Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Lillehammer

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucharest: $1,340 a month against $1,487 in Lillehammer, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. The total is higher in Lillehammer despite lower rent and utilities.

65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index
72

Cost of Living Index in Lillehammer
Learn more

Lillehammer Living Index

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Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,340

/mo nomad

Lillehammer

🇳🇴 Norway

$1,487

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucharest and in Lillehammer

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,340 in Bucharest versus $1,487 in Lillehammer.

Bucharest $1,340
Lillehammer $1,487

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Bucharest versus $2,355 in Lillehammer.

Bucharest $2,037
Lillehammer $2,355

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,734 in Bucharest versus $3,223 in Lillehammer.

Bucharest $2,734
Lillehammer $3,223

Living in Bucharest costs roughly 10% less than in Lillehammer, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bucharest is 1% below, Lillehammer is 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.49 RON 68.6

$16.65 NOK 157

-12.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 RON 275

$82.7 NOK 779

-29.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 RON 35.40

$14.08 NOK 133

-46.88%

Cappuccino

$3.44 RON 16.29

$4.94 NOK 46.49

-30.36%

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

$2.37 RON 11.22

$3.59 NOK 33.81

-33.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 RON 10.88

$2.44 NOK 22.94

-5.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 RON 17.51

$10.56 NOK 99.4

-64.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 RON 19.69

$7.36 NOK 69.2

-43.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 RON 7.90

$2.44 NOK 22.95

-31.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 RON 6.50

$3.38 NOK 31.84

-59.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 RON 8.14

$3.65 NOK 34.38

-52.88%

Eggs

$3.64 RON 17.22

$4.72 NOK 44.47

-22.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 RON 42.98

$13.18 NOK 124

-31.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.84 RON 32.35

$16.62 NOK 156

-58.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.00 RON 56.8

$31.35 NOK 295

-61.72%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 RON 5.80

$3.93 NOK 36.99

-68.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.73

$2.97 NOK 27.97

-45.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$3.72 NOK 35.01

-57.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 RON 12.01

$5.65 NOK 53.2

-55.04%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.75

$2.87 NOK 26.98

-72.47%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.66

$3.03 NOK 28.52

-74.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 RON 4.13

$2.93 NOK 27.59

-70.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 RON 4.70

$2.29 NOK 21.58

-56.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.31 RON 29.86

$17.48 NOK 165

-63.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.20 RON 29.34

$18.52 NOK 174

-66.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 RON 5.63

$3.55 NOK 33.43

-66.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 RON 7.45

$4.46 NOK 42.00

-64.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 RON 4.08

$2.32 NOK 21.81

-62.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.10 RON 99.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 RON 3.05

$9.47 NOK 89.1

-93.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 RON 2.86

$1.61 NOK 15.14

-62.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.43 RON 30.43

$59.9 NOK 564

-89.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 RON 9.25

$2.40 NOK 22.64

-18.33%

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

$29.0K RON 137.2K

$45.8K NOK 431.3K

-36.71%

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

$26.6K RON 126.0K

$45.6K NOK 429.4K

-41.60%

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

$196 RON 927

$275 NOK 2,591

-28.84%

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

$8.04 RON 38.04

$35.71 NOK 336

-77.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.35 RON 44.21

$81.1 NOK 763

-88.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 RON 238

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.33 RON 120

Cinema Ticket

$8.15 RON 38.55

$20.67 NOK 195

-60.57%

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

$628 RON 2,971

$294 NOK 2,765

113.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K RON 66.6K

$4,382 NOK 41.3K

221.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.6 RON 424

$107 NOK 1,005

-16.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.32 RON 181

$49.98 NOK 470

-23.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 RON 375

$117 NOK 1,103

-32.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.4 RON 428

$158 NOK 1,483

-42.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$678 RON 3,209

$1,033 NOK 9,723

-34.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 RON 2,121

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 RON 5,125

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 RON 3,430

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,751 RON 17.7K

$3,281 NOK 30.9K

14.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,195 RON 10.4K

$1,291 NOK 12.2K

69.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,329 RON 6,290

$2,056 NOK 19.4K

-35.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

5.32

26.88%

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

Last update for Bucharest: October 12, 2026

Last update for Lillehammer: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Bucharest

$448 33.5%

Lillehammer

- * 0% 100%

Eating Out

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Lillehammer

$326 21.9% 44.9% $101

Groceries & Markets

Bucharest

$225 16.8%

Lillehammer

$507 34.1% 125% $282

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucharest

$213 15.9%

Lillehammer

$392 26.4% 83.8% $179

Clothing & Footwear

Bucharest

$134 10%

Lillehammer

$194 13.1% 45% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Bucharest

$67 5%

Lillehammer

$41 * 2.8% 37.9% $25

Getting Around

Bucharest

$28 2.1%

Lillehammer

$27 * 1.8% 5.1% $1.4

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $678 in Bucharest and $1,033 in Lillehammer. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lillehammer pays 55% 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: $58.0 in Bucharest vs $83.0 in Lillehammer for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $507 per month, with Bucharest cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🇳🇴 Lillehammer

🕒 Local time

18:33 6:33 PM

17:33 5:33 PM

1 h behind Bucharest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,883,425 Capital

28,831

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

100 NOK = 10.62 USD

100 NOK = 9.45 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NOK, USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 9.41 NOK (1 NOK = 0.106 USD). 1 EUR = 10.58 NOK (100 NOK = 9.45 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bucharest Lillehammer 2,120 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Bucharest
Lillehammer

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

Bucharest vs Lillehammer: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Lillehammer differ by about 11% in total monthly costs ($1,340 vs $1,487 including rent). Bucharest is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 55% lower in Lillehammer. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $678 in Bucharest versus $1,033 in Lillehammer. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 125% higher in Lillehammer. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,340 per month in Bucharest versus $1,487 in Lillehammer – a 11% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,340 in Bucharest versus $1,487 in Lillehammer, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bucharest but tight or insufficient in Lillehammer. The gap between the two cities makes Bucharest the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Bucharest and Lillehammer 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 Bucharest gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Lillehammer. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.