Cost of Living Comparison Between Lillestrom and Bergen Cost of Living Comparison Between Lillestrom and Bergen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,547 in Lillestrom versus $2,688 in Bergen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,020 in Lillestrom versus $3,981 in Bergen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,492 in Lillestrom versus $5,273 in Bergen.

Living in Lillestrom costs roughly 5% less than in Bergen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lillestrom 90% above, Bergen 101% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.59 NOK 192

$25.64 NOK 239

-19.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 NOK 949

$102 NOK 948

0.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.95 NOK 102

$18.93 NOK 176

-42.16%

Cappuccino

$5.07 NOK 47.26

$5.60 NOK 52.2

-9.46%

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

$2.55 NOK 23.77

$3.11 NOK 28.95

-18.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 NOK 19.73

$2.90 NOK 27.05

-26.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.91 NOK 83.0

$11.69 NOK 109

-23.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.11 NOK 94.2

$9.43 NOK 87.9

7.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 NOK 19.63

$2.75 NOK 25.64

-23.27%

White Bread (500g)

$3.32 NOK 30.92

$3.30 NOK 30.73

0.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.30 NOK 30.77

$2.81 NOK 26.16

17.44%

Eggs

$4.22 NOK 39.32

$4.86 NOK 45.27

-13.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.35 NOK 106

$14.19 NOK 132

-20.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.81 NOK 129

$15.59 NOK 145

-11.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.70 NOK 230

$28.20 NOK 263

-12.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.11 NOK 29.00

$3.87 NOK 36.11

-19.64%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 NOK 21.93

$3.06 NOK 28.54

-23.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.36 NOK 31.30

$3.61 NOK 33.64

-6.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.18 NOK 39.00

$5.57 NOK 51.9

-24.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.20 NOK 20.46

$2.70 NOK 25.18

-18.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 NOK 20.66

$2.86 NOK 26.65

-22.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 NOK 18.39

$2.78 NOK 25.89

-29.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 NOK 17.57

$2.12 NOK 19.77

-10.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.45 NOK 135

$16.39 NOK 153

-11.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.20 NOK 160

$18.35 NOK 171

-6.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.21 NOK 29.92

$3.27 NOK 30.52

-1.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 NOK 37.47

$4.39 NOK 40.95

-8.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.35 NOK 40.58

$4.43 NOK 41.24

-1.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.2 NOK 682

$81.3 NOK 758

-9.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.14 NOK 47.93

$15.40 NOK 144

-66.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 NOK 13.05

$2.29 NOK 21.30

-38.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.9 NOK 577

$73.1 NOK 681

-15.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.17 NOK 20.22

$2.15 NOK 20.02

0.93%

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

$35.4K NOK 329.9K

$35.0K NOK 326.4K

1.06%

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

$29.8K NOK 277.5K

$42.3K NOK 394.4K

-29.63%

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

$61.6 NOK 574

$245 NOK 2,284

-74.86%

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

$43.51 NOK 405

$38.87 NOK 362

11.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.76 NOK 352

$64.9 NOK 605

-41.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.8 NOK 659

$55.3 NOK 515

28.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.06 NOK 168

$39.54 NOK 369

-54.32%

Cinema Ticket

$14.69 NOK 137

$20.55 NOK 192

-28.52%

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

$240 NOK 2,234

$279 NOK 2,597

-13.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,135 NOK 38.5K

$13.0K NOK 120.8K

-68.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.3 NOK 888

$89.8 NOK 837

6.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.68 NOK 435

$55.2 NOK 515

-15.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 NOK 934

$114 NOK 1,061

-11.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$176 NOK 1,638

$144 NOK 1,340

22.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,196 NOK 11.1K

$1,287 NOK 12.0K

-7.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 NOK 11.5K

$967 NOK 9,014

27.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,544 NOK 23.7K

$1,994 NOK 18.6K

27.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,182 NOK 20.3K

$1,573 NOK 14.7K

38.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,986 NOK 55.8K

$7,978 NOK 74.4K

-24.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,645 NOK 43.3K

$5,002 NOK 46.6K

-7.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,898 NOK 36.3K

$4,447 NOK 41.4K

-12.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.38

4.85

-9.69%

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

Last update for Lillestrom: April 26, 2026

Last update for Bergen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,196 in Lillestrom and $1,287 in Bergen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 14% 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: $102 in Lillestrom vs $102 in Bergen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $426 vs $489 per month, with Lillestrom 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

Lillestrom vs Bergen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lillestrom is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 6% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Bergen earns 14% 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: $1,196 in Lillestrom versus $1,287 in Bergen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $240 in Lillestrom versus $279 in Bergen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Bergen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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.

For families, Lillestrom is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Bergen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Lillestrom and Bergen 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 6% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.