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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $3,188 per month in Oslo vs $2,029 in Lillehammer, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,644 per month in Oslo vs $2,938 in Lillehammer, rent included.

A family of three spends $6,099 per month in Oslo vs $3,847 in Lillehammer, rent included.

Oslo costs about 57% more than Lillehammer, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Oslo and Lillehammer sit above the global median – Oslo by 140%, Lillehammer by 52%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.21 NOK 239

$16.41 NOK 156

53.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$123 NOK 1,170

$80.0 NOK 759

54.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.39 NOK 146

$14.09 NOK 134

9.23%

Cappuccino

$4.86 NOK 46.12

$4.65 NOK 44.13

4.52%

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

$4.22 NOK 40.04

$2.66 NOK 25.22

58.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 NOK 31.47

$2.22 NOK 21.02

49.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.23 NOK 116

$9.13 NOK 86.6

33.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.04 NOK 105

$6.50 NOK 61.6

69.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.33 NOK 22.05

$2.03 NOK 19.28

14.78%

White Bread (500g)

$4.18 NOK 39.68

$2.00 NOK 18.99

109.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.56 NOK 33.75

$2.04 NOK 19.37

74.51%

Eggs

$4.93 NOK 46.74

$3.11 NOK 29.49

58.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.33 NOK 126

$12.00 NOK 114

11.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.54 NOK 157

$10.05 NOK 95.3

64.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$31.01 NOK 294

$27.85 NOK 264

11.35%

Apples (1kg)

$3.57 NOK 33.83

$3.64 NOK 34.49

-1.92%

Banana (1kg)

$2.52 NOK 23.88

$2.04 NOK 19.38

23.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.29 NOK 31.22

$2.68 NOK 25.46

22.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 NOK 47.14

$2.50 NOK 23.74

98.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.44 NOK 23.18

$1.49 NOK 14.15

63.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.65 NOK 25.13

$1.97 NOK 18.69

34.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 NOK 26.37

$1.33 NOK 12.62

109.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.32 NOK 22.00

$2.41 NOK 22.81

-3.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.05 NOK 162

$14.42 NOK 137

18.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.64 NOK 177

$15.71 NOK 149

18.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 NOK 32.70

$3.62 NOK 34.37

-4.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 NOK 41.10

$4.79 NOK 45.45

-9.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.13 NOK 39.19

$2.51 NOK 23.79

64.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 NOK 750

$52.8 NOK 500

49.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.04 NOK 95.3

$5.91 NOK 56.0

69.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 NOK 13.64

$1.00 NOK 9.53

44.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.41 NOK 402

$51.1 NOK 484

-16.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 NOK 20.64

$2.14 NOK 20.32

1.87%

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

$35.9K NOK 340.6K

$31.7K NOK 300.2K

13.48%

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

$42.5K NOK 402.6K

$34.8K NOK 330.3K

21.88%

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

$295 NOK 2,797

$317 NOK 3,003

-6.87%

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

$30.62 NOK 290

$43.14 NOK 409

-29.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.2 NOK 524

$35.62 NOK 338

55.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.7 NOK 528

$50.9 NOK 482

9.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.35 NOK 269

$34.73 NOK 329

-18.37%

Cinema Ticket

$18.46 NOK 175

$12.33 NOK 117

49.72%

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

$265 NOK 2,510

$301 NOK 2,854

-12.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K NOK 140.6K

$8,599 NOK 81.5K

72.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 NOK 978

$92.0 NOK 873

12.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.9 NOK 616

$30.08 NOK 285

115.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 NOK 1,147

$71.5 NOK 678

69.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 NOK 1,558

$133 NOK 1,263

23.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,676 NOK 15.9K

$1,026 NOK 9,732

63.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,415 NOK 13.4K

$618 NOK 5,857

129.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,748 NOK 26.1K

$1,854 NOK 17.6K

48.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,158 NOK 20.5K

$908 NOK 8,608

137.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.6K NOK 110.4K

$5,715 NOK 54.2K

103.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,087 NOK 67.2K

$2,602 NOK 24.7K

172.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,263 NOK 40.4K

$2,062 NOK 19.6K

106.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.08

4.32

17.59%

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

Last update for Oslo: July 26, 2026

Last update for Lillehammer: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,676 in Oslo versus $1,026 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 107% 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 $123 in Oslo versus $80.0 in Lillehammer. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $501 vs $386 – making Lillehammer the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 57% more than Lillehammer, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,782 per month in Oslo and $3,044 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.

Groceries cost about 30% more in Oslo, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $123 in Oslo and $80.0 in Lillehammer. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Lillehammer, where all-in costs run around $2,029, than in Oslo at $3,188. 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 $2,029 versus $3,188 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.