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: $4,398 in Cambridge, MA versus $2,410 in Molde.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,738 in Cambridge, MA versus $3,669 in Molde.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,078 in Cambridge, MA versus $4,929 in Molde.

Living in Cambridge, MA is roughly 83% more expensive than Molde, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cambridge, MA 227% above, Molde 79% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.84 $16.84

$25.59 NOK 243

-34.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.3 $98.3

$79.4 NOK 754

23.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.15 $12.15

$13.54 NOK 129

-10.27%

Cappuccino

$5.54 $5.54

$5.18 NOK 49.13

6.95%

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

$3.00 $3.00

$2.88 NOK 27.32

4.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$2.66 NOK 25.26

-7.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.99 $7.99

$9.06 NOK 86.0

-11.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.83 $7.83

$9.96 NOK 94.6

-21.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$2.20 NOK 20.87

-48.64%

White Bread (500g)

$3.91 $3.91

$3.01 NOK 28.58

29.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.65 $6.65

$3.87 NOK 36.76

71.83%

Eggs

$4.82 $4.82

$3.09 NOK 29.28

55.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.20 $15.20

$9.05 NOK 85.9

67.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.37 $13.37

$16.79 NOK 159

-20.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.90 $20.90

$27.72 NOK 263

-24.60%

Apples (1kg)

$6.69 $6.69

$2.50 NOK 23.75

167.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 $1.85

$3.06 NOK 29.03

-39.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.31 $6.31

$3.38 NOK 32.13

86.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.26 $6.26

$5.55 NOK 52.6

12.79%

Potato (1kg)

$3.35 $3.35

$1.53 NOK 14.56

118.95%

Onion (1kg)

$3.53 $3.53

$2.29 NOK 21.70

54.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.49 $2.49

$2.58 NOK 24.46

-3.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 $2.61

$1.84 NOK 17.51

41.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.61 $13.61

$18.27 NOK 173

-25.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.20 $16.20

$18.17 NOK 173

-10.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 $1.74

$2.91 NOK 27.65

-40.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.46 $5.46

$4.01 NOK 38.06

36.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$4.31 NOK 40.89

-42.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.0 $91.0

$82.8 NOK 786

9.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.63 $2.63

$10.18 NOK 96.6

-74.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.38 NOK 13.10

23.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.06 $28.06

$47.05 NOK 447

-40.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$2.24 NOK 21.31

-62.05%

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

$29.5K $29.5K

$35.9K NOK 340.5K

-17.74%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$39.0K NOK 370.5K

-35.82%

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

$161 $161

$241 NOK 2,291

-33.14%

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

$52.2 $52.2

$37.92 NOK 360

37.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.8 $56.8

$54.6 NOK 518

4.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$99.0 $99.0

$50.0 NOK 475

97.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.42 $30.42

$35.26 NOK 335

-13.73%

Cinema Ticket

$15.42 $15.42

$16.69 NOK 158

-7.61%

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

$2,823 $2,823

$200 NOK 1,901

1309.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.1K $27.1K

$10.3K NOK 97.5K

163.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.4 $66.4

$97.7 NOK 927

-32.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.47 $45.47

$52.3 NOK 497

-13.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$102 NOK 964

1.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$149 $149

$151 NOK 1,434

-1.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,835 $2,835

$1,174 NOK 11.1K

141.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,827 $2,827

$903 NOK 8,574

213.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,039 $5,039

$1,439 NOK 13.7K

250.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,500 $3,500

$1,456 NOK 13.8K

140.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,924 $4,924

$6,190 NOK 58.8K

-20.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,081 $5,081

$4,482 NOK 42.5K

13.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,226 $6,226

$3,624 NOK 34.4K

71.79%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Molde: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,835 in Cambridge, MA and $1,174 in Molde. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cambridge, MA pays 72% 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: $98.0 in Cambridge, MA vs $79.0 in Molde for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $483 vs $447 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 83% 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 72% 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: $2,835 in Cambridge, MA versus $1,174 in Molde. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% 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 $79.0 versus $98.0 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 $2,410 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 83% less than in Cambridge, MA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.