Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lillehammer and Oslo

For one person, living is cheaper in Lillehammer: $1,521 a month against $3,538 in Oslo, rent and utilities included – about $24,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lillehammer, Norway
Oslo, Norway
Lillehammer
🇳🇴 Norway
$1,521
/mo nomad
Oslo
🇳🇴 Norway
$3,538
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lillehammer and in Oslo

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lillehammer and in Oslo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,521 per month in Lillehammer vs $3,538 in Oslo, rent included.

  • Lillehammer $1,521
  • Oslo $3,538

A couple spends around $2,414 per month in Lillehammer vs $5,096 in Oslo, rent included.

  • Lillehammer $2,414
  • Oslo $5,096

A family of three spends $3,308 per month in Lillehammer vs $6,653 in Oslo, rent included.

  • Lillehammer $3,308
  • Oslo $6,653

Lillehammer is about 57% cheaper than Oslo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Lillehammer and Oslo sit above the global median – Lillehammer by 12%, Oslo by 160%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lillehammer
Oslo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.22 NOK 158
$21.75 NOK 200
-20.83%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$86.6 NOK 796
$130 NOK 1,193
-33.28%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$14.65 NOK 135
$16.04 NOK 147
-8.67%
Cappuccino
$5.04 NOK 46.32
$5.84 NOK 53.7
-13.70%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.58 NOK 32.91
$4.38 NOK 40.21
-18.26%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.42 NOK 22.19
$3.35 NOK 30.75
-27.76%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$10.94 NOK 101
$11.65 NOK 107
-6.09%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.37 NOK 67.7
$12.81 NOK 118
-42.47%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lillehammer
Oslo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.49 NOK 22.86
$2.61 NOK 24.00
-4.60%
White Bread (500g)
$3.50 NOK 32.12
$4.38 NOK 40.27
-20.09%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.69 NOK 33.92
$4.70 NOK 43.19
-21.49%
Eggs
$4.83 NOK 44.35
$6.25 NOK 57.4
-22.72%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.57 NOK 125
$15.48 NOK 142
-12.34%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$17.04 NOK 157
$15.84 NOK 146
7.58%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$32.03 NOK 294
$32.30 NOK 297
-0.84%
Apples (1kg)
$4.08 NOK 37.46
$3.36 NOK 30.83
21.43%
Banana (1kg)
$3.05 NOK 27.99
$2.72 NOK 25.03
12.13%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.94 NOK 36.21
$3.65 NOK 33.54
7.95%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.69 NOK 52.3
$5.96 NOK 54.8
-4.53%
Potato (1kg)
$2.99 NOK 27.45
$2.69 NOK 24.75
11.15%
Onion (1kg)
$3.04 NOK 27.89
$2.85 NOK 26.18
6.67%
Lettuce (1 head)
$3.01 NOK 27.64
$3.26 NOK 29.96
-7.67%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.27 NOK 20.87
$2.50 NOK 22.96
-9.20%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$17.85 NOK 164
$19.21 NOK 176
-7.08%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.12 NOK 176
$16.64 NOK 153
14.90%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.59 NOK 33.03
$3.60 NOK 33.08
-0.28%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.79 NOK 44.05
$4.23 NOK 38.82
13.24%
🚌 Getting Around
Lillehammer
Oslo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.41 NOK 22.19
$5.02 NOK 46.13
-51.99%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$83.5 NOK 767
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$9.64 NOK 88.6
$12.39 NOK 114
-22.20%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.64 NOK 15.08
$1.84 NOK 16.93
-10.87%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$60.9 NOK 559
$70.8 NOK 651
-14.04%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.47 NOK 22.67
$2.48 NOK 22.79
-0.40%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$47.0K NOK 431.4K
$49.9K NOK 458.4K
-5.89%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$46.9K NOK 430.9K
$44.7K NOK 410.5K
4.97%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lillehammer
Oslo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$281 NOK 2,584
$433 NOK 3,983
-35.12%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$35.85 NOK 329
$34.50 NOK 317
3.91%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$82.3 NOK 756
$55.7 NOK 512
47.81%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lillehammer
Oslo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$58.1 NOK 534
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$29.79 NOK 274
-
Cinema Ticket
$19.23 NOK 177
$20.78 NOK 191
-7.46%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lillehammer
Oslo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$303 NOK 2,787
$240 NOK 2,201
26.62%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,579 NOK 42.1K
$16.2K NOK 148.5K
-71.67%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lillehammer
Oslo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$110 NOK 1,010
$104 NOK 958
5.41%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$52.6 NOK 483
$61.8 NOK 567
-14.87%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$125 NOK 1,147
$135 NOK 1,239
-7.48%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$159 NOK 1,457
$160 NOK 1,470
-0.92%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lillehammer
Oslo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,090 NOK 10.0K
$2,133 NOK 19.6K
-48.92%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,645 NOK 15.1K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$3,270 NOK 30.0K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$2,466 NOK 22.7K
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,392 NOK 31.2K
$12.4K NOK 113.6K
-72.57%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,373 NOK 12.6K
$7,462 NOK 68.6K
-81.60%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lillehammer
Oslo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,148 NOK 19.7K
$4,703 NOK 43.2K
-54.33%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.32
4.94
7.69%

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

Last update for Lillehammer: October 27, 2026

Last update for Oslo: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Lillehammer
$519
Oslo
$530 2.2% $11
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lillehammer
$399
Oslo
$524 31.1% $124
Eating Out
Lillehammer
$336
Oslo
$407 21.3% $71
Clothing & Footwear
Lillehammer
$201
Oslo
$207 3.4% $6.8
Sport & Entertainment
Lillehammer
$38 *
Oslo
$100 159% $61
Getting Around
Lillehammer
$28 *
Oslo
$125 355% $98
Accommodation & Living
Lillehammer
- *
Oslo
$1.6K

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,090 in Lillehammer versus $2,133 in Oslo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Oslo are about 2.2 times higher, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $87 in Lillehammer versus $130 in Oslo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $519 vs $530 – making Lillehammer the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇳🇴 Lillehammer
🇳🇴 Oslo
🕒 Local time
00:43 12:43 AM
00:43 12:43 AM
Same time as Lillehammer
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
28,831
1,098,061 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to NOK – Norwegian Krone Converter

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 9.19 NOK (1 NOK = 0.109 USD). 1 EUR = 10.26 NOK (100 NOK = 9.75 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lillehammer Oslo 140 km
From you
  • Lillehammer
  • Oslo

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Lillehammer vs Oslo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Lillehammer or Oslo?
Oslo costs about 133% more than Lillehammer, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Lillehammer and in Oslo?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,281 per month in Lillehammer and $5,307 in Oslo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Lillehammer or Oslo?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Lillehammer, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,090 there versus $2,133 in Oslo.
How much does it cost to live in Lillehammer compared to Oslo?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,521 in Lillehammer and $3,538 in Oslo. That makes Lillehammer about 57% cheaper.
How do dining costs compare in Lillehammer and in Oslo?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $87 in Lillehammer and $130 in Oslo. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Lillehammer or in Oslo?
$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,521 in Lillehammer and $3,538 in Oslo. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Lillehammer or Oslo?
It depends on your priorities. Oslo has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,521 in Lillehammer to $3,538 in Oslo. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How safe is Lillehammer compared to Oslo?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Should I move to Lillehammer or to Oslo?
If budget matters most, go with Lillehammer. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Oslo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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