Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Molde and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Molde: $2,231 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Austin, TX outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

123

Cost of Living Index in Molde
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Molde Living Index
130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index

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Molde

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,231

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Molde and in Austin, TX

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Molde and in Austin, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,231 in Molde versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Molde $2,231
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,464 in Molde versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Molde $3,464
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,697 in Molde versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Molde $4,697
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Molde costs roughly 16% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Molde 65% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.10 NOK 161

$20.77 $20.77

-17.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.2 NOK 905

$84.6 $84.6

13.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.25 NOK 125

$12.32 $12.32

7.55%

Cappuccino

$4.11 NOK 38.70

$5.63 $5.63

-27.00%

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

$3.00 NOK 28.21

$3.72 $3.72

-19.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 NOK 31.45

$2.50 $2.50

33.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.71 NOK 120

$8.05 $8.05

57.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.27 NOK 106

$9.01 $9.01

25.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.91 NOK 27.37

$1.12 $1.12

159.82%

White Bread (500g)

$4.17 NOK 39.22

$3.75 $3.75

11.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.92 NOK 36.87

$3.26 $3.26

20.25%

Eggs

$5.24 NOK 49.35

$4.17 $4.17

25.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.98 NOK 169

$12.90 $12.90

39.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.75 NOK 148

$14.16 $14.16

11.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

Apples (1kg)

$3.32 NOK 31.29

$4.33 $4.33

-23.33%

Banana (1kg)

$3.10 NOK 29.20

$1.46 $1.46

112.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 NOK 29.16

$4.51 $4.51

-31.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.76 NOK 44.84

$4.34 $4.34

9.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.45 NOK 23.05

$2.58 $2.58

-5.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 NOK 22.11

$2.35 $2.35

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.73 NOK 25.66

$1.78 $1.78

53.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.77 NOK 186

$9.88 $9.88

100.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.12 NOK 218

$15.08 $15.08

53.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.23 NOK 39.78

$2.92 $2.92

44.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.68 NOK 72.3

$3.46 $3.46

121.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.02 NOK 47.24

$1.49 $1.49

236.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.8 NOK 779

$41.72 $41.72

98.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.41 NOK 145

$2.73 $2.73

464.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 NOK 21.82

$0.95 $0.95

144.21%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

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

$27.1K $27.1K

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

$229 $229

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

$21.17 NOK 199

$59.4 $59.4

-64.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.9 NOK 800

$69.9 $69.9

21.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 NOK 542

$57.2 $57.2

0.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$18.48 NOK 174

$14.28 $14.28

29.41%

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

$207 NOK 1,953

$1,506 $1,506

-86.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$108 NOK 1,021

$52.8 $52.8

105.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 NOK 1,272

$84.8 $84.8

59.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$157 NOK 1,482

$103 $103

52.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,249 NOK 11.8K

$1,907 $1,907

-34.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 NOK 9,199

$1,274 $1,274

-23.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,854 NOK 17.5K

$3,664 $3,664

-49.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,666 NOK 15.7K

$2,538 $2,538

-34.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,256 NOK 40.1K

$5,121 $5,121

-16.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.8

6.79

-29.31%

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

Last update for Molde: October 10, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Molde

$977 43.8%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 30.4% $297

Groceries & Markets

Molde

$417 * 18.7%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 3% $13

Eating Out

Molde

$337 15.1%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 4.9% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Molde

$180 * 8.1%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 29.1% $52

Getting Around

Molde

$118 * 5.3%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 50.4% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Molde

$106 * 4.8%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 238% $252

Sport & Entertainment

Molde

$95 4.2%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 9.3% $8.8

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,249 in Molde and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 20% 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: $96.0 in Molde vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $417 vs $405 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇴 Molde

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

18:28 6:28 PM

11:28 11:28 AM

7 h behind Molde

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

32,920

974,447

💱 Currency

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 NOK = 10.62 USD

100 NOK = 9.45 EUR

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to NOK – Norwegian Krone Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇴 Norwegian Krone (kr)

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 9.41 NOK (1 NOK = 0.106 USD). 1 EUR = 10.58 NOK (100 NOK = 9.45 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

USD to NOK in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Molde Austin, TX 7,750 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Molde
Austin, TX

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

Molde vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Molde wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in Austin, TX. 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 20% lower in Austin, TX. 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: $1,249 in Molde versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,231 per month in Molde versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Molde runs roughly 98% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

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 cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Molde and Austin, TX 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 19% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.