Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Molde

For one person, living is cheaper in Molde: $2,288 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Chicago, IL outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Molde

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,288

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,288 in Molde, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Molde $2,288

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,546 in Molde, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Molde $3,546

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,803 in Molde, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Molde $4,803

Chicago, IL costs about 33% more than Molde, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Chicago, IL and Molde sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Molde by 68%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$16.79 NOK 154

23.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$99.2 NOK 912

-10.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$13.43 NOK 123

-1.79%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$4.01 NOK 36.86

41.15%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.96 NOK 27.17

-10.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$3.48 NOK 31.93

-34.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$12.98 NOK 119

-47.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$12.03 NOK 111

-26.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$3.00 NOK 27.53

-58.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$4.41 NOK 40.50

-15.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$4.01 NOK 36.82

34.41%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$5.49 NOK 50.4

-13.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$18.51 NOK 170

-25.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$15.95 NOK 147

-9.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$3.46 NOK 31.83

50.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$3.16 NOK 29.02

-37.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$3.06 NOK 28.11

32.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.95 NOK 45.50

0.40%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.62 NOK 24.09

1.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.31 NOK 21.22

15.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.84 NOK 26.11

-21.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$20.15 NOK 185

-31.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$23.18 NOK 213

-35.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$4.27 NOK 39.19

-40.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$7.88 NOK 72.4

-55.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$5.28 NOK 48.46

-53.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$84.8 NOK 779

-13.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$16.27 NOK 150

-80.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$2.41 NOK 22.14

-50.21%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

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

$26.7K $26.7K

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

$194 $194

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

$69.5 $69.5

$21.68 NOK 199

220.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$84.8 NOK 779

-27.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$58.8 NOK 541

-18.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$18.72 NOK 172

-4.86%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$217 NOK 1,992

727.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$113 NOK 1,040

-40.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$138 NOK 1,267

-26.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$160 NOK 1,471

-10.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,276 NOK 11.7K

98.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,013 NOK 9,305

55.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$1,931 NOK 17.7K

145.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$1,710 NOK 15.7K

57.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$4,375 NOK 40.2K

12.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

4.8

41.87%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: 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

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Molde

–

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Molde

–

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Molde

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Molde

–

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Molde

–

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Molde

–

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Molde

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,276 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 run about 13% higher in Chicago, IL, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $99 in Molde. Groceries tell a different story – $447 in Chicago, IL vs $428 in Molde – so Molde wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇳🇴 Molde

🕒 Local time

04:48 4:48 AM

11:48 11:48 AM

7 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

32,920

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

100 NOK = 10.88 USD

100 NOK = 9.75 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 1, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 9.19 NOK (1 NOK = 0.109 USD). 1 EUR = 10.26 NOK (100 NOK = 9.75 EUR).

NOK to USD in detail →

On the map

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Chicago, IL Molde 6,180 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
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

Chicago, IL vs Molde: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,288 in Molde – Molde comes out roughly 25% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,432 in Molde. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Molde, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,276 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 5% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $99 in Molde. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Families tend to lean toward Molde – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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