2 NOK 482

-10.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$43.68 NOK 411

$36.85 NOK 347

18.53%

Cinema Ticket

$19.64 NOK 185

$18.04 NOK 170

8.87%

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

$245 NOK 2,309

$250 NOK 2,359

-2.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K NOK 115.2K

$13.3K NOK 125.7K

-8.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 NOK 1,007

$102 NOK 960

4.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 NOK 511

$56.8 NOK 535

-4.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 NOK 1,181

$127 NOK 1,198

-1.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$170 NOK 1,601

$159 NOK 1,495

7.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 NOK 14.1K

$1,306 NOK 12.3K

14.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,104 NOK 10.4K

$1,027 NOK 9,670

7.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,481 NOK 23.4K

$2,049 NOK 19.3K

21.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,780 NOK 16.8K

$1,690 NOK 15.9K

5.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,757 NOK 73.1K

$6,240 NOK 58.8K

24.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,967 NOK 46.8K

$4,378 NOK 41.2K

13.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,712 NOK 44.4K

$3,815 NOK 35.9K

23.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.31

4.98

6.63%

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

Last update for Bergen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Lillestrom: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,496 in Bergen and $1,306 in Lillestrom. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 24% 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: $139 in Bergen vs $122 in Lillestrom for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $534 vs $506 per month, with Lillestrom 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

Bergen vs Lillestrom: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lillestrom is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 11% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 24% higher in Bergen, 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: $1,496 in Bergen versus $1,306 in Lillestrom. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $245 in Bergen versus $250 in Lillestrom. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Bergen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Lillestrom is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Lillestrom is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Bergen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Bergen 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.

Expats usually find Lillestrom gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.