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 $2,647 in Lillestrom.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,767 in Cambridge, MA versus $4,091 in Lillestrom.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,108 in Cambridge, MA versus $5,535 in Lillestrom.

Living in Cambridge, MA is roughly 67% more expensive than in Lillestrom, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cambridge, MA 228% above, Lillestrom 96% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.45 $19.45

$21.37 NOK 205

-8.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.4 $99.4

$121 NOK 1,162

-17.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.13 $12.13

$11.34 NOK 109

6.97%

Cappuccino

$5.37 $5.37

$5.98 NOK 57.5

-10.20%

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

$3.18 $3.18

$4.16 NOK 39.98

-23.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$3.19 NOK 30.71

-26.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.21 $8.21

$12.18 NOK 117

-32.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.96 $7.96

$10.35 NOK 99.5

-23.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$2.43 NOK 23.33

-53.09%

White Bread (500g)

$4.58 $4.58

$5.12 NOK 49.23

-10.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.12 $7.12

$4.15 NOK 39.86

71.57%

Eggs

$4.93 $4.93

$5.93 NOK 57.0

-16.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.71 $15.71

$13.42 NOK 129

17.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.22 $14.22

$13.86 NOK 133

2.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 $19.16

$28.09 NOK 270

-31.79%

Apples (1kg)

$7.07 $7.07

$3.55 NOK 34.08

99.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 $1.67

$2.82 NOK 27.09

-40.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.58 $5.58

$4.25 NOK 40.88

31.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.43 $6.43

$5.33 NOK 51.3

20.64%

Potato (1kg)

$4.40 $4.40

$2.89 NOK 27.75

52.25%

Onion (1kg)

$3.65 $3.65

$3.67 NOK 35.24

-0.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 $2.89

$1.84 NOK 17.73

57.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.86 $2.86

$2.35 NOK 22.57

21.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.56 $12.56

$17.54 NOK 169

-28.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.31 $16.31

$16.85 NOK 162

-3.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$5.63 NOK 54.2

-65.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.59 $5.59

$5.67 NOK 54.6

-1.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 $2.38

$4.71 NOK 45.27

-49.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.8 $88.8

$83.9 NOK 806

5.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.03 $2.03

$10.51 NOK 101

-80.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.98 NOK 19.05

-19.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.20 $11.20

$61.6 NOK 592

-81.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$2.28 NOK 21.93

-54.39%

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

$36.4K $36.4K

$47.4K NOK 455.9K

-23.35%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$50.1K NOK 481.6K

-47.67%

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

$228 $228

$311 NOK 2,989

-26.74%

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

$53.5 $53.5

$36.92 NOK 355

44.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.0 $79.0

$62.2 NOK 598

26.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.0 $74.0

$50.5 NOK 485

46.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.18 $30.18

$36.28 NOK 349

-16.81%

Cinema Ticket

$14.96 $14.96

$17.14 NOK 165

-12.72%

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

$2,898 $2,898

$315 NOK 3,025

821.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.1K $36.1K

$13.1K NOK 126.0K

175.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.7 $75.7

$99.9 NOK 960

-24.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.0 $53.0

$56.2 NOK 540

-5.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$128 NOK 1,227

-19.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 $142

$157 NOK 1,513

-9.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,371 $3,371

$1,261 NOK 12.1K

167.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,837 $2,837

$1,009 NOK 9,700

181.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,252 $5,252

$2,023 NOK 19.4K

159.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,468 $3,468

$1,703 NOK 16.4K

103.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,037 $5,037

$5,617 NOK 54.0K

-10.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,987 $4,987

$3,525 NOK 33.9K

41.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,278 $6,278

$3,790 NOK 36.4K

65.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.23

4.95

25.86%

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

Last update for Cambridge, MA: September 28, 2026

Last update for Lillestrom: September 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,371 in Cambridge, MA and $1,261 in Lillestrom. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cambridge, MA pays 66% 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: $99.0 in Cambridge, MA vs $121 in Lillestrom for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $501 vs $513 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 67% 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 66% 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: $3,371 in Cambridge, MA versus $1,261 in Lillestrom. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Cambridge, MA pay roughly 2% 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 $99.0 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 $2,647 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 67% less than in Cambridge, MA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.