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: $2,472 in Lillestrom versus $2,410 in Molde.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,909 in Lillestrom versus $3,669 in Molde.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,345 in Lillestrom versus $4,929 in Molde.

Living in Lillestrom is roughly 3% more expensive than Molde, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lillestrom 84% above, Molde 79% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.49 NOK 194

$25.59 NOK 243

-19.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 NOK 971

$79.4 NOK 754

28.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.08 NOK 105

$13.54 NOK 129

-18.17%

Cappuccino

$4.82 NOK 45.72

$5.18 NOK 49.13

-6.95%

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

$2.52 NOK 23.94

$2.88 NOK 27.32

-12.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 NOK 21.03

$2.66 NOK 25.26

-16.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.96 NOK 85.0

$9.06 NOK 86.0

-1.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.18 NOK 96.6

$9.96 NOK 94.6

2.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 NOK 20.71

$2.20 NOK 20.87

-0.91%

White Bread (500g)

$3.43 NOK 32.55

$3.01 NOK 28.58

13.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.20 NOK 30.36

$3.87 NOK 36.76

-17.31%

Eggs

$4.14 NOK 39.28

$3.09 NOK 29.28

33.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.46 NOK 109

$9.05 NOK 85.9

26.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.90 NOK 132

$16.79 NOK 159

-17.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.59 NOK 233

$27.72 NOK 263

-11.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 NOK 29.89

$2.50 NOK 23.75

26.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.24 NOK 21.23

$3.06 NOK 29.03

-26.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.41 NOK 32.37

$3.38 NOK 32.13

0.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.99 NOK 37.86

$5.55 NOK 52.6

-28.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.30 NOK 21.85

$1.53 NOK 14.56

50.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 NOK 20.24

$2.29 NOK 21.70

-6.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 NOK 18.81

$2.58 NOK 24.46

-23.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 NOK 17.28

$1.84 NOK 17.51

-1.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.08 NOK 134

$18.27 NOK 173

-22.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.03 NOK 162

$18.17 NOK 173

-6.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.21 NOK 30.47

$2.91 NOK 27.65

10.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.87 NOK 36.77

$4.01 NOK 38.06

-3.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.24 NOK 40.20

$4.31 NOK 40.89

-1.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.4 NOK 687

$82.8 NOK 786

-12.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.00 NOK 47.44

$10.18 NOK 96.6

-50.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.45 NOK 13.75

$1.38 NOK 13.10

5.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.0 NOK 579

$47.05 NOK 447

29.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 NOK 19.85

$2.24 NOK 21.31

-6.70%

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

$34.4K NOK 326.6K

$35.9K NOK 340.5K

-4.08%

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

$30.9K NOK 293.8K

$39.0K NOK 370.5K

-20.72%

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

$60.9 NOK 578

$241 NOK 2,291

-74.79%

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

$43.99 NOK 418

$37.92 NOK 360

16.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.96 NOK 360

$54.6 NOK 518

-30.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.2 NOK 666

$50.0 NOK 475

40.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.53 NOK 166

$35.26 NOK 335

-50.28%

Cinema Ticket

$14.60 NOK 139

$16.69 NOK 158

-12.52%

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

$234 NOK 2,221

$200 NOK 1,901

16.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,195 NOK 39.8K

$10.3K NOK 97.5K

-59.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.0 NOK 902

$97.7 NOK 927

-2.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.87 NOK 454

$52.3 NOK 497

-8.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 NOK 961

$102 NOK 964

-0.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$175 NOK 1,662

$151 NOK 1,434

15.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 NOK 11.7K

$1,174 NOK 11.1K

5.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 NOK 11.7K

$903 NOK 8,574

36.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,486 NOK 23.6K

$1,439 NOK 13.7K

72.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,234 NOK 21.2K

$1,456 NOK 13.8K

53.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,932 NOK 65.8K

$6,190 NOK 58.8K

11.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,024 NOK 38.2K

$4,482 NOK 42.5K

-10.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,793 NOK 36.0K

$3,624 NOK 34.4K

4.67%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Molde: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,233 in Lillestrom and $1,174 in Molde. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lillestrom pays 5% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $102 in Lillestrom vs $79.0 in Molde. Groceries flip the comparison at $425 vs $447, 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 3% 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.

Lillestrom pays 5% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,233 in Lillestrom versus $1,174 in Molde. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $234 in Lillestrom versus $200 in Molde. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lillestrom pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,410 in Molde versus $2,472 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 $2,410 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 3% less than in Lillestrom. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.