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: $3,482 in Oslo versus $2,675 in Lillestrom.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,887 in Oslo versus $4,144 in Lillestrom.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,292 in Oslo versus $5,613 in Lillestrom.

Living in Oslo is roughly 30% more expensive than in Lillestrom, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Oslo 153% above, Lillestrom 95% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.52 NOK 200

$21.84 NOK 203

-1.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$127 NOK 1,184

$124 NOK 1,157

2.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.83 NOK 147

$11.47 NOK 107

38.01%

Cappuccino

$6.01 NOK 55.9

$6.21 NOK 57.8

-3.22%

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

$4.17 NOK 38.81

$4.09 NOK 38.07

1.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 NOK 31.88

$3.29 NOK 30.62

4.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.58 NOK 108

$12.09 NOK 112

-4.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.62 NOK 117

$10.79 NOK 100

16.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.57 NOK 23.94

$2.50 NOK 23.27

2.80%

White Bread (500g)

$4.31 NOK 40.13

$5.05 NOK 47.00

-14.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.59 NOK 42.71

$4.20 NOK 39.08

9.29%

Eggs

$5.96 NOK 55.5

$5.88 NOK 54.8

1.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.97 NOK 139

$13.46 NOK 125

11.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.70 NOK 146

$14.15 NOK 132

10.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$30.01 NOK 279

$27.86 NOK 259

7.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.48 NOK 32.41

$3.64 NOK 33.89

-4.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.67 NOK 24.88

$2.85 NOK 26.54

-6.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.63 NOK 33.75

$4.17 NOK 38.77

-12.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.97 NOK 55.6

$5.30 NOK 49.33

12.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.74 NOK 25.54

$2.97 NOK 27.60

-7.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.94 NOK 27.36

$3.76 NOK 34.98

-21.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.21 NOK 29.87

$1.91 NOK 17.80

68.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 NOK 22.85

$2.30 NOK 21.43

6.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.43 NOK 181

$18.05 NOK 168

7.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.63 NOK 155

$17.39 NOK 162

-4.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.46 NOK 32.23

$5.81 NOK 54.0

-40.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.29 NOK 39.95

$5.75 NOK 53.5

-25.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.95 NOK 46.10

$4.85 NOK 45.12

2.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.6 NOK 778

$85.5 NOK 796

-2.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.10 NOK 113

$13.06 NOK 122

-7.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 NOK 17.86

$1.91 NOK 17.74

0.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$71.7 NOK 668

$62.2 NOK 579

15.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.27 NOK 21.15

$2.33 NOK 21.71

-2.58%

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

$50.0K NOK 465.4K

$48.6K NOK 451.9K

3.00%

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

$45.3K NOK 421.2K

$43.3K NOK 403.2K

4.46%

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

$431 NOK 4,010

$237 NOK 2,203

82.02%

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

$32.70 NOK 304

$30.39 NOK 283

7.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.7 NOK 528

$56.4 NOK 525

0.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.6 NOK 555

$50.7 NOK 472

17.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 NOK 269

$36.77 NOK 342

-21.38%

Cinema Ticket

$19.06 NOK 177

$17.67 NOK 164

7.87%

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

$251 NOK 2,340

$316 NOK 2,944

-20.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K NOK 147.4K

$12.3K NOK 114.2K

29.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 NOK 955

$101 NOK 944

1.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.1 NOK 578

$56.4 NOK 525

10.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 NOK 1,286

$126 NOK 1,176

9.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$161 NOK 1,496

$162 NOK 1,511

-0.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,079 NOK 19.3K

$1,300 NOK 12.1K

59.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,577 NOK 14.7K

$1,020 NOK 9,496

54.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,043 NOK 28.3K

$2,023 NOK 18.8K

50.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,251 NOK 20.9K

$1,686 NOK 15.7K

33.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.1K NOK 112.9K

$7,118 NOK 66.2K

70.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,880 NOK 64.0K

$3,682 NOK 34.3K

86.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,469 NOK 41.6K

$3,787 NOK 35.2K

18.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.96

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

Last update for Oslo: August 29, 2026

Last update for Lillestrom: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,079 in Oslo and $1,300 in Lillestrom. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oslo pays 18% 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: $127 in Oslo vs $124 in Lillestrom for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $518 vs $516 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 30% 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 18% 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: $2,079 in Oslo versus $1,300 in Lillestrom. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $251 in Oslo versus $316 in Lillestrom. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 0% 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 $2,675 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 30% less than in Oslo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.