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: $3,214 in Oslo versus $2,557 in Lillestrom.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,677 in Oslo versus $3,952 in Lillestrom.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,139 in Oslo versus $5,346 in Lillestrom.

Living in Oslo is roughly 26% more expensive than in Lillestrom, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Oslo 141% above, Lillestrom 91% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.14 NOK 241

$20.77 NOK 199

21.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 NOK 1,146

$99.8 NOK 957

19.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.42 NOK 148

$11.01 NOK 106

40.05%

Cappuccino

$4.90 NOK 46.95

$4.90 NOK 46.96

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

$4.10 NOK 39.32

$2.51 NOK 24.07

63.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 NOK 32.09

$2.19 NOK 21.02

52.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.14 NOK 116

$9.28 NOK 89.0

30.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.99 NOK 105

$10.20 NOK 97.8

7.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 NOK 22.67

$2.19 NOK 20.98

7.76%

White Bread (500g)

$4.18 NOK 40.06

$3.34 NOK 32.05

25.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.62 NOK 34.76

$3.25 NOK 31.18

11.38%

Eggs

$5.14 NOK 49.29

$4.17 NOK 40.01

23.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 NOK 127

$11.51 NOK 110

15.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.96 NOK 153

$13.67 NOK 131

16.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$31.50 NOK 302

$25.08 NOK 241

25.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.57 NOK 34.20

$3.14 NOK 30.16

13.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.61 NOK 25.05

$2.34 NOK 22.47

11.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.44 NOK 33.02

$3.36 NOK 32.26

2.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.05 NOK 48.41

$4.03 NOK 38.63

25.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.47 NOK 23.68

$2.26 NOK 21.63

9.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.65 NOK 25.43

$2.12 NOK 20.37

25.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 NOK 27.71

$2.08 NOK 19.91

38.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 NOK 22.57

$1.89 NOK 18.16

24.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.03 NOK 163

$14.44 NOK 139

17.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.41 NOK 177

$16.84 NOK 161

9.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.37 NOK 32.30

$3.17 NOK 30.42

6.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 NOK 42.11

$3.87 NOK 37.09

13.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.14 NOK 39.72

$4.18 NOK 40.06

-0.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.5 NOK 753

$72.9 NOK 699

7.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.09 NOK 96.7

$4.98 NOK 47.72

102.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 NOK 13.73

$1.40 NOK 13.47

2.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.77 NOK 401

$61.0 NOK 585

-31.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 NOK 21.83

$2.15 NOK 20.66

6.05%

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

$36.7K NOK 351.6K

$34.5K NOK 330.6K

6.35%

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

$42.9K NOK 411.8K

$30.7K NOK 294.5K

39.86%

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

$296 NOK 2,837

$60.1 NOK 576

392.59%

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

$30.61 NOK 294

$43.09 NOK 413

-28.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.4 NOK 541

$37.40 NOK 359

50.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 NOK 536

$71.0 NOK 681

-21.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.25 NOK 281

$17.77 NOK 170

64.60%

Cinema Ticket

$18.50 NOK 177

$14.42 NOK 138

28.29%

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

$265 NOK 2,544

$237 NOK 2,276

11.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K NOK 141.8K

$4,234 NOK 40.6K

249.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 NOK 980

$97.1 NOK 932

5.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.7 NOK 621

$48.01 NOK 460

34.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 NOK 1,199

$98.5 NOK 945

26.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 NOK 1,574

$179 NOK 1,720

-8.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,728 NOK 16.6K

$1,212 NOK 11.6K

42.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,465 NOK 14.0K

$1,204 NOK 11.5K

21.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,670 NOK 25.6K

$2,475 NOK 23.7K

7.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,182 NOK 20.9K

$2,209 NOK 21.2K

-1.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.7K NOK 112.1K

$6,785 NOK 65.1K

72.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,104 NOK 68.1K

$4,466 NOK 42.8K

59.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,224 NOK 40.5K

$3,658 NOK 35.1K

15.49%

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: July 19, 2026

Last update for Lillestrom: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,728 in Oslo and $1,212 in Lillestrom. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oslo pays 15% 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 $502 vs $426 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.

Average pay runs 15% higher in Oslo, 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: $1,728 in Oslo versus $1,212 in Lillestrom. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $265 in Oslo versus $237 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.

At $2,557 in Lillestrom versus $3,214 in Oslo, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lillestrom but tight or insufficient in Oslo. The gap between the two cities makes Lillestrom the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lillestrom delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,557 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.