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: $2,612 in Bergen versus $2,481 in Lillestrom.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,989 in Bergen versus $3,944 in Lillestrom.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,367 in Bergen versus $5,407 in Lillestrom.

Living in Bergen is roughly 5% more expensive than Lillestrom, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 96% above, Lillestrom 86% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.50 NOK 242

$20.53 NOK 194

24.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 NOK 953

$103 NOK 975

-2.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.48 NOK 184

$10.83 NOK 103

79.87%

Cappuccino

$5.59 NOK 53.0

$4.79 NOK 45.36

16.70%

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

$3.22 NOK 30.50

$2.45 NOK 23.22

31.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 NOK 28.83

$2.15 NOK 20.39

41.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.42 NOK 108

$9.18 NOK 87.0

24.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.86 NOK 93.4

$9.95 NOK 94.3

-0.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.63 NOK 24.96

$2.13 NOK 20.14

23.47%

White Bread (500g)

$3.41 NOK 32.29

$3.43 NOK 32.48

-0.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.90 NOK 27.49

$3.16 NOK 29.89

-8.23%

Eggs

$4.99 NOK 47.31

$4.16 NOK 39.44

19.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.94 NOK 132

$11.53 NOK 109

20.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.90 NOK 151

$13.69 NOK 130

16.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.89 NOK 264

$25.02 NOK 237

11.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.89 NOK 36.87

$3.08 NOK 29.22

26.30%

Banana (1kg)

$3.08 NOK 29.18

$2.34 NOK 22.20

31.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.62 NOK 34.34

$3.27 NOK 30.93

10.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.76 NOK 54.6

$3.99 NOK 37.76

44.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 NOK 24.99

$2.25 NOK 21.35

17.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 NOK 27.32

$2.15 NOK 20.40

33.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 NOK 27.41

$2.07 NOK 19.60

39.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 NOK 20.31

$1.91 NOK 18.05

12.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.57 NOK 157

$14.14 NOK 134

17.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.71 NOK 168

$16.95 NOK 161

4.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.32 NOK 31.44

$3.14 NOK 29.78

5.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 NOK 40.00

$3.95 NOK 37.45

6.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.47 NOK 42.30

$4.29 NOK 40.68

4.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.3 NOK 751

$72.1 NOK 683

9.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.50 NOK 147

$5.19 NOK 49.15

198.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.23 NOK 21.12

$1.39 NOK 13.18

60.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$73.3 NOK 695

$60.3 NOK 571

21.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 NOK 20.94

$2.08 NOK 19.74

6.25%

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

$35.1K NOK 332.9K

$35.2K NOK 333.1K

-0.07%

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

$43.4K NOK 411.2K

$30.8K NOK 291.7K

40.99%

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

$244 NOK 2,312

$59.5 NOK 564

310.03%

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

$38.98 NOK 369

$42.80 NOK 405

-8.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.7 NOK 612

$37.55 NOK 356

72.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 NOK 514

$70.1 NOK 664

-22.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.42 NOK 383

$17.58 NOK 166

129.92%

Cinema Ticket

$19.90 NOK 189

$14.50 NOK 137

37.24%

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

$288 NOK 2,730

$235 NOK 2,229

22.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K NOK 121.9K

$4,147 NOK 39.3K

210.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.3 NOK 846

$96.6 NOK 915

-7.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.2 NOK 532

$46.78 NOK 443

20.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 NOK 1,066

$99.9 NOK 946

12.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$147 NOK 1,390

$180 NOK 1,706

-18.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 NOK 12.0K

$1,239 NOK 11.7K

2.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$979 NOK 9,277

$1,208 NOK 11.4K

-18.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,054 NOK 19.5K

$2,471 NOK 23.4K

-16.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 NOK 14.7K

$2,242 NOK 21.2K

-30.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,700 NOK 72.9K

$6,150 NOK 58.3K

25.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,716 NOK 44.7K

$4,832 NOK 45.8K

-2.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,514 NOK 42.8K

$3,695 NOK 35.0K

22.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.85

4.38

10.73%

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

Last update for Bergen: June 15, 2026

Last update for Lillestrom: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,268 in Bergen and $1,239 in Lillestrom. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 22% 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: $101 in Bergen vs $103 in Lillestrom. Groceries flip the comparison at $490 vs $425, with Lillestrom cheaper for home cooking.

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, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Bergen pays 22% 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: $1,268 in Bergen versus $1,239 in Lillestrom. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $288 in Bergen versus $235 in Lillestrom. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Bergen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,481 in Lillestrom versus $2,612 in Bergen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lillestrom but tight or insufficient in Bergen. The gap between the two cities makes Lillestrom the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 5% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.