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: $2,658 in Bergen versus $2,519 in Lillestrom.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,013 in Bergen versus $3,937 in Lillestrom.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,368 in Bergen versus $5,354 in Lillestrom.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 100% above, Lillestrom 89% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.18 NOK 239

$20.58 NOK 195

22.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 NOK 970

$103 NOK 973

-0.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.35 NOK 183

$10.91 NOK 103

77.36%

Cappuccino

$5.34 NOK 50.7

$4.84 NOK 45.88

10.33%

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

$3.24 NOK 30.68

$2.55 NOK 24.22

27.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 NOK 27.47

$2.19 NOK 20.81

32.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.61 NOK 110

$9.16 NOK 86.8

26.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.63 NOK 91.3

$10.04 NOK 95.2

-4.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.71 NOK 25.70

$2.13 NOK 20.22

27.23%

White Bread (500g)

$3.44 NOK 32.64

$3.35 NOK 31.75

2.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.79 NOK 26.44

$3.15 NOK 29.87

-11.43%

Eggs

$5.03 NOK 47.68

$4.32 NOK 40.98

16.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.95 NOK 132

$11.53 NOK 109

20.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.55 NOK 147

$13.93 NOK 132

11.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.87 NOK 264

$24.85 NOK 236

12.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.81 NOK 36.09

$3.05 NOK 28.88

24.92%

Banana (1kg)

$2.96 NOK 28.07

$2.25 NOK 21.31

31.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.58 NOK 33.98

$3.35 NOK 31.81

6.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.51 NOK 52.3

$4.08 NOK 38.73

35.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.60 NOK 24.70

$2.22 NOK 21.09

17.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.75 NOK 26.09

$2.15 NOK 20.39

27.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.77 NOK 26.26

$1.98 NOK 18.74

39.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 NOK 20.02

$1.89 NOK 17.88

11.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.74 NOK 159

$14.21 NOK 135

17.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.70 NOK 168

$16.81 NOK 159

5.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.39 NOK 32.11

$3.18 NOK 30.18

6.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 NOK 40.77

$3.91 NOK 37.06

9.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.37 NOK 41.45

$4.24 NOK 40.18

3.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.8 NOK 757

$72.3 NOK 686

10.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.20 NOK 144

$5.02 NOK 47.61

202.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 NOK 20.87

$1.39 NOK 13.20

58.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$72.6 NOK 689

$61.8 NOK 586

17.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 NOK 20.98

$2.16 NOK 20.44

2.31%

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

$35.8K NOK 339.6K

$35.2K NOK 334.2K

1.60%

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

$43.7K NOK 414.2K

$30.8K NOK 292.3K

41.68%

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

$244 NOK 2,314

$61.5 NOK 583

296.68%

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

$38.05 NOK 361

$44.27 NOK 420

-14.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.4 NOK 620

$38.60 NOK 366

69.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 NOK 513

$70.7 NOK 670

-23.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.77 NOK 377

$17.36 NOK 165

129.09%

Cinema Ticket

$19.90 NOK 189

$14.59 NOK 138

36.39%

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

$284 NOK 2,692

$240 NOK 2,280

18.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K NOK 122.2K

$4,151 NOK 39.4K

210.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.5 NOK 877

$97.6 NOK 926

-5.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.7 NOK 528

$46.42 NOK 440

19.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 NOK 1,067

$99.4 NOK 942

13.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 NOK 1,360

$174 NOK 1,650

-17.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 NOK 12.4K

$1,238 NOK 11.7K

5.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$997 NOK 9,455

$1,238 NOK 11.7K

-19.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,032 NOK 19.3K

$2,523 NOK 23.9K

-19.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 NOK 15.1K

$2,199 NOK 20.9K

-27.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,558 NOK 71.7K

$5,590 NOK 53.0K

35.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,679 NOK 44.4K

$4,151 NOK 39.4K

12.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,385 NOK 41.6K

$3,710 NOK 35.2K

18.19%

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: July 28, 2026

Last update for Lillestrom: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,304 in Bergen and $1,238 in Lillestrom. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 18% 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: $102 in Bergen vs $103 in Lillestrom. Groceries flip the comparison at $485 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.

Average pay runs 18% 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: $1,304 in Bergen versus $1,238 in Lillestrom. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $284 in Bergen versus $240 in Lillestrom. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Bergen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,519 in Lillestrom versus $2,658 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.