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: $2,688 in Bergen versus $2,547 in Lillestrom.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,981 in Bergen versus $4,020 in Lillestrom.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,273 in Bergen versus $5,492 in Lillestrom.

Living in Bergen is roughly 6% more expensive than Lillestrom, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen 101% above, Lillestrom 90% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.64 NOK 239

$20.59 NOK 192

24.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 NOK 948

$102 NOK 949

-0.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.93 NOK 176

$10.95 NOK 102

72.88%

Cappuccino

$5.60 NOK 52.2

$5.07 NOK 47.26

10.45%

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

$3.11 NOK 28.95

$2.55 NOK 23.77

21.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 NOK 27.05

$2.12 NOK 19.73

36.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.69 NOK 109

$8.91 NOK 83.0

31.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.43 NOK 87.9

$10.11 NOK 94.2

-6.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.75 NOK 25.64

$2.11 NOK 19.63

30.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.30 NOK 30.73

$3.32 NOK 30.92

-0.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.81 NOK 26.16

$3.30 NOK 30.77

-14.85%

Eggs

$4.86 NOK 45.27

$4.22 NOK 39.32

15.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.19 NOK 132

$11.35 NOK 106

25.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.59 NOK 145

$13.81 NOK 129

12.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.20 NOK 263

$24.70 NOK 230

14.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.87 NOK 36.11

$3.11 NOK 29.00

24.44%

Banana (1kg)

$3.06 NOK 28.54

$2.35 NOK 21.93

30.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.61 NOK 33.64

$3.36 NOK 31.30

7.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.57 NOK 51.9

$4.18 NOK 39.00

33.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.70 NOK 25.18

$2.20 NOK 20.46

22.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.86 NOK 26.65

$2.22 NOK 20.66

28.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 NOK 25.89

$1.97 NOK 18.39

41.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 NOK 19.77

$1.89 NOK 17.57

12.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.39 NOK 153

$14.45 NOK 135

13.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.35 NOK 171

$17.20 NOK 160

6.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.27 NOK 30.52

$3.21 NOK 29.92

1.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 NOK 40.95

$4.02 NOK 37.47

9.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.43 NOK 41.24

$4.35 NOK 40.58

1.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.3 NOK 758

$73.2 NOK 682

11.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.40 NOK 144

$5.14 NOK 47.93

199.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.29 NOK 21.30

$1.40 NOK 13.05

63.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$73.1 NOK 681

$61.9 NOK 577

18.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 NOK 20.02

$2.17 NOK 20.22

-0.92%

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

$35.0K NOK 326.4K

$35.4K NOK 329.9K

-1.05%

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

$42.3K NOK 394.4K

$29.8K NOK 277.5K

42.11%

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

$245 NOK 2,284

$61.6 NOK 574

297.76%

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

$38.87 NOK 362

$43.51 NOK 405

-10.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.9 NOK 605

$37.76 NOK 352

71.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.3 NOK 515

$70.8 NOK 659

-21.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.54 NOK 369

$18.06 NOK 168

118.94%

Cinema Ticket

$20.55 NOK 192

$14.69 NOK 137

39.89%

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

$279 NOK 2,597

$240 NOK 2,234

16.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K NOK 120.8K

$4,135 NOK 38.5K

213.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.8 NOK 837

$95.3 NOK 888

-5.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.2 NOK 515

$46.68 NOK 435

18.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 NOK 1,061

$100 NOK 934

13.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 NOK 1,340

$176 NOK 1,638

-18.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 NOK 12.0K

$1,196 NOK 11.1K

7.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$967 NOK 9,014

$1,230 NOK 11.5K

-21.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,994 NOK 18.6K

$2,544 NOK 23.7K

-21.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 NOK 14.7K

$2,182 NOK 20.3K

-27.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,978 NOK 74.4K

$5,986 NOK 55.8K

33.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 NOK 46.6K

$4,645 NOK 43.3K

7.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,447 NOK 41.4K

$3,898 NOK 36.3K

14.08%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Lillestrom: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,287 in Bergen and $1,196 in Lillestrom. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 14% 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 $102 in Lillestrom. Groceries flip the comparison at $489 vs $426, 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 6% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Bergen pays 14% 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: $1,287 in Bergen versus $1,196 in Lillestrom. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $279 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 15% 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 6% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.