Cost of Living Comparison Between Cambridge, MA and Lillestrom Cost of Living Comparison Between Cambridge, MA and Lillestrom

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,398 in Cambridge, MA versus $2,472 in Lillestrom.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,738 in Cambridge, MA versus $3,909 in Lillestrom.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,078 in Cambridge, MA versus $5,345 in Lillestrom.

Living in Cambridge, MA is roughly 78% more expensive than Lillestrom, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cambridge, MA 227% above, Lillestrom 84% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.84 $16.84

$20.49 NOK 194

-17.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.3 $98.3

$102 NOK 971

-3.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.15 $12.15

$11.08 NOK 105

9.66%

Cappuccino

$5.54 $5.54

$4.82 NOK 45.72

14.94%

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

$3.00 $3.00

$2.52 NOK 23.94

19.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$2.22 NOK 21.03

10.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.99 $7.99

$8.96 NOK 85.0

-10.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.83 $7.83

$10.18 NOK 96.6

-23.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$2.18 NOK 20.71

-48.17%

White Bread (500g)

$3.91 $3.91

$3.43 NOK 32.55

13.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.65 $6.65

$3.20 NOK 30.36

107.81%

Eggs

$4.82 $4.82

$4.14 NOK 39.28

16.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.20 $15.20

$11.46 NOK 109

32.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.37 $13.37

$13.90 NOK 132

-3.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.90 $20.90

$24.59 NOK 233

-15.01%

Apples (1kg)

$6.69 $6.69

$3.15 NOK 29.89

112.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 $1.85

$2.24 NOK 21.23

-17.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.31 $6.31

$3.41 NOK 32.37

85.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.26 $6.26

$3.99 NOK 37.86

56.89%

Potato (1kg)

$3.35 $3.35

$2.30 NOK 21.85

45.65%

Onion (1kg)

$3.53 $3.53

$2.13 NOK 20.24

65.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.49 $2.49

$1.98 NOK 18.81

25.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 $2.61

$1.82 NOK 17.28

43.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.61 $13.61

$14.08 NOK 134

-3.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.20 $16.20

$17.03 NOK 162

-4.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 $1.74

$3.21 NOK 30.47

-45.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.46 $5.46

$3.87 NOK 36.77

41.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$4.24 NOK 40.20

-41.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.0 $91.0

$72.4 NOK 687

25.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.63 $2.63

$5.00 NOK 47.44

-47.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.45 NOK 13.75

17.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.06 $28.06

$61.0 NOK 579

-53.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$2.09 NOK 19.85

-59.33%

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

$29.5K $29.5K

$34.4K NOK 326.6K

-14.24%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$30.9K NOK 293.8K

-19.05%

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

$161 $161

$60.9 NOK 578

165.20%

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

$52.2 $52.2

$43.99 NOK 418

18.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.8 $56.8

$37.96 NOK 360

49.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$99.0 $99.0

$70.2 NOK 666

41.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.42 $30.42

$17.53 NOK 166

73.53%

Cinema Ticket

$15.42 $15.42

$14.60 NOK 139

5.62%

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

$2,823 $2,823

$234 NOK 2,221

1106.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.1K $27.1K

$4,195 NOK 39.8K

544.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.4 $66.4

$95.0 NOK 902

-30.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.47 $45.47

$47.87 NOK 454

-5.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$101 NOK 961

1.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$149 $149

$175 NOK 1,662

-14.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,835 $2,835

$1,233 NOK 11.7K

129.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,827 $2,827

$1,233 NOK 11.7K

129.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,039 $5,039

$2,486 NOK 23.6K

102.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,500 $3,500

$2,234 NOK 21.2K

56.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,924 $4,924

$6,932 NOK 65.8K

-28.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,081 $5,081

$4,024 NOK 38.2K

26.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,226 $6,226

$3,793 NOK 36.0K

64.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

4.38

46.80%

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

Last update for Cambridge, MA: June 7, 2026

Last update for Lillestrom: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,835 in Cambridge, MA and $1,233 in Lillestrom. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cambridge, MA pays 64% 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: $98.0 in Cambridge, MA vs $102 in Lillestrom. Groceries flip the comparison at $483 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

Cambridge, MA vs Lillestrom: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lillestrom wins on cost – living expenses run 78% lower than in Cambridge, MA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lillestrom the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Cambridge, MA pays 64% 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: $2,835 in Cambridge, MA versus $1,233 in Lillestrom. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

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

Dining out is cheaper in Lillestrom – a meal for two runs $102 versus $98.0 in Cambridge, MA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,472 in Lillestrom versus $4,398 in Cambridge, MA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lillestrom but tight or insufficient in Cambridge, MA. The gap between the two cities makes Lillestrom the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lillestrom delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,472 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lillestrom hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Cambridge, MA 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 78% less than in Cambridge, MA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.