Cost of Living Comparison Between Oslo and Lillestrom Cost of Living Comparison Between Oslo and Lillestrom

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,141 in Oslo versus $2,507 in Lillestrom.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,597 in Oslo versus $3,952 in Lillestrom.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,053 in Oslo versus $5,397 in Lillestrom.

Living in Oslo is roughly 25% more expensive than Lillestrom, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Oslo 134% above, Lillestrom 87% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.53 NOK 241

$20.40 NOK 193

25.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$123 NOK 1,158

$103 NOK 974

18.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.15 NOK 143

$10.73 NOK 101

41.19%

Cappuccino

$4.86 NOK 45.98

$4.90 NOK 46.30

-0.82%

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

$4.08 NOK 38.62

$2.46 NOK 23.21

65.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 NOK 30.17

$2.16 NOK 20.44

47.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.02 NOK 114

$9.21 NOK 87.1

30.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.22 NOK 106

$10.18 NOK 96.3

10.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 NOK 22.63

$2.12 NOK 20.02

12.74%

White Bread (500g)

$4.09 NOK 38.65

$3.27 NOK 30.88

25.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.66 NOK 34.62

$3.31 NOK 31.31

10.57%

Eggs

$5.03 NOK 47.59

$4.29 NOK 40.53

17.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.46 NOK 127

$11.54 NOK 109

16.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.04 NOK 152

$14.07 NOK 133

14.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$30.76 NOK 291

$24.22 NOK 229

27.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.49 NOK 33.04

$3.07 NOK 28.99

13.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.63 NOK 24.84

$2.31 NOK 21.84

13.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.35 NOK 31.71

$3.37 NOK 31.88

-0.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.16 NOK 48.80

$4.11 NOK 38.86

25.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.43 NOK 22.97

$2.22 NOK 20.95

9.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.71 NOK 25.65

$2.23 NOK 21.09

21.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 NOK 26.95

$1.97 NOK 18.62

44.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 NOK 22.11

$1.84 NOK 17.43

27.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.19 NOK 163

$14.29 NOK 135

20.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.93 NOK 179

$16.97 NOK 160

11.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.35 NOK 31.67

$3.19 NOK 30.11

5.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 NOK 41.38

$3.85 NOK 36.43

13.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.31 NOK 40.70

$4.13 NOK 39.00

4.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 NOK 736

$72.8 NOK 688

6.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.04 NOK 95.0

$5.17 NOK 48.84

94.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 NOK 13.09

$1.46 NOK 13.80

-5.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.24 NOK 399

$60.4 NOK 571

-30.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 NOK 20.60

$2.10 NOK 19.83

3.81%

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

$36.5K NOK 344.8K

$34.3K NOK 323.9K

6.46%

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

$42.7K NOK 403.5K

$30.8K NOK 290.8K

38.73%

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

$304 NOK 2,870

$60.0 NOK 567

406.02%

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

$31.63 NOK 299

$43.22 NOK 409

-26.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.0 NOK 539

$37.18 NOK 351

53.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.8 NOK 546

$71.7 NOK 677

-19.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.64 NOK 271

$17.55 NOK 166

63.19%

Cinema Ticket

$18.01 NOK 170

$14.91 NOK 141

20.79%

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

$274 NOK 2,588

$240 NOK 2,266

14.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.5K NOK 137.5K

$4,228 NOK 40.0K

243.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 NOK 1,000

$97.4 NOK 921

8.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.4 NOK 618

$46.99 NOK 444

39.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 NOK 1,172

$98.3 NOK 929

26.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$168 NOK 1,592

$180 NOK 1,703

-6.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,671 NOK 15.8K

$1,208 NOK 11.4K

38.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,446 NOK 13.7K

$1,232 NOK 11.6K

17.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,749 NOK 26.0K

$2,499 NOK 23.6K

10.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,165 NOK 20.5K

$2,191 NOK 20.7K

-1.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.0K NOK 113.6K

$6,082 NOK 57.5K

97.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,295 NOK 69.0K

$4,440 NOK 42.0K

64.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,411 NOK 41.7K

$3,818 NOK 36.1K

15.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.08

4.38

15.98%

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

Last update for Oslo: May 31, 2026

Last update for Lillestrom: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,671 in Oslo and $1,208 in Lillestrom. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oslo pays 16% 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: $122 in Oslo vs $103 in Lillestrom for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $500 vs $424 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

Oslo vs Lillestrom: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lillestrom wins on cost – living expenses run 25% lower than in Oslo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lillestrom the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Oslo pays 16% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,671 in Oslo versus $1,208 in Lillestrom. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $274 in Oslo versus $240 in Lillestrom. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Oslo. 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.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lillestrom delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,507 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lillestrom hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Oslo and Lillestrom 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 25% less than in Oslo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.