Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Molde

For one person, living is cheaper in Athens: $1,775 a month against $2,231 in Molde, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Athens
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,775
/mo nomad
Molde
🇳🇴 Norway
$2,231
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Molde

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Athens and in Molde actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,775 in Athens versus $2,231 in Molde.

  • Athens $1,775
  • Molde $2,231

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Athens versus $3,464 in Molde.

  • Athens $2,721
  • Molde $3,464

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,666 in Athens versus $4,697 in Molde.

  • Athens $3,666
  • Molde $4,697

Living in Athens costs roughly 20% less than in Molde, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 31% above, Molde 65% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Athens
Molde
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.69 €14.84
$17.10 NOK 161
-2.40%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.8 €60.3
$96.2 NOK 905
-29.52%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.14 €9.91
$13.25 NOK 125
-15.92%
Cappuccino
$4.03 €3.58
$4.11 NOK 38.70
-1.95%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77 €2.46
$3.00 NOK 28.21
-7.67%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.55 €0.49
$3.34 NOK 31.45
-83.53%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.74 €5.10
$12.71 NOK 120
-54.84%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.45 €4.85
$11.27 NOK 106
-51.64%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Athens
Molde
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.82 €1.62
$2.91 NOK 27.37
-37.46%
White Bread (500g)
$1.38 €1.23
$4.17 NOK 39.22
-66.91%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.80 €2.49
$3.92 NOK 36.87
-28.57%
Eggs
$4.83 €4.30
$5.24 NOK 49.35
-7.82%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.05 €13.39
$17.98 NOK 169
-16.30%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.63 €9.45
$15.75 NOK 148
-32.51%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.43 €16.39
-
-
Apples (1kg)
$2.20 €1.96
$3.32 NOK 31.29
-33.73%
Banana (1kg)
$1.90 €1.69
$3.10 NOK 29.20
-38.71%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.37 €1.22
$3.10 NOK 29.16
-55.81%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.10 €1.87
$4.76 NOK 44.84
-55.88%
Potato (1kg)
$1.08 €0.96
$2.45 NOK 23.05
-55.92%
Onion (1kg)
$1.12 €1.00
$2.35 NOK 22.11
-52.34%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.12 €1.00
$2.73 NOK 25.66
-58.97%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.88 €0.79
-
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.48 €4.88
$19.77 NOK 186
-72.28%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.13 €9.01
$23.12 NOK 218
-56.19%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.13 €1.89
$4.23 NOK 39.78
-49.65%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.25 €2.00
$7.68 NOK 72.3
-70.70%
🚌 Getting Around
Athens
Molde
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.36 €1.21
$5.02 NOK 47.24
-72.91%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$29.89 €26.59
$82.8 NOK 779
-63.90%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.45 €3.96
$15.41 NOK 145
-71.12%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 €0.90
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.92 €15.05
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.25 €2.00
$2.32 NOK 21.82
-3.02%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K €24.9K
-
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.2K €25.1K
-
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
Molde
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$205 €182
-
-
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.65 €23.71
$21.17 NOK 199
25.89%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.38 €27.02
$84.9 NOK 800
-64.23%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Athens
Molde
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.5 €48.47
$57.6 NOK 542
-5.42%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.88 €23.02
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.42 €9.27
$18.48 NOK 174
-43.61%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Athens
Molde
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$569 €506
$207 NOK 1,953
174.41%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.6K €11.2K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Athens
Molde
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.7 €78.9
$108 NOK 1,021
-18.25%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.46 €35.99
-
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 €93.3
$135 NOK 1,272
-22.39%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$121 €108
$157 NOK 1,482
-22.95%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Athens
Molde
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$741 €659
$1,249 NOK 11.8K
-40.66%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$655 €582
$977 NOK 9,199
-33.02%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,300 €1,156
$1,854 NOK 17.5K
-29.92%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,148 €1,021
$1,666 NOK 15.7K
-31.10%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,014 €3,570
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,460 €3,078
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Athens
Molde
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,242 €1,105
$4,256 NOK 40.1K
-70.81%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.48
4.8
-6.67%

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

Last update for Athens: October 10, 2026

Last update for Molde: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Athens
$655
Molde
$977 49.3% $323
Groceries & Markets
Athens
$310
Molde
$417 * 34.4% $107
Eating Out
Athens
$268
Molde
$337 25.8% $69
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Athens
$262
Molde
$106 * 59.4% $156
Clothing & Footwear
Athens
$160
Molde
$180 * 12.9% $21
Sport & Entertainment
Athens
$75
Molde
$95 25.5% $19
Getting Around
Athens
$45
Molde
$118 * 164% $73

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $741 in Athens and $1,249 in Molde. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Molde pays 243% 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: $68.0 in Athens vs $96.0 in Molde for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $310 vs $417 per month, with Athens cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇷 Athens
🇳🇴 Molde
🕒 Local time
18:33 6:33 PM
17:33 5:33 PM
1 h behind Athens
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,090,508 Capital
32,920
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

NOK, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 9.41 NOK (1 NOK = 0.106 USD). 1 EUR = 10.58 NOK (100 NOK = 9.45 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Athens Molde 2,970 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Athens
  • Molde

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Athens vs Molde: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Athens or Molde?
Athens wins on cost – living expenses run 26% lower than in Molde. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Athens the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Athens or in Molde?
On paper, salaries run 243% lower in Molde. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Athens compared to Molde?
Rent for a central apartment: $741 in Athens versus $1,249 in Molde. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Athens and in Molde?
Dining out is cheaper in Athens – a meal for two runs $68.0 versus $96.0 in Molde. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How much does it cost to live in Athens compared to Molde?
All in, you'll spend $1,775 per month in Athens versus $2,231 in Molde – a 26% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Athens or in Molde?
At $1,775 in Athens versus $2,231 in Molde, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Athens but tight or insufficient in Molde. The gap between the two cities makes Athens the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Athens or Molde?
Both work as nomad bases, but Athens delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,775 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Athens hard to pass up.
How safe is Athens compared to Molde?
Safety-wise, Athens and Molde are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Athens gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Molde. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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