Cost of Living Comparison Between Lillestrom and Molde Cost of Living Comparison Between Lillestrom and Molde

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Lillestrom versus $2,442 in Molde.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,157 in Lillestrom versus $3,697 in Molde.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,651 in Lillestrom versus $4,952 in Molde.

Living in Lillestrom is roughly 9% more expensive than in Molde, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lillestrom 95% above, Molde 79% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.44 NOK 202

$30.59 NOK 288

-29.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 NOK 1,151

$85.8 NOK 808

42.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.74 NOK 111

$15.94 NOK 150

-26.35%

Cappuccino

$6.34 NOK 59.7

$5.17 NOK 48.70

22.63%

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

$4.21 NOK 39.62

$3.29 NOK 31.01

27.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 NOK 30.74

$3.58 NOK 33.70

-8.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.57 NOK 118

$11.67 NOK 110

7.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.88 NOK 103

$10.52 NOK 99.2

3.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.41 NOK 22.67

$3.13 NOK 29.46

-23.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 NOK 35.62

$4.23 NOK 39.85

-10.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.28 NOK 40.28

$4.11 NOK 38.69

4.14%

Eggs

$5.97 NOK 56.3

$5.24 NOK 49.35

13.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.60 NOK 128

$18.57 NOK 175

-26.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.03 NOK 132

$16.04 NOK 151

-12.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.41 NOK 268

Apples (1kg)

$3.56 NOK 33.57

$3.48 NOK 32.76

2.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.92 NOK 27.53

$3.28 NOK 30.89

-10.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.41 NOK 41.57

$3.08 NOK 28.97

43.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.36 NOK 50.5

$4.93 NOK 46.41

8.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.97 NOK 27.93

$2.63 NOK 24.80

12.93%

Onion (1kg)

$3.78 NOK 35.57

$2.43 NOK 22.88

55.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 NOK 17.56

$2.77 NOK 26.05

-32.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 NOK 22.90

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.18 NOK 171

$20.59 NOK 194

-11.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.86 NOK 159

$23.72 NOK 223

-28.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.80 NOK 54.6

$4.17 NOK 39.25

39.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 NOK 55.4

$8.19 NOK 77.1

-28.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.60 NOK 43.35

$5.20 NOK 48.98

-11.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.5 NOK 824

$84.8 NOK 798

3.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$11.87 NOK 112

$16.35 NOK 154

-27.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.83 NOK 17.23

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$81.9 NOK 771

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 NOK 21.84

$2.31 NOK 21.75

0.43%

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

$49.1K NOK 462.5K

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

$49.2K NOK 463.1K

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

$258 NOK 2,432

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

$36.16 NOK 341

$21.65 NOK 204

67.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.6 NOK 608

$84.4 NOK 795

-23.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.2 NOK 482

$59.7 NOK 563

-14.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.85 NOK 347

Cinema Ticket

$18.04 NOK 170

$18.95 NOK 178

-4.80%

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

$250 NOK 2,359

$214 NOK 2,013

17.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K NOK 125.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 NOK 960

$113 NOK 1,060

-9.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.8 NOK 535

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 NOK 1,198

$139 NOK 1,305

-8.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 NOK 1,495

$162 NOK 1,529

-2.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,306 NOK 12.3K

$1,288 NOK 12.1K

1.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 NOK 9,670

$981 NOK 9,241

4.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 NOK 19.3K

$1,899 NOK 17.9K

7.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,690 NOK 15.9K

$1,678 NOK 15.8K

0.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,240 NOK 58.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,378 NOK 41.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,815 NOK 35.9K

$4,356 NOK 41.0K

-12.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.98

4.8

3.75%

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

Last update for Lillestrom: September 13, 2026

Last update for Molde: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,306 in Lillestrom and $1,288 in Molde. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Molde pays 14% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $122 in Lillestrom vs $86.0 in Molde for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $506 vs $429 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

Lillestrom vs Molde: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Molde wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Lillestrom. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Molde the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 14% lower in Molde. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,306 in Lillestrom versus $1,288 in Molde. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $250 in Lillestrom versus $214 in Molde. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Lillestrom. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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 $2,442 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Molde hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lillestrom 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 9% less than in Lillestrom. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.