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: $3,031 in Hilversum versus $2,472 in Lillestrom.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,470 in Hilversum versus $3,909 in Lillestrom.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,908 in Hilversum versus $5,345 in Lillestrom.

Living in Hilversum is roughly 23% more expensive than Lillestrom, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hilversum 126% above, Lillestrom 84% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.98 €24.97

$20.49 NOK 194

41.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.0 €79.3

$102 NOK 971

-10.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.29 €14.04

$11.08 NOK 105

47.02%

Cappuccino

$4.56 €3.93

$4.82 NOK 45.72

-5.39%

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

$3.84 €3.31

$2.52 NOK 23.94

52.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 €2.71

$2.22 NOK 21.03

41.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.72 €4.93

$8.96 NOK 85.0

-36.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.20 €4.48

$10.18 NOK 96.6

-48.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 €1.18

$2.18 NOK 20.71

-37.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 €1.96

$3.43 NOK 32.55

-33.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.65 €3.14

$3.20 NOK 30.36

14.06%

Eggs

$4.95 €4.27

$4.14 NOK 39.28

19.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.56 €10.82

$11.46 NOK 109

9.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.16 €14.78

$13.90 NOK 132

23.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.12 €14.75

$24.59 NOK 233

-30.38%

Apples (1kg)

$1.89 €1.63

$3.15 NOK 29.89

-40.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.59 €2.23

$2.24 NOK 21.23

15.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$3.41 NOK 32.37

-45.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.85 €3.32

$3.99 NOK 37.86

-3.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 €1.85

$2.30 NOK 21.85

-6.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 €1.92

$2.13 NOK 20.24

4.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 €1.05

$1.98 NOK 18.81

-38.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.78

$1.82 NOK 17.28

-50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.42 €10.70

$14.08 NOK 134

-11.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.75 €5.82

$17.03 NOK 162

-60.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$3.21 NOK 30.47

-53.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 €2.32

$3.87 NOK 36.77

-30.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.52 €3.90

$4.24 NOK 40.20

6.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.2 €84.6

$72.4 NOK 687

35.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.92 €5.10

$5.00 NOK 47.44

18.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.45 NOK 13.75

46.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.74 €24.76

$61.0 NOK 579

-52.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 €1.90

$2.09 NOK 19.85

5.74%

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

$41.6K €35.8K

$34.4K NOK 326.6K

20.83%

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

$40.5K €34.9K

$30.9K NOK 293.8K

30.74%

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

$260 €224

$60.9 NOK 578

327.97%

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

$29.56 €25.47

$43.99 NOK 418

-32.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.3 €49.36

$37.96 NOK 360

50.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.2 €59.6

$70.2 NOK 666

-1.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.02 €36.21

$17.53 NOK 166

139.70%

Cinema Ticket

$17.51 €15.08

$14.60 NOK 139

19.93%

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

$668 €575

$234 NOK 2,221

185.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,513 €6,474

$4,195 NOK 39.8K

79.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$125 €108

$95.0 NOK 902

31.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.9 €53.3

$47.87 NOK 454

29.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 €113

$101 NOK 961

29.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$186 €160

$175 NOK 1,662

6.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,765 €1,521

$1,233 NOK 11.7K

43.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,481 €1,276

$1,233 NOK 11.7K

20.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,954 €2,546

$2,486 NOK 23.6K

18.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,411 €2,078

$2,234 NOK 21.2K

7.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,096 €6,114

$6,932 NOK 65.8K

2.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,320 €4,584

$4,024 NOK 38.2K

32.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,757 €3,237

$3,793 NOK 36.0K

-0.96%

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: June 6, 2026

Last update for Lillestrom: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,765 in Hilversum and $1,233 in Lillestrom. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lillestrom pays 1% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $92.0 in Hilversum vs $102 in Lillestrom for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 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 23% in total monthly costs ($3,031 vs $2,472 including rent). Lillestrom is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Lillestrom earns 1% less. 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: $1,765 in Hilversum versus $1,233 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 36% less than in Hilversum. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $668 in Hilversum versus $234 in Lillestrom. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,472 in Lillestrom versus $3,031 in Hilversum, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lillestrom but tight or insufficient in Hilversum. The gap between the two cities makes Lillestrom 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, 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 23% less than in Hilversum. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.