Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lillestrom and Molde

For one person, living is cheaper in Molde: $2,288 a month against $2,741 in Lillestrom, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lillestrom, Norway
Molde, Norway
Lillestrom
🇳🇴 Norway
$2,741
/mo nomad
Molde
🇳🇴 Norway
$2,288
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,741 in Lillestrom versus $2,288 in Molde.

  • Lillestrom $2,741
  • Molde $2,288

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,180 in Lillestrom versus $3,546 in Molde.

  • Lillestrom $4,180
  • Molde $3,546

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,619 in Lillestrom versus $4,803 in Molde.

  • Lillestrom $5,619
  • Molde $4,803

Living in Lillestrom is roughly 20% more expensive than in Molde, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lillestrom 101% above, Molde 68% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lillestrom
Molde
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$21.75 NOK 200
$16.79 NOK 155
29.54%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$125 NOK 1,151
$99.2 NOK 915
25.82%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.47 NOK 106
$13.43 NOK 124
-14.59%
Cappuccino
$6.10 NOK 56.2
$4.01 NOK 36.98
52.12%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.24 NOK 39.08
$2.96 NOK 27.26
43.24%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.23 NOK 29.80
$3.48 NOK 32.03
-7.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$12.28 NOK 113
$12.98 NOK 120
-5.39%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$10.79 NOK 99.4
$12.03 NOK 111
-10.31%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lillestrom
Molde
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.53 NOK 23.29
$3.00 NOK 27.62
-15.67%
White Bread (500g)
$3.87 NOK 35.69
$4.41 NOK 40.63
-12.24%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.21 NOK 38.78
$4.01 NOK 36.94
4.99%
Eggs
$5.97 NOK 55.0
$5.49 NOK 50.6
8.74%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.55 NOK 125
$18.51 NOK 171
-26.80%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.90 NOK 128
$15.95 NOK 147
-12.85%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$28.81 NOK 266
-
-
Apples (1kg)
$3.54 NOK 32.66
$3.46 NOK 31.93
2.31%
Banana (1kg)
$2.86 NOK 26.33
$3.16 NOK 29.12
-9.49%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.25 NOK 39.22
$3.06 NOK 28.20
38.89%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.49 NOK 50.6
$4.95 NOK 45.65
10.91%
Potato (1kg)
$2.91 NOK 26.85
$2.62 NOK 24.17
11.07%
Onion (1kg)
$3.62 NOK 33.38
$2.31 NOK 21.29
56.71%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.85 NOK 17.03
$2.84 NOK 26.19
-34.86%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.43 NOK 22.35
-
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$17.85 NOK 164
$20.15 NOK 186
-11.41%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.97 NOK 156
$23.18 NOK 214
-26.79%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$5.58 NOK 51.4
$4.27 NOK 39.32
30.68%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.87 NOK 54.1
$7.88 NOK 72.6
-25.51%
🚌 Getting Around
Lillestrom
Molde
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.82 NOK 44.38
$5.28 NOK 48.62
-8.71%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$85.7 NOK 790
$84.8 NOK 782
1.04%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$10.53 NOK 97.0
$16.27 NOK 150
-35.28%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.78 NOK 16.37
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$70.1 NOK 646
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.27 NOK 20.89
$2.41 NOK 22.21
-5.81%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$48.9K NOK 450.8K
-
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.7K NOK 375.5K
-
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lillestrom
Molde
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$276 NOK 2,544
-
-
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$39.04 NOK 360
$21.68 NOK 200
80.07%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$50.8 NOK 468
$84.8 NOK 782
-40.17%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lillestrom
Molde
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$50.3 NOK 464
$58.8 NOK 542
-14.43%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$37.67 NOK 347
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$17.42 NOK 161
$18.72 NOK 173
-6.94%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lillestrom
Molde
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$325 NOK 2,992
$217 NOK 1,998
49.73%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$13.5K NOK 124.1K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lillestrom
Molde
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$101 NOK 932
$113 NOK 1,044
-10.75%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$57.7 NOK 532
-
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$130 NOK 1,197
$138 NOK 1,271
-5.82%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$159 NOK 1,463
$160 NOK 1,476
-0.87%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lillestrom
Molde
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,312 NOK 12.1K
$1,276 NOK 11.8K
2.83%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,063 NOK 9,800
$1,013 NOK 9,335
4.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,112 NOK 19.5K
$1,931 NOK 17.8K
9.41%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,733 NOK 16.0K
$1,710 NOK 15.8K
1.33%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,073 NOK 56.0K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,918 NOK 36.1K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lillestrom
Molde
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,803 NOK 35.1K
$4,375 NOK 40.3K
-13.08%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.94
4.8
2.92%

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

Last update for Lillestrom: 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
Lillestrom
$1.1K
Molde
–
Groceries & Markets
Lillestrom
$507
Molde
–
Eating Out
Lillestrom
$394
Molde
–
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lillestrom
$366
Molde
–
Clothing & Footwear
Lillestrom
$201
Molde
–
Getting Around
Lillestrom
$124
Molde
–
Sport & Entertainment
Lillestrom
$85
Molde
–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,312 in Lillestrom and $1,276 in Molde. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Molde pays 15% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $125 in Lillestrom vs $99 in Molde for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $507 vs $428 per month, with Molde cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇳🇴 Lillestrom
🇳🇴 Molde
🕒 Local time
11:04 11:04 AM
11:04 11:04 AM
Same time as Lillestrom
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
94,585
32,920
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to NOK – Norwegian Krone Converter

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 9.22 NOK (1 NOK = 0.108 USD). 1 EUR = 10.29 NOK (100 NOK = 9.72 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lillestrom Molde 380 km
From you
  • Lillestrom
  • 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
Lillestrom vs Molde: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Lillestrom or Molde?
Molde wins on cost – living expenses run 17% 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.
Are salaries higher in Lillestrom or in Molde?
On paper, salaries run 13% lower in Lillestrom. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Lillestrom compared to Molde?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,312 in Lillestrom versus $1,276 in Molde. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Are groceries more expensive in Lillestrom or in Molde?
Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Lillestrom. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How much does it cost to live in Lillestrom compared to Molde?
All in, you’ll spend $2,741 per month in Lillestrom versus $2,288 in Molde – Molde is about 17% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Which city is better for families?
For families, Molde is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Lillestrom, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
How safe is Lillestrom compared to Molde?
Safety-wise, Lillestrom and Molde are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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