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: $4,426 in Cambridge, MA versus $2,619 in Lillestrom.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,677 in Cambridge, MA versus $4,100 in Lillestrom.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,927 in Cambridge, MA versus $5,580 in Lillestrom.

Living in Cambridge, MA is roughly 69% more expensive than in Lillestrom, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cambridge, MA 223% above, Lillestrom 91% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.21 $20.21

$21.03 NOK 198

-3.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$121 NOK 1,135

-16.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.02 $13.02

$11.36 NOK 107

14.61%

Cappuccino

$5.24 $5.24

$6.24 NOK 58.7

-16.03%

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

$2.90 $2.90

$4.11 NOK 38.70

-29.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 $2.37

$3.21 NOK 30.24

-26.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.21 $8.21

$12.40 NOK 117

-33.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.23 $8.23

$10.44 NOK 98.3

-21.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$2.37 NOK 22.31

-54.43%

White Bread (500g)

$4.26 $4.26

$3.69 NOK 34.70

15.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.98 $5.98

$4.16 NOK 39.10

43.75%

Eggs

$4.97 $4.97

$6.00 NOK 56.4

-17.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.13 $15.13

$13.60 NOK 128

11.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$14.10 NOK 133

-0.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.99 $18.99

$28.70 NOK 270

-33.83%

Apples (1kg)

$7.01 $7.01

$3.48 NOK 32.77

101.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 $1.33

$2.84 NOK 26.69

-53.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.58 $5.58

$4.33 NOK 40.76

28.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.51 $6.51

$5.57 NOK 52.4

16.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.85 NOK 26.84

-12.28%

Onion (1kg)

$3.33 $3.33

$3.63 NOK 34.11

-8.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.81 NOK 17.02

5.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 $2.79

$2.41 NOK 22.69

15.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.67 $12.67

$17.59 NOK 165

-27.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.69 $15.69

$16.90 NOK 159

-7.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 $1.83

$5.79 NOK 54.5

-68.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.44 $5.44

$5.71 NOK 53.7

-4.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.41 $2.41

$4.59 NOK 43.14

-47.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.1 $90.1

$84.4 NOK 794

6.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.66 $2.66

$11.77 NOK 111

-77.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.74 NOK 16.39

2.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.10 $28.10

$61.1 NOK 575

-53.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$2.24 NOK 21.08

-54.02%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$48.9K NOK 460.4K

-26.73%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$49.0K NOK 461.3K

-48.37%

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

$179 $179

$260 NOK 2,450

-31.08%

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

$43.14 $43.14

$36.14 NOK 340

19.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.9 $52.9

$53.2 NOK 501

-0.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.6 $73.6

$51.0 NOK 480

44.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.78 $29.78

$36.79 NOK 346

-19.05%

Cinema Ticket

$14.90 $14.90

$17.56 NOK 165

-15.15%

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

$2,898 $2,898

$320 NOK 3,012

805.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.0K $36.0K

$10.7K NOK 101.1K

234.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.6 $79.6

$103 NOK 967

-22.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.6 $50.6

$53.8 NOK 507

-6.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$120 NOK 1,128

-14.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 $139

$160 NOK 1,506

-13.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,424 $3,424

$1,292 NOK 12.2K

165.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,851 $2,851

$987 NOK 9,282

188.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,354 $5,354

$1,902 NOK 17.9K

181.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,491 $3,491

$1,690 NOK 15.9K

106.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,997 $4,997

$6,735 NOK 63.4K

-25.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,931 $4,931

$3,632 NOK 34.2K

35.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,179 $6,179

$3,826 NOK 36.0K

61.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.05

4.98

21.49%

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

Last update for Cambridge, MA: August 16, 2026

Last update for Lillestrom: August 18, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,424 in Cambridge, MA and $1,292 in Lillestrom. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cambridge, MA pays 61% 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 Cambridge, MA vs $121 in Lillestrom for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $474 vs $504 per month, with Cambridge, MA cheaper across the board.

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 69% 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.

Average pay runs 61% higher in Cambridge, MA, 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: $3,424 in Cambridge, MA versus $1,292 in Lillestrom. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Cambridge, MA pay roughly 6% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Lillestrom – a meal for two runs $121 versus $101 in Cambridge, MA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lillestrom delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,619 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 69% less than in Cambridge, MA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.