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: $2,519 in Lillestrom versus $2,404 in Molde.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,937 in Lillestrom versus $3,650 in Molde.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,354 in Lillestrom versus $4,896 in Molde.

Living in Lillestrom is roughly 5% more expensive than in Molde, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lillestrom 89% above, Molde 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.58 NOK 195

$25.04 NOK 237

-17.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$103 NOK 973

$81.8 NOK 776

25.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.91 NOK 103

$13.47 NOK 128

-19.01%

Cappuccino

$4.84 NOK 45.88

$5.34 NOK 50.6

-9.36%

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

$2.55 NOK 24.22

$2.87 NOK 27.22

-11.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 NOK 20.81

$2.64 NOK 25.04

-17.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.16 NOK 86.8

$8.99 NOK 85.3

1.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.04 NOK 95.2

$10.19 NOK 96.6

-1.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.13 NOK 20.22

$2.17 NOK 20.54

-1.84%

White Bread (500g)

$3.35 NOK 31.75

$3.07 NOK 29.11

9.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.15 NOK 29.87

$3.91 NOK 37.04

-19.44%

Eggs

$4.32 NOK 40.98

$2.98 NOK 28.26

44.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.53 NOK 109

$8.97 NOK 85.0

28.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.93 NOK 132

$17.07 NOK 162

-18.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.85 NOK 236

$28.04 NOK 266

-11.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 NOK 28.88

$2.49 NOK 23.63

22.49%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 NOK 21.31

$2.99 NOK 28.38

-24.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.35 NOK 31.81

$3.42 NOK 32.43

-2.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.08 NOK 38.73

$5.54 NOK 52.5

-26.35%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 NOK 21.09

$1.54 NOK 14.64

44.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 NOK 20.39

$2.28 NOK 21.65

-5.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 NOK 18.74

$2.71 NOK 25.66

-26.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 NOK 17.88

$1.92 NOK 18.24

-1.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.21 NOK 135

$18.08 NOK 171

-21.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.81 NOK 159

$22.96 NOK 218

-26.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.18 NOK 30.18

$2.87 NOK 27.21

10.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 NOK 37.06

$3.94 NOK 37.35

-0.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.24 NOK 40.18

$4.28 NOK 40.61

-0.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.3 NOK 686

$81.5 NOK 772

-11.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.02 NOK 47.61

$10.20 NOK 96.7

-50.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 NOK 13.20

$1.40 NOK 13.23

-0.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.8 NOK 586

$46.41 NOK 440

33.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.16 NOK 20.44

$2.25 NOK 21.36

-4.00%

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

$35.2K NOK 334.2K

$35.4K NOK 335.9K

-0.50%

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

$30.8K NOK 292.3K

$38.7K NOK 366.5K

-20.24%

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

$61.5 NOK 583

$241 NOK 2,285

-74.47%

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

$44.27 NOK 420

$37.75 NOK 358

17.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.60 NOK 366

$55.4 NOK 525

-30.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.7 NOK 670

$49.61 NOK 470

42.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.36 NOK 165

$35.75 NOK 339

-51.44%

Cinema Ticket

$14.59 NOK 138

$16.73 NOK 159

-12.79%

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

$240 NOK 2,280

$202 NOK 1,918

18.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,151 NOK 39.4K

$10.1K NOK 95.7K

-58.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.6 NOK 926

$96.7 NOK 917

0.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.42 NOK 440

$52.4 NOK 497

-11.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.4 NOK 942

$101 NOK 953

-1.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$174 NOK 1,650

$152 NOK 1,437

14.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 NOK 11.7K

$1,194 NOK 11.3K

3.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 NOK 11.7K

$901 NOK 8,541

37.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,523 NOK 23.9K

$1,400 NOK 13.3K

80.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,199 NOK 20.9K

$1,456 NOK 13.8K

51.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,590 NOK 53.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,151 NOK 39.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,710 NOK 35.2K

$4,189 NOK 39.7K

-11.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.38

3.75

16.80%

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

Last update for Lillestrom: July 28, 2026

Last update for Molde: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,238 in Lillestrom and $1,194 in Molde. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Molde pays 13% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $103 in Lillestrom vs $82.0 in Molde. Groceries flip the comparison at $425 vs $459, with Lillestrom cheaper for home cooking.

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 5% 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 13% 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: $1,238 in Lillestrom versus $1,194 in Molde. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $240 in Lillestrom versus $202 in Molde. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lillestrom pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,404 in Molde versus $2,519 in Lillestrom, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Molde but tight or insufficient in Lillestrom. The gap between the two cities makes Molde the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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, 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 5% less than in Lillestrom. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.