Cost of Living Comparison Between Oslo and Lillehammer Cost of Living Comparison Between Oslo and Lillehammer

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $3,393 per month in Oslo vs $1,504 in Lillehammer, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,964 per month in Oslo vs $2,406 in Lillehammer, rent included.

A family of three spends $6,535 per month in Oslo vs $3,308 in Lillehammer, rent included.

Oslo costs about 126% more than Lillehammer, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Oslo and Lillehammer sit above the global median – Oslo by 148%, Lillehammer by 10%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.87 NOK 206

$16.88 NOK 159

29.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$127 NOK 1,200

$84.3 NOK 794

51.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.35 NOK 154

$14.56 NOK 137

12.29%

Cappuccino

$6.18 NOK 58.2

$5.00 NOK 47.06

23.60%

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

$4.10 NOK 38.66

$3.54 NOK 33.38

15.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 NOK 32.50

$2.39 NOK 22.53

44.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.64 NOK 110

$10.83 NOK 102

7.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.70 NOK 120

$7.29 NOK 68.7

74.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.65 NOK 24.97

$2.61 NOK 24.63

1.53%

White Bread (500g)

$4.12 NOK 38.84

$3.57 NOK 33.60

15.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.76 NOK 44.86

$3.74 NOK 35.19

27.27%

Eggs

$6.14 NOK 57.9

$5.02 NOK 47.24

22.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.66 NOK 138

$13.16 NOK 124

11.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.39 NOK 145

$16.60 NOK 156

-7.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$29.69 NOK 280

$32.63 NOK 307

-9.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.44 NOK 32.44

$4.06 NOK 38.22

-15.27%

Banana (1kg)

$2.68 NOK 25.24

$2.99 NOK 28.16

-10.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.54 NOK 33.36

$3.80 NOK 35.81

-6.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.06 NOK 57.1

$5.71 NOK 53.8

6.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 NOK 25.65

$2.87 NOK 27.05

-5.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 NOK 27.18

$3.01 NOK 28.34

-4.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.23 NOK 30.42

$2.86 NOK 26.96

12.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 NOK 23.98

$2.26 NOK 21.33

12.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.59 NOK 185

$17.72 NOK 167

10.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.63 NOK 157

$19.08 NOK 180

-12.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.48 NOK 32.74

$3.61 NOK 34.02

-3.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 NOK 41.34

$4.59 NOK 43.23

-4.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.01 NOK 47.21

$2.40 NOK 22.60

108.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.9 NOK 800

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.33 NOK 116

$9.41 NOK 88.6

31.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.87 NOK 17.58

$1.60 NOK 15.10

16.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$70.1 NOK 661

$60.1 NOK 566

16.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.27 NOK 21.39

$2.27 NOK 21.37

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

$50.2K NOK 473.0K

$47.3K NOK 445.4K

6.19%

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

$45.5K NOK 428.7K

$46.2K NOK 435.6K

-1.58%

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

$425 NOK 4,007

$283 NOK 2,665

50.34%

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

$33.72 NOK 318

$36.43 NOK 343

-7.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.5 NOK 541

$85.5 NOK 805

-32.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.6 NOK 580

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.20 NOK 275

Cinema Ticket

$19.46 NOK 183

$21.24 NOK 200

-8.38%

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

$244 NOK 2,301

$300 NOK 2,826

-18.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K NOK 148.0K

$4,479 NOK 42.2K

250.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 NOK 976

$109 NOK 1,029

-5.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.1 NOK 576

$52.7 NOK 496

16.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 NOK 1,273

$124 NOK 1,167

9.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$158 NOK 1,492

$158 NOK 1,488

0.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,026 NOK 19.1K

$1,058 NOK 9,971

91.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,568 NOK 14.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,062 NOK 28.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,302 NOK 21.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.0K NOK 112.8K

$3,342 NOK 31.5K

258.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,933 NOK 65.3K

$1,332 NOK 12.6K

420.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,691 NOK 44.2K

$2,093 NOK 19.7K

124.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.98

5.32

-6.39%

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

Last update for Oslo: September 13, 2026

Last update for Lillehammer: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,026 in Oslo versus $1,058 in Lillehammer. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 124% higher in Oslo, 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 $127 in Oslo versus $84.0 in Lillehammer. Groceries tell a different story – $516 in Oslo vs $518 in Lillehammer – so Oslo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Oslo vs Lillehammer: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Oslo costs about 126% more than Lillehammer, with the gap driven mainly by Getting Around. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,090 per month in Oslo and $2,255 in Lillehammer. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lillehammer, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $127 in Oslo and $84.0 in Lillehammer. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 0% cheaper in Oslo – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Lillehammer, where all-in costs run around $1,504, than in Oslo at $3,393. In Lillehammer it covers expenses comfortably, while in Oslo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Lillehammer costs $1,504 versus $3,393 in Oslo. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Lillehammer. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Oslo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.