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: $3,089 in Hilversum versus $2,519 in Lillestrom.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,548 in Hilversum versus $3,937 in Lillestrom.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,007 in Hilversum versus $5,354 in Lillestrom.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hilversum 132% above, Lillestrom 89% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.44 €24.80

$20.58 NOK 197

38.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.1 €82.0

$103 NOK 984

-8.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.41 €14.31

$10.91 NOK 105

50.41%

Cappuccino

$4.59 €4.00

$4.84 NOK 46.41

-5.17%

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

$3.92 €3.41

$2.55 NOK 24.50

53.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 €2.60

$2.19 NOK 21.05

36.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.62 €4.90

$9.16 NOK 87.9

-38.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.34 €4.65

$10.04 NOK 96.3

-46.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 €1.18

$2.13 NOK 20.45

-36.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 €1.98

$3.35 NOK 32.12

-32.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.68 €3.21

$3.15 NOK 30.21

16.83%

Eggs

$4.81 €4.19

$4.32 NOK 41.46

11.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.96 €11.30

$11.53 NOK 111

12.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.21 €15.00

$13.93 NOK 134

23.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.68 €15.41

$24.85 NOK 238

-28.85%

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 €1.68

$3.05 NOK 29.22

-36.72%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 €2.15

$2.25 NOK 21.55

9.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 €1.63

$3.35 NOK 32.18

-44.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.87 €3.37

$4.08 NOK 39.18

-5.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 €1.80

$2.22 NOK 21.34

-6.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$2.15 NOK 20.63

2.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 €1.03

$1.98 NOK 18.96

-40.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.78

$1.89 NOK 18.09

-52.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.33 €10.75

$14.21 NOK 136

-13.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.70 €5.84

$16.81 NOK 161

-60.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 €1.30

$3.18 NOK 30.53

-53.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 €2.39

$3.91 NOK 37.49

-29.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.76 €4.15

$4.24 NOK 40.65

12.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.2 €85.6

$72.3 NOK 694

35.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.96 €5.19

$5.02 NOK 48.16

18.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.03 €1.77

$1.39 NOK 13.35

46.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.13 €25.40

$61.8 NOK 593

-52.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 €1.91

$2.16 NOK 20.68

1.39%

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

$41.3K €36.0K

$35.2K NOK 338.1K

17.23%

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

$39.6K €34.5K

$30.8K NOK 295.7K

28.35%

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

$263 €229

$61.5 NOK 590

327.19%

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

$29.43 €25.66

$44.27 NOK 425

-33.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.1 €50.6

$38.60 NOK 370

50.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.6 €59.8

$70.7 NOK 678

-2.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.51 €35.31

$17.36 NOK 167

133.35%

Cinema Ticket

$17.13 €14.94

$14.59 NOK 140

17.41%

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

$680 €593

$240 NOK 2,307

182.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,430 €6,478

$4,151 NOK 39.8K

78.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$128 €112

$97.6 NOK 937

31.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.0 €53.2

$46.42 NOK 445

31.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 €118

$99.4 NOK 953

35.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$186 €162

$174 NOK 1,669

6.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,738 €1,515

$1,238 NOK 11.9K

40.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 €1,316

$1,238 NOK 11.9K

21.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,051 €2,659

$2,523 NOK 24.2K

20.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,404 €2,095

$2,199 NOK 21.1K

9.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,889 €6,006

$5,590 NOK 53.6K

23.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,248 €4,575

$4,151 NOK 39.8K

26.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,746 €3,266

$3,710 NOK 35.6K

0.98%

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Lillestrom: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,738 in Hilversum and $1,238 in Lillestrom. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hilversum pays 1% 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: $94.0 in Hilversum vs $103 in Lillestrom for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 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 ($3,089 vs $2,519 including rent). Lillestrom is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 1% higher in Hilversum, 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: $1,738 in Hilversum versus $1,238 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 $680 in Hilversum versus $240 in Lillestrom. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,519 in Lillestrom versus $3,089 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.