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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $3,103 per month in Oslo vs $1,984 in Lillehammer, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,561 per month in Oslo vs $2,913 in Lillehammer, rent included.

A family of three spends $6,018 per month in Oslo vs $3,843 in Lillehammer, rent included.

Oslo costs about 56% more than Lillehammer, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Oslo and Lillehammer sit above the global median – Oslo by 133%, Lillehammer by 49%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.82 NOK 235

$16.35 NOK 155

51.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 NOK 1,157

$81.9 NOK 776

49.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.08 NOK 143

$14.02 NOK 133

7.56%

Cappuccino

$4.82 NOK 45.63

$4.70 NOK 44.47

2.55%

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

$4.23 NOK 40.04

$2.71 NOK 25.70

56.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 NOK 31.77

$2.20 NOK 20.85

52.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.18 NOK 115

$9.34 NOK 88.5

30.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.33 NOK 107

$6.65 NOK 63.0

70.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.29 NOK 21.68

$2.05 NOK 19.42

11.71%

White Bread (500g)

$4.00 NOK 37.89

$2.06 NOK 19.54

94.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.53 NOK 33.43

$1.99 NOK 18.86

77.39%

Eggs

$4.96 NOK 46.96

$3.09 NOK 29.30

60.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.32 NOK 126

$12.02 NOK 114

10.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.29 NOK 154

$9.97 NOK 94.4

63.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$31.77 NOK 301

$28.38 NOK 269

11.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.56 NOK 33.72

$3.45 NOK 32.72

3.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.59 NOK 24.58

$2.04 NOK 19.36

26.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.41 NOK 32.34

$2.57 NOK 24.35

32.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 NOK 47.09

$2.48 NOK 23.53

100.40%

Potato (1kg)

$2.56 NOK 24.24

$1.56 NOK 14.75

64.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.57 NOK 24.35

$2.05 NOK 19.40

25.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.74 NOK 25.99

$1.35 NOK 12.75

102.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 NOK 22.78

$2.39 NOK 22.61

0.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.06 NOK 162

$14.22 NOK 135

19.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.85 NOK 179

$15.63 NOK 148

20.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.34 NOK 31.63

$3.44 NOK 32.54

-2.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.18 NOK 39.60

$4.85 NOK 45.96

-13.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.34 NOK 41.12

$2.50 NOK 23.66

73.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.0 NOK 748

$53.6 NOK 508

47.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.02 NOK 94.9

$5.78 NOK 54.7

73.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.45 NOK 13.73

$0.99 NOK 9.39

46.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.09 NOK 408

$51.0 NOK 483

-15.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.27 NOK 21.53

$2.12 NOK 20.05

7.08%

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

$36.7K NOK 347.2K

$31.2K NOK 295.9K

17.34%

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

$41.9K NOK 396.7K

$35.0K NOK 331.6K

19.65%

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

$295 NOK 2,796

$324 NOK 3,065

-8.79%

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

$31.21 NOK 296

$42.78 NOK 405

-27.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.1 NOK 541

$35.92 NOK 340

58.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.8 NOK 548

$50.0 NOK 474

15.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.69 NOK 272

$35.96 NOK 341

-20.22%

Cinema Ticket

$18.58 NOK 176

$12.00 NOK 114

54.83%

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

$268 NOK 2,541

$307 NOK 2,906

-12.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K NOK 138.9K

$8,519 NOK 80.7K

72.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 NOK 986

$90.1 NOK 854

15.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.6 NOK 630

$29.84 NOK 283

123.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 NOK 1,170

$72.2 NOK 684

71.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$166 NOK 1,572

$130 NOK 1,235

27.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 NOK 15.9K

$1,015 NOK 9,615

65.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,453 NOK 13.8K

$617 NOK 5,845

135.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,683 NOK 25.4K

$1,789 NOK 16.9K

49.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,111 NOK 20.0K

$914 NOK 8,657

131.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.5K NOK 108.8K

$5,703 NOK 54.0K

101.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,031 NOK 66.6K

$2,641 NOK 25.0K

166.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,263 NOK 40.4K

$2,083 NOK 19.7K

104.63%

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: June 13, 2026

Last update for Lillehammer: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,677 in Oslo versus $1,015 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 105% 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 $122 in Oslo versus $82.0 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 56% 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 $4,655 per month in Oslo and $2,976 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 $122 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 $1,984, than in Oslo at $3,103. 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 $1,984 versus $3,103 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.