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: $2,986 in Hilversum versus $2,675 in Lillestrom.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,351 in Hilversum versus $4,127 in Lillestrom.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,716 in Hilversum versus $5,579 in Lillestrom.

Living in Hilversum is roughly 12% more expensive than in Lillestrom, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hilversum 117% above, Lillestrom 94% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.56 €25.48

$21.38 NOK 198

38.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.0 €69.8

$123 NOK 1,140

-34.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.78 €15.33

$11.32 NOK 105

57.07%

Cappuccino

$4.62 €3.98

$6.26 NOK 58.1

-26.20%

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

$4.16 €3.59

$4.03 NOK 37.40

3.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 €2.63

$3.16 NOK 29.36

-3.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.71 €4.92

$12.43 NOK 115

-54.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.96 €5.14

$10.74 NOK 99.6

-44.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 €1.13

$2.52 NOK 23.42

-48.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 €2.01

$5.23 NOK 48.55

-55.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.70 €3.19

$4.31 NOK 40.02

-14.15%

Eggs

$5.21 €4.49

$5.80 NOK 53.8

-10.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.10 €11.29

$13.36 NOK 124

-1.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.05 €14.69

$13.71 NOK 127

24.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.52 €15.11

$28.60 NOK 265

-38.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.06 €1.78

$3.64 NOK 33.75

-43.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$2.85 NOK 26.44

-8.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.88 €1.62

$4.39 NOK 40.76

-57.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.30 €2.84

$5.39 NOK 50.0

-38.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$2.91 NOK 27.02

-27.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 €1.86

$3.77 NOK 35.02

-42.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 €1.07

$1.85 NOK 17.17

-32.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 €1.03

$2.38 NOK 22.10

-50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.96 €11.17

$17.73 NOK 165

-26.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.84 €5.90

$16.92 NOK 157

-59.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$5.51 NOK 51.1

-72.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 €2.42

$6.00 NOK 55.7

-53.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.65 €3.15

$4.66 NOK 43.25

-21.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.7 €60.1

$84.3 NOK 782

-17.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.88 €5.07

$12.06 NOK 112

-51.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.59 €3.10

$1.92 NOK 17.82

86.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.20 €20.00

$71.0 NOK 659

-67.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.34 €2.02

$2.34 NOK 21.66

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

$42.1K €36.3K

$50.2K NOK 465.6K

-16.02%

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

$43.9K €37.9K

$44.1K NOK 408.9K

-0.36%

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

$281 €242

$278 NOK 2,581

0.91%

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

$30.47 €26.26

$33.01 NOK 306

-7.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.1 €57.0

$58.0 NOK 538

14.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 €59.4

$51.2 NOK 475

34.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.32 €30.45

$37.63 NOK 349

-6.14%

Cinema Ticket

$17.17 €14.80

$17.91 NOK 166

-4.13%

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

$730 €629

$327 NOK 3,038

122.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.3K

$12.0K NOK 111.3K

37.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$116 €100

$101 NOK 938

14.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.5 €43.51

$55.5 NOK 515

-9.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 €81.1

$127 NOK 1,177

-25.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$146 €126

$163 NOK 1,512

-10.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,777 €1,532

$1,266 NOK 11.7K

40.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,513 €1,304

$1,053 NOK 9,767

43.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,995 €2,582

$2,051 NOK 19.0K

46.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,449 €2,111

$1,729 NOK 16.0K

41.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,110 €6,129

$6,478 NOK 60.1K

9.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,422 €4,673

$4,204 NOK 39.0K

28.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,156 €3,582

$3,786 NOK 35.1K

9.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.3

4.96

-13.31%

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

Last update for Hilversum: September 6, 2026

Last update for Lillestrom: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,777 in Hilversum and $1,266 in Lillestrom. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hilversum pays 10% 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: $81.0 in Hilversum vs $123 in Lillestrom for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $356 vs $518 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 12% in total monthly costs ($2,986 vs $2,675 including rent). Lillestrom is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 10% 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: $1,777 in Hilversum versus $1,266 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 21% less than in Hilversum. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $730 in Hilversum versus $327 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 12% less than in Hilversum. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.