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: $2,547 in Lillestrom versus $2,463 in Molde.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,020 in Lillestrom versus $3,636 in Molde.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,492 in Lillestrom versus $4,808 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 90% above, Molde 84% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.59 NOK 192

$25.70 NOK 239

-19.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 NOK 949

$79.6 NOK 742

27.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.95 NOK 102

$13.48 NOK 126

-18.77%

Cappuccino

$5.07 NOK 47.26

$5.16 NOK 48.10

-1.74%

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

$2.55 NOK 23.77

$2.77 NOK 25.80

-7.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 NOK 19.73

$2.62 NOK 24.43

-19.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.91 NOK 83.0

$9.27 NOK 86.4

-3.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.11 NOK 94.2

$9.93 NOK 92.5

1.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 NOK 19.63

$2.20 NOK 20.47

-4.09%

White Bread (500g)

$3.32 NOK 30.92

$3.08 NOK 28.69

7.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.30 NOK 30.77

$3.77 NOK 35.13

-12.47%

Eggs

$4.22 NOK 39.32

$3.08 NOK 28.68

37.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.35 NOK 106

$9.28 NOK 86.5

22.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.81 NOK 129

$17.33 NOK 162

-20.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.70 NOK 230

$27.43 NOK 256

-9.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.11 NOK 29.00

$2.49 NOK 23.16

24.90%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 NOK 21.93

$3.13 NOK 29.16

-24.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.36 NOK 31.30

$3.39 NOK 31.61

-0.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.18 NOK 39.00

$5.70 NOK 53.1

-26.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.20 NOK 20.46

$1.56 NOK 14.55

41.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 NOK 20.66

$2.27 NOK 21.13

-2.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 NOK 18.39

$2.58 NOK 24.09

-23.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 NOK 17.57

$1.83 NOK 17.02

3.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.45 NOK 135

$18.19 NOK 169

-20.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.20 NOK 160

$16.75 NOK 156

2.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.21 NOK 29.92

$2.85 NOK 26.57

12.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 NOK 37.47

$4.08 NOK 38.04

-1.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.35 NOK 40.58

$4.20 NOK 39.13

3.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.2 NOK 682

$80.8 NOK 753

-9.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.14 NOK 47.93

$10.31 NOK 96.1

-50.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 NOK 13.05

$1.46 NOK 13.63

-4.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.9 NOK 577

$47.39 NOK 442

30.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.17 NOK 20.22

$2.14 NOK 19.97

1.40%

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

$35.4K NOK 329.9K

$34.9K NOK 325.0K

1.52%

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

$29.8K NOK 277.5K

$38.0K NOK 353.8K

-21.57%

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

$61.6 NOK 574

$241 NOK 2,244

-74.41%

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

$43.51 NOK 405

$38.28 NOK 357

13.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.76 NOK 352

$54.6 NOK 509

-30.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.8 NOK 659

$49.56 NOK 462

42.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.06 NOK 168

$35.44 NOK 330

-49.04%

Cinema Ticket

$14.69 NOK 137

$16.43 NOK 153

-10.59%

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

$240 NOK 2,234

$200 NOK 1,862

19.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,135 NOK 38.5K

$10.3K NOK 95.8K

-59.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.3 NOK 888

$96.8 NOK 902

-1.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.68 NOK 435

$53.0 NOK 494

-11.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 NOK 934

$101 NOK 937

-0.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$176 NOK 1,638

$154 NOK 1,435

14.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,196 NOK 11.1K

$1,211 NOK 11.3K

-1.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 NOK 11.5K

$901 NOK 8,399

36.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,544 NOK 23.7K

$1,416 NOK 13.2K

79.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,182 NOK 20.3K

$1,415 NOK 13.2K

54.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,986 NOK 55.8K

$6,886 NOK 64.2K

-13.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,645 NOK 43.3K

$4,940 NOK 46.0K

-5.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,898 NOK 36.3K

$3,728 NOK 34.7K

4.56%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Molde: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,196 in Lillestrom and $1,211 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 $80.0 in Molde. Groceries flip the comparison at $426 vs $448, 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: $1,196 in Lillestrom versus $1,211 in Molde. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $240 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.

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 $2,463 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.