Cost of Living Comparison Between Hilversum and Lillestrom Cost of Living Comparison Between Hilversum and Lillestrom

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,081 in Hilversum versus $2,539 in Lillestrom.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,450 in Hilversum versus $3,976 in Lillestrom.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,819 in Hilversum versus $5,413 in Lillestrom.

Living in Hilversum is roughly 21% more expensive than Lillestrom, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hilversum 130% above, Lillestrom 89% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.56 €24.36

$20.83 NOK 194

37.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.4 €77.9

$100 NOK 931

-8.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.18 €13.80

$10.92 NOK 102

48.17%

Cappuccino

$4.58 €3.91

$4.84 NOK 45.03

-5.37%

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

$3.77 €3.22

$2.42 NOK 22.51

55.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 €2.68

$2.16 NOK 20.05

45.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.84 €4.98

$8.90 NOK 82.7

-34.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.24 €4.47

$10.21 NOK 95.0

-48.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.13

$2.17 NOK 20.16

-39.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.17 €1.85

$3.38 NOK 31.44

-35.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.73 €3.18

$3.17 NOK 29.53

17.67%

Eggs

$4.97 €4.24

$4.14 NOK 38.52

20.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.99 €11.08

$11.38 NOK 106

14.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.56 €14.98

$13.98 NOK 130

25.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.50 €14.93

$24.65 NOK 229

-29.01%

Apples (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$3.11 NOK 28.96

-36.66%

Banana (1kg)

$2.57 €2.19

$2.32 NOK 21.57

10.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 €1.66

$3.28 NOK 30.47

-40.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.79 €3.24

$4.17 NOK 38.79

-9.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 €1.77

$2.20 NOK 20.49

-5.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 €1.82

$2.22 NOK 20.64

-4.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 €1.00

$2.01 NOK 18.67

-41.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 €0.82

$1.82 NOK 16.90

-47.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 €10.39

$13.97 NOK 130

-12.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.99 €5.96

$17.08 NOK 159

-59.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 €1.26

$3.18 NOK 29.60

-53.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.34

$4.06 NOK 37.78

-32.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.74 €4.05

$4.18 NOK 38.87

13.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.2 €82.9

$73.2 NOK 681

32.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.73 €4.89

$5.05 NOK 46.95

13.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.11 €1.80

$1.39 NOK 12.93

51.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.38 €24.21

$61.6 NOK 573

-53.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.26 €1.93

$2.20 NOK 20.45

2.73%

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

$40.9K €34.9K

$34.4K NOK 319.7K

18.95%

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

$39.7K €33.8K

$30.7K NOK 285.2K

29.39%

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

$257 €219

$60.9 NOK 566

321.83%

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

$29.99 €25.58

$44.30 NOK 412

-32.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.7 €49.22

$37.96 NOK 353

52.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.8 €59.6

$70.3 NOK 653

-0.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.11 €35.07

$18.02 NOK 168

128.14%

Cinema Ticket

$17.06 €14.56

$14.92 NOK 139

14.34%

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

$676 €577

$233 NOK 2,168

190.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,468 €6,370

$4,128 NOK 38.4K

80.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$128 €109

$96.0 NOK 893

32.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.4 €52.4

$47.15 NOK 439

30.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$133 €113

$98.8 NOK 919

34.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$184 €157

$178 NOK 1,653

3.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,750 €1,493

$1,220 NOK 11.3K

43.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,531 €1,306

$1,212 NOK 11.3K

26.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,054 €2,605

$2,525 NOK 23.5K

20.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,401 €2,048

$2,246 NOK 20.9K

6.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,355 €6,273

$5,923 NOK 55.1K

24.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,502 €4,693

$4,555 NOK 42.4K

20.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,916 €3,340

$3,858 NOK 35.9K

1.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

4.38

2.74%

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

Last update for Hilversum: April 21, 2026

Last update for Lillestrom: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,750 in Hilversum and $1,220 in Lillestrom. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hilversum pays 2% 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: $91 in Hilversum vs $100 in Lillestrom for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $355 vs $425 per month, with Hilversum 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

Hilversum vs Lillestrom: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hilversum and Lillestrom differ by about 21% in total monthly costs ($3,081 vs $2,539 including rent). Lillestrom is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Hilversum pays 2% 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: $1,750 in Hilversum versus $1,220 in Lillestrom. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Lillestrom runs roughly 33% less than in Hilversum. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $676 in Hilversum versus $233 in Lillestrom. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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 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, Hilversum 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 21% less than in Hilversum. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.