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: $4,312 in Cambridge, MA versus $2,404 in Molde.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,669 in Cambridge, MA versus $3,650 in Molde.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,027 in Cambridge, MA versus $4,896 in Molde.

Living in Cambridge, MA is roughly 79% more expensive than in Molde, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cambridge, MA 224% above, Molde 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.02 $17.02

$25.04 NOK 240

-32.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.4 $99.4

$81.8 NOK 785

21.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$13.47 NOK 129

-10.39%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$5.34 NOK 51.2

2.43%

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

$2.95 $2.95

$2.87 NOK 27.54

2.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$2.64 NOK 25.33

-7.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$8.99 NOK 86.3

-9.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.88 $7.88

$10.19 NOK 97.7

-22.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$2.17 NOK 20.78

-49.77%

White Bread (500g)

$3.97 $3.97

$3.07 NOK 29.45

29.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.60 $6.60

$3.91 NOK 37.47

68.80%

Eggs

$4.85 $4.85

$2.98 NOK 28.58

62.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.33 $15.33

$8.97 NOK 86.0

70.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.58 $13.58

$17.07 NOK 164

-20.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.27 $20.27

$28.04 NOK 269

-27.71%

Apples (1kg)

$6.69 $6.69

$2.49 NOK 23.91

168.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 $1.92

$2.99 NOK 28.71

-35.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.32 $6.32

$3.42 NOK 32.81

84.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.50 $6.50

$5.54 NOK 53.1

17.33%

Potato (1kg)

$3.36 $3.36

$1.54 NOK 14.81

118.18%

Onion (1kg)

$3.63 $3.63

$2.28 NOK 21.91

59.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.71 NOK 25.96

-10.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 $2.59

$1.92 NOK 18.45

34.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.72 $13.72

$18.08 NOK 173

-24.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.19 $16.19

$22.96 NOK 220

-29.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.87 NOK 27.53

-40.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.51 $5.51

$3.94 NOK 37.78

39.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.44 $2.44

$4.28 NOK 41.09

-42.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.4 $91.4

$81.5 NOK 781

12.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$10.20 NOK 97.8

-74.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.40 NOK 13.38

20.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.52 $27.52

$46.41 NOK 445

-40.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$2.25 NOK 21.61

-59.11%

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

$29.5K $29.5K

$35.4K NOK 339.8K

-16.85%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$38.7K NOK 370.8K

-35.17%

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

$162 $162

$241 NOK 2,311

-32.93%

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

$53.5 $53.5

$37.75 NOK 362

41.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.5 $56.5

$55.4 NOK 531

1.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$100 $100

$49.61 NOK 476

102.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.35 $30.35

$35.75 NOK 343

-15.10%

Cinema Ticket

$15.39 $15.39

$16.73 NOK 161

-8.01%

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

$2,825 $2,825

$202 NOK 1,940

1296.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.0K $28.0K

$10.1K NOK 96.8K

177.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.0 $66.0

$96.7 NOK 927

-31.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.33 $44.33

$52.4 NOK 502

-15.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$101 NOK 964

0.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$145 $145

$152 NOK 1,453

-4.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,871 $2,871

$1,194 NOK 11.5K

140.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,918 $2,918

$901 NOK 8,640

223.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,160 $5,160

$1,400 NOK 13.4K

268.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,579 $3,579

$1,456 NOK 14.0K

145.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,950 $4,950

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,973 $4,973

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,143 $6,143

$4,189 NOK 40.2K

46.64%

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: July 26, 2026

Last update for Molde: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,871 in Cambridge, MA and $1,194 in Molde. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cambridge, MA pays 47% 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: $99.0 in Cambridge, MA vs $82.0 in Molde for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $484 vs $459 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 79% 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 47% 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: $2,871 in Cambridge, MA versus $1,194 in Molde. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% 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 $82.0 versus $99.0 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 $2,404 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 79% less than in Cambridge, MA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.