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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $3,182 per month in Oslo vs $2,033 in Lillehammer, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,651 per month in Oslo vs $2,991 in Lillehammer, rent included.

A family of three spends $6,119 per month in Oslo vs $3,948 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 138%, Lillehammer by 52%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.80 NOK 231

$16.25 NOK 151

52.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$123 NOK 1,146

$82.5 NOK 769

49.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.20 NOK 142

$14.34 NOK 134

6.00%

Cappuccino

$5.03 NOK 46.85

$4.58 NOK 42.69

9.83%

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

$4.15 NOK 38.66

$2.73 NOK 25.47

52.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 NOK 30.13

$2.29 NOK 21.33

41.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.01 NOK 112

$9.33 NOK 87.0

28.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.31 NOK 105

$6.78 NOK 63.2

66.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 NOK 21.48

$2.04 NOK 18.99

13.24%

White Bread (500g)

$4.14 NOK 38.59

$2.06 NOK 19.19

100.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.60 NOK 33.53

$1.97 NOK 18.33

82.74%

Eggs

$5.10 NOK 47.54

$2.98 NOK 27.74

71.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.21 NOK 123

$12.24 NOK 114

7.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.45 NOK 153

$10.15 NOK 94.6

62.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$31.37 NOK 292

$28.25 NOK 263

11.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.48 NOK 32.40

$3.55 NOK 33.13

-1.97%

Banana (1kg)

$2.52 NOK 23.49

$1.98 NOK 18.43

27.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.29 NOK 30.66

$2.64 NOK 24.57

24.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.11 NOK 47.67

$2.56 NOK 23.82

99.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.43 NOK 22.65

$1.50 NOK 14.01

62.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.65 NOK 24.73

$1.97 NOK 18.40

34.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.88 NOK 26.81

$1.36 NOK 12.64

111.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 NOK 22.66

$2.39 NOK 22.31

1.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.47 NOK 163

$14.09 NOK 131

23.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.32 NOK 180

$16.05 NOK 150

20.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.41 NOK 31.81

$3.44 NOK 32.04

-0.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 NOK 40.94

$4.80 NOK 44.77

-8.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.20 NOK 39.13

$2.58 NOK 24.06

62.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.8 NOK 735

$53.3 NOK 497

47.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.18 NOK 94.9

$5.96 NOK 55.5

70.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 NOK 13.06

$0.99 NOK 9.22

41.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.71 NOK 398

$50.0 NOK 466

-14.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 NOK 20.65

$2.12 NOK 19.80

4.72%

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

$36.6K NOK 340.9K

$31.2K NOK 291.0K

17.15%

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

$42.0K NOK 391.0K

$35.0K NOK 326.3K

19.82%

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

$306 NOK 2,848

$323 NOK 3,006

-5.25%

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

$30.90 NOK 288

$42.47 NOK 396

-27.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.8 NOK 520

$35.91 NOK 335

55.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.2 NOK 524

$51.2 NOK 477

9.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.12 NOK 271

$34.82 NOK 325

-16.37%

Cinema Ticket

$17.89 NOK 167

$12.03 NOK 112

48.71%

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

$266 NOK 2,475

$302 NOK 2,811

-11.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.5K NOK 135.4K

$8,547 NOK 79.7K

70.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 NOK 980

$90.1 NOK 840

16.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.7 NOK 612

$30.14 NOK 281

117.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 NOK 1,150

$70.3 NOK 655

75.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 NOK 1,514

$133 NOK 1,241

21.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,738 NOK 16.2K

$1,016 NOK 9,471

71.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,421 NOK 13.2K

$600 NOK 5,596

136.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,699 NOK 25.2K

$1,789 NOK 16.7K

50.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,182 NOK 20.3K

$907 NOK 8,455

140.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.4K NOK 106.3K

$6,060 NOK 56.5K

88.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,770 NOK 72.4K

$2,697 NOK 25.1K

188.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,467 NOK 41.6K

$2,083 NOK 19.4K

114.43%

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: April 28, 2026

Last update for Lillehammer: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,738 in Oslo versus $1,016 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 114% 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 $82.0 in Lillehammer. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $504 vs $387 – 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 $4,773 per month in Oslo and $3,050 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 $82.0 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 $2,033, than in Oslo at $3,182. 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 $2,033 versus $3,182 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.