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: $3,200 in Oslo versus $2,539 in Lillestrom.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,586 in Oslo versus $3,976 in Lillestrom.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,972 in Oslo versus $5,413 in Lillestrom.

Living in Oslo is roughly 26% more expensive than Lillestrom, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Oslo 139% above, Lillestrom 89% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.54 NOK 238

$20.83 NOK 194

22.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 NOK 1,118

$100 NOK 931

20.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.36 NOK 143

$10.92 NOK 102

40.66%

Cappuccino

$5.05 NOK 46.98

$4.84 NOK 45.03

4.34%

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

$4.02 NOK 37.34

$2.42 NOK 22.51

66.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 NOK 30.59

$2.16 NOK 20.05

52.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.26 NOK 114

$8.90 NOK 82.7

37.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.98 NOK 102

$10.21 NOK 95.0

7.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.40 NOK 22.30

$2.17 NOK 20.16

10.60%

White Bread (500g)

$4.11 NOK 38.21

$3.38 NOK 31.44

21.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.49 NOK 32.42

$3.17 NOK 29.53

10.09%

Eggs

$5.17 NOK 48.05

$4.14 NOK 38.52

24.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.55 NOK 126

$11.38 NOK 106

19.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.39 NOK 152

$13.98 NOK 130

17.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$31.41 NOK 292

$24.65 NOK 229

27.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.54 NOK 32.90

$3.11 NOK 28.96

13.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.50 NOK 23.23

$2.32 NOK 21.57

7.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.45 NOK 32.11

$3.28 NOK 30.47

5.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.95 NOK 46.01

$4.17 NOK 38.79

18.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.47 NOK 22.98

$2.20 NOK 20.49

12.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.62 NOK 24.36

$2.22 NOK 20.64

18.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 NOK 26.47

$2.01 NOK 18.67

41.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 NOK 22.28

$1.82 NOK 16.90

31.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.01 NOK 158

$13.97 NOK 130

21.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.81 NOK 175

$17.08 NOK 159

10.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.47 NOK 32.31

$3.18 NOK 29.60

9.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 NOK 40.30

$4.06 NOK 37.78

6.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.20 NOK 39.02

$4.18 NOK 38.87

0.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.8 NOK 724

$73.2 NOK 681

6.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.20 NOK 94.9

$5.05 NOK 46.95

101.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 NOK 12.82

$1.39 NOK 12.93

-0.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.32 NOK 394

$61.6 NOK 573

-31.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 NOK 20.84

$2.20 NOK 20.45

1.82%

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

$36.1K NOK 335.5K

$34.4K NOK 319.7K

4.92%

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

$42.8K NOK 397.7K

$30.7K NOK 285.2K

39.43%

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

$296 NOK 2,748

$60.9 NOK 566

385.43%

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

$31.62 NOK 294

$44.30 NOK 412

-28.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.2 NOK 522

$37.96 NOK 353

47.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 NOK 519

$70.3 NOK 653

-20.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.63 NOK 266

$18.02 NOK 168

58.88%

Cinema Ticket

$17.98 NOK 167

$14.92 NOK 139

20.51%

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

$269 NOK 2,503

$233 NOK 2,168

15.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K NOK 135.8K

$4,128 NOK 38.4K

253.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 NOK 947

$96.0 NOK 893

6.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.0 NOK 613

$47.15 NOK 439

39.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 NOK 1,157

$98.8 NOK 919

26.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 NOK 1,511

$178 NOK 1,653

-8.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,727 NOK 16.1K

$1,220 NOK 11.3K

41.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,458 NOK 13.6K

$1,212 NOK 11.3K

20.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,710 NOK 25.2K

$2,525 NOK 23.5K

7.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,172 NOK 20.2K

$2,246 NOK 20.9K

-3.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.3K NOK 105.1K

$5,923 NOK 55.1K

90.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,682 NOK 71.4K

$4,555 NOK 42.4K

68.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,467 NOK 41.5K

$3,858 NOK 35.9K

15.80%

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: April 21, 2026

Last update for Lillestrom: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,727 in Oslo and $1,220 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: $120 in Oslo vs $100 in Lillestrom for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $504 vs $425 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 26% 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: $1,727 in Oslo versus $1,220 in Lillestrom. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $269 in Oslo versus $233 in Lillestrom. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% 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 $2,539 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 26% less than in Oslo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.