Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Molde

For one person, living is cheaper in Molde: $2,231 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Austin, TX outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
123

Cost of Living Index in Molde
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Molde Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Molde

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,231

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX 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 Austin, TX and in Molde actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $2,231 in Molde.

Austin, TX $2,663
Molde $2,231

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $3,464 in Molde.

Austin, TX $4,133
Molde $3,464

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $4,697 in Molde.

Austin, TX $5,603
Molde $4,697

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 19% more expensive than in Molde, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Molde 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$17.10 NOK 161

21.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$96.2 NOK 905

-12.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$13.25 NOK 125

-7.02%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$4.11 NOK 38.70

36.98%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$3.00 NOK 28.21

24.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$3.34 NOK 31.45

-25.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$12.71 NOK 120

-36.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$11.27 NOK 106

-20.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$2.91 NOK 27.37

-61.51%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$4.17 NOK 39.22

-10.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$3.92 NOK 36.87

-16.84%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$5.24 NOK 49.35

-20.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$17.98 NOK 169

-28.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$15.75 NOK 148

-10.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.32 NOK 31.29

30.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$3.10 NOK 29.20

-52.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$3.10 NOK 29.16

45.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$4.76 NOK 44.84

-8.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.45 NOK 23.05

5.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.35 NOK 22.11

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.73 NOK 25.66

-34.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$19.77 NOK 186

-50.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$23.12 NOK 218

-34.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$4.23 NOK 39.78

-30.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$7.68 NOK 72.3

-54.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$5.02 NOK 47.24

-70.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$82.8 NOK 779

-49.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$15.41 NOK 145

-82.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$2.32 NOK 21.82

-59.05%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

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

$27.1K $27.1K

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

$229 $229

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

$59.4 $59.4

$21.17 NOK 199

180.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$84.9 NOK 800

-17.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$57.6 NOK 542

-0.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$18.48 NOK 174

-22.73%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$207 NOK 1,953

626.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$108 NOK 1,021

-51.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$135 NOK 1,272

-37.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$157 NOK 1,482

-34.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$1,249 NOK 11.8K

52.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$977 NOK 9,199

30.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,854 NOK 17.5K

97.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$1,666 NOK 15.7K

52.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$4,256 NOK 40.1K

20.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

4.8

41.46%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Molde: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Molde

$977 43.8% 23.3% $297

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Molde

$417 * 18.7% 3.1% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Molde

$106 * 4.8% 70.4% $252

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Molde

$337 15.1% 4.7% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Molde

$180 * 8.1% 41% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Molde

$95 4.2% 10.2% $8.8

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Molde

$118 * 5.3% 102% $60

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 $1,907 in Austin, TX and $1,249 in Molde. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 20% 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: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $96.0 in Molde for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $417 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇳🇴 Molde

🕒 Local time

11:25 11:25 AM

18:25 6:25 PM

7 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

32,920

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

100 NOK = 10.62 USD

100 NOK = 9.45 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NOK, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇳🇴 Norwegian Krone (kr)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

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

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).

NOK to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Molde 7,750 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
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

Austin, TX vs Molde: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Molde wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Molde the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 20% higher in Austin, TX, 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: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $1,249 in Molde. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,231 in Molde – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Molde runs roughly 98% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Molde is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX 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.

Expats usually find Molde gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.