Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cambridge, MA and Molde

For one person, living is cheaper in Molde: $2,288 a month against $4,661 in Cambridge, MA, rent and utilities included – about $28,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Cambridge, MA
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Cambridge, MA Living Index

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Cambridge, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,661

/mo nomad

Molde

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,288

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,661 in Cambridge, MA versus $2,288 in Molde.

Cambridge, MA $4,661
Molde $2,288

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,329 in Cambridge, MA versus $3,546 in Molde.

Cambridge, MA $6,329
Molde $3,546

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,997 in Cambridge, MA versus $4,803 in Molde.

Cambridge, MA $7,997
Molde $4,803

Living in Cambridge, MA is roughly 104% more expensive than in Molde, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cambridge, MA 242% above, Molde 68% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.72 $19.72

$16.79 NOK 155

17.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.9 $99.9

$99.2 NOK 915

0.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.91 $11.91

$13.43 NOK 124

-11.32%

Cappuccino

$5.18 $5.18

$4.01 NOK 36.98

29.18%

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

$3.10 $3.10

$2.96 NOK 27.26

4.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 $2.30

$3.48 NOK 32.03

-33.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$12.98 NOK 120

-38.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.81 $7.81

$12.03 NOK 111

-35.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 $1.16

$3.00 NOK 27.62

-61.33%

White Bread (500g)

$4.58 $4.58

$4.41 NOK 40.63

3.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.94 $6.94

$4.01 NOK 36.94

73.07%

Eggs

$4.86 $4.86

$5.49 NOK 50.6

-11.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.87 $15.87

$18.51 NOK 171

-14.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.36 $14.36

$15.95 NOK 147

-9.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.52 $19.52

Apples (1kg)

$6.46 $6.46

$3.46 NOK 31.93

86.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 $1.64

$3.16 NOK 29.12

-48.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.13 $6.13

$3.06 NOK 28.20

100.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.08 $7.08

$4.95 NOK 45.65

43.03%

Potato (1kg)

$4.56 $4.56

$2.62 NOK 24.17

74.05%

Onion (1kg)

$3.64 $3.64

$2.31 NOK 21.29

57.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.90 $2.90

$2.84 NOK 26.19

2.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.18 $13.18

$20.15 NOK 186

-34.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.64 $15.64

$23.18 NOK 214

-32.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$4.27 NOK 39.32

-54.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.50 $4.50

$7.88 NOK 72.6

-42.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$5.28 NOK 48.62

-53.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.8 $90.8

$84.8 NOK 782

7.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.01 $2.01

$16.27 NOK 150

-87.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 $1.57

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.86 $10.86

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$2.41 NOK 22.21

-53.94%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

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

$26.5K $26.5K

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

$227 $227

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

$54.2 $54.2

$21.68 NOK 200

150.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.8 $78.8

$84.8 NOK 782

-7.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.5 $73.5

$58.8 NOK 542

24.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.77 $29.77

Cinema Ticket

$15.02 $15.02

$18.72 NOK 173

-19.76%

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

$2,664 $2,664

$217 NOK 1,998

1128.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.3K $36.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.0 $75.0

$113 NOK 1,044

-33.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.6 $50.6

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$138 NOK 1,271

-25.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 $142

$160 NOK 1,476

-11.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,759 $3,759

$1,276 NOK 11.8K

194.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,090 $3,090

$1,013 NOK 9,335

205.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,380 $5,380

$1,931 NOK 17.8K

178.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,441 $4,441

$1,710 NOK 15.8K

159.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,645 $7,645

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,058 $6,058

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,467 $6,467

$4,375 NOK 40.3K

47.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

4.8

35.42%

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

Last update for Cambridge, MA: October 25, 2026

Last update for Molde: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cambridge, MA

$3.1K 66.3%

Molde

–

Groceries & Markets

Cambridge, MA

$497 10.7%

Molde

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cambridge, MA

$360 7.7%

Molde

–

Eating Out

Cambridge, MA

$333 7.1%

Molde

–

Clothing & Footwear

Cambridge, MA

$167 3.6%

Molde

–

Getting Around

Cambridge, MA

$111 2.4%

Molde

–

Sport & Entertainment

Cambridge, MA

$104 2.2%

Molde

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,759 in Cambridge, MA and $1,276 in Molde. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cambridge, MA pays 48% 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: $100 in Cambridge, MA vs $99 in Molde for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $497 vs $428 per month, with Molde cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Cambridge, MA

🇳🇴 Molde

🕒 Local time

01:33 1:33 AM

07:33 7:33 AM

6 h ahead of Cambridge, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

105,162

32,920

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

100 NOK = 10.85 USD

100 NOK = 9.72 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 November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 9.22 NOK (1 NOK = 0.108 USD). 1 EUR = 10.29 NOK (100 NOK = 9.72 EUR).

NOK to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cambridge, MA Molde 5,350 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Cambridge, MA
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

Cambridge, MA vs Molde: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Molde wins on cost – living expenses run 51% lower than in Cambridge, MA. 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 48% higher in Cambridge, MA, 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: $3,759 in Cambridge, MA versus $1,276 in Molde. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,664 in Cambridge, MA versus $217 in Molde. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Molde runs roughly 7% less than in Cambridge, MA. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

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, Cambridge, MA and Molde are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Molde wins on affordability, Cambridge, MA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.