Cost of Living Comparison Between Cambridge, MA and Molde Cost of Living Comparison Between Cambridge, MA and Molde

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,369 in Cambridge, MA versus $2,463 in Molde.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,627 in Cambridge, MA versus $3,636 in Molde.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,884 in Cambridge, MA versus $4,808 in Molde.

Living in Cambridge, MA is roughly 77% more expensive than Molde, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cambridge, MA 226% above, Molde 84% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.87 $16.87

$25.70 NOK 239

-34.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$100 $100

$79.6 NOK 742

25.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.93 $11.93

$13.48 NOK 126

-11.50%

Cappuccino

$5.34 $5.34

$5.16 NOK 48.10

3.49%

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

$2.96 $2.96

$2.77 NOK 25.80

6.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 $2.41

$2.62 NOK 24.43

-8.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.13 $8.13

$9.27 NOK 86.4

-12.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.82 $7.82

$9.93 NOK 92.5

-21.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$2.20 NOK 20.47

-50.91%

White Bread (500g)

$3.91 $3.91

$3.08 NOK 28.69

26.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.33 $6.33

$3.77 NOK 35.13

67.90%

Eggs

$4.72 $4.72

$3.08 NOK 28.68

53.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.40 $15.40

$9.28 NOK 86.5

65.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.66 $13.66

$17.33 NOK 162

-21.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.88 $20.88

$27.43 NOK 256

-23.88%

Apples (1kg)

$6.73 $6.73

$2.49 NOK 23.16

170.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 $1.89

$3.13 NOK 29.16

-39.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.49 $6.49

$3.39 NOK 31.61

91.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 $6.41

$5.70 NOK 53.1

12.46%

Potato (1kg)

$3.36 $3.36

$1.56 NOK 14.55

115.38%

Onion (1kg)

$3.61 $3.61

$2.27 NOK 21.13

59.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 $2.48

$2.58 NOK 24.09

-3.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 $2.61

$1.83 NOK 17.02

42.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.77 $13.77

$18.19 NOK 169

-24.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.05 $17.05

$16.75 NOK 156

1.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 $1.68

$2.85 NOK 26.57

-41.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.45 $5.45

$4.08 NOK 38.04

33.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$4.20 NOK 39.13

-41.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.0 $91.0

$80.8 NOK 753

12.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 $2.55

$10.31 NOK 96.1

-75.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.46 NOK 13.63

17.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.84 $27.84

$47.39 NOK 442

-41.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$2.14 NOK 19.97

-60.28%

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

$29.0K $29.0K

$34.9K NOK 325.0K

-16.82%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$38.0K NOK 353.8K

-34.01%

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

$161 $161

$241 NOK 2,244

-33.14%

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

$53.5 $53.5

$38.28 NOK 357

39.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.3 $55.3

$54.6 NOK 509

1.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$99.4 $99.4

$49.56 NOK 462

100.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.40 $30.40

$35.44 NOK 330

-14.22%

Cinema Ticket

$15.22 $15.22

$16.43 NOK 153

-7.36%

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

$2,845 $2,845

$200 NOK 1,862

1323.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.0K $27.0K

$10.3K NOK 95.8K

162.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.9 $65.9

$96.8 NOK 902

-31.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.10 $45.10

$53.0 NOK 494

-14.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.7 $99.7

$101 NOK 937

-0.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$154 NOK 1,435

-6.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,792 $2,792

$1,211 NOK 11.3K

130.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,900 $2,900

$901 NOK 8,399

221.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,183 $5,183

$1,416 NOK 13.2K

265.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,480 $3,480

$1,415 NOK 13.2K

145.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,054 $5,054

$6,886 NOK 64.2K

-26.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,906 $4,906

$4,940 NOK 46.0K

-0.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,310 $6,310

$3,728 NOK 34.7K

69.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

3.75

71.47%

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

Last update for Cambridge, MA: April 27, 2026

Last update for Molde: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,792 in Cambridge, MA and $1,211 in Molde. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cambridge, MA pays 69% 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 $80.0 in Molde for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $486 vs $448 per month, with Molde 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

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

Molde wins on cost – living expenses run 77% 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.

Cambridge, MA pays 69% more on average, 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: $2,792 in Cambridge, MA versus $1,211 in Molde. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Cambridge, MA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Molde – a meal for two runs $80.0 versus $100 in Cambridge, MA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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 work as nomad bases, but Molde delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,463 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Molde hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Cambridge, MA 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 77% less than in Cambridge, MA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.