Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Molde

For one person, living is cheaper in Cape Town: $1,527 a month against $2,277 in Molde, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index

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Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,527

/mo nomad

Molde

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,277

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,527 per month in Cape Town vs $2,277 in Molde, rent included.

Cape Town $1,527
Molde $2,277

A couple spends around $2,417 per month in Cape Town vs $3,536 in Molde, rent included.

Cape Town $2,417
Molde $3,536

A family of three spends $3,306 per month in Cape Town vs $4,794 in Molde, rent included.

Cape Town $3,306
Molde $4,794

Cape Town is about 33% cheaper than Molde, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Cape Town and Molde sit above the global median – Cape Town by 13%, Molde by 68%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.01 R 197

$16.68 NOK 155

-28.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.92 R 703

$97.4 NOK 904

-55.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.15 R 101

$13.77 NOK 128

-55.34%

Cappuccino

$2.37 R 38.81

$4.05 NOK 37.56

-41.48%

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

$1.27 R 20.84

$2.83 NOK 26.29

-55.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 R 15.37

$3.56 NOK 33.08

-73.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 R 48.48

$12.62 NOK 117

-76.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 R 60.5

$11.61 NOK 108

-68.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 R 21.61

$3.00 NOK 27.81

-56.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 R 19.75

$4.28 NOK 39.68

-71.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 R 36.05

$4.00 NOK 37.09

-45.00%

Eggs

$3.10 R 50.8

$5.26 NOK 48.80

-41.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.73 R 143

$18.71 NOK 174

-53.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.89 R 113

$16.04 NOK 149

-57.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.26 R 152

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 R 29.90

$3.49 NOK 32.39

-47.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 R 31.94

$3.30 NOK 30.60

-40.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 R 27.16

$3.14 NOK 29.12

-47.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 R 34.99

$5.15 NOK 47.80

-58.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.58 R 25.86

$2.65 NOK 24.55

-40.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.15

$2.34 NOK 21.72

-37.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 R 22.05

$2.83 NOK 26.26

-52.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 R 18.75

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.58 R 58.6

$20.54 NOK 191

-82.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.05 R 99.2

$23.28 NOK 216

-74.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.82

$4.34 NOK 40.25

-67.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 R 35.69

$8.13 NOK 75.4

-73.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 R 22.88

$5.27 NOK 48.92

-73.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 R 995

$85.2 NOK 790

-28.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 R 15.18

$16.05 NOK 149

-94.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 R 14.75

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.96 R 81.3

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 R 25.23

$2.40 NOK 22.31

-35.83%

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

$35.4K R 579.4K

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

$33.4K R 546.7K

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

$117 R 1,918

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

$25.71 R 421

$21.08 NOK 196

21.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.41 R 646

$85.8 NOK 796

-54.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 R 846

$59.3 NOK 550

-12.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.35 R 186

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 R 146

$18.89 NOK 175

-52.94%

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

$308 R 5,040

$218 NOK 2,027

40.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,141 R 133.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.4 R 940

$111 NOK 1,026

-48.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.75 R 520

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 R 1,900

$142 NOK 1,315

-18.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 R 1,650

$164 NOK 1,521

-38.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,047 R 17.1K

$1,249 NOK 11.6K

-16.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$669 R 11.0K

$998 NOK 9,264

-32.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,861 R 30.5K

$1,956 NOK 18.2K

-4.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 R 23.1K

$1,704 NOK 15.8K

-17.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,410 R 39.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,570 R 25.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,630 R 26.7K

$4,322 NOK 40.1K

-62.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.89

4.8

126.88%

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

Last update for Cape Town: November 2, 2026

Last update for Molde: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$669 43.8%

Molde

–

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$223 14.6%

Molde

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$182 11.9%

Molde

–

Eating Out

Cape Town

$174 11.4%

Molde

–

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$138 9%

Molde

–

Getting Around

Cape Town

$72 4.7%

Molde

–

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$69 4.5%

Molde

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,047 in Cape Town versus $1,249 in Molde. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Molde are about 2.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Cape Town versus $97 in Molde. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $223 vs $430 – making Cape Town the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇳🇴 Molde

🕒 Local time

05:45 5:45 AM

04:45 4:45 AM

1 h behind Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

32,920

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.1 USD

100 ZAR = 5.44 EUR

100 NOK = 10.78 USD

100 NOK = 9.6 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NOK, USD, EUR to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 16.38 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.1 USD). 1 EUR = 18.39 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.44 EUR).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 9.28 NOK (1 NOK = 0.108 USD). 1 EUR = 10.42 NOK (100 NOK = 9.6 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cape Town Molde 10,800 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
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

Cape Town vs Molde: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Molde costs about 49% more than Cape Town, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,291 per month in Cape Town and $3,416 in Molde. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cape Town, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,047 there versus $1,249 in Molde.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,527 in Cape Town and $2,277 in Molde. That makes Cape Town about 33% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 29% less in Cape Town. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,527 in Cape Town and $2,277 in Molde. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Cape Town has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,527 in Cape Town to $2,277 in Molde. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Cape Town. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Molde makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.