Cost of Living Comparison Between Molde and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Molde and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,463 in Molde versus $2,341 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,636 in Molde versus $3,462 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,808 in Molde versus $4,582 in Barcelona.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Molde 84% above, Barcelona 75% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.70 NOK 239

$17.61 €15.04

45.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.6 NOK 742

$68.7 €58.7

15.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.48 NOK 126

$13.75 €11.74

-1.96%

Cappuccino

$5.16 NOK 48.10

$2.76 €2.36

86.96%

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

$2.77 NOK 25.80

$2.78 €2.38

-0.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 NOK 24.43

$2.05 €1.75

27.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.27 NOK 86.4

$4.61 €3.93

101.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.93 NOK 92.5

$4.59 €3.92

116.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 NOK 20.47

$1.28 €1.09

71.88%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 NOK 28.69

$2.11 €1.80

45.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.77 NOK 35.13

$1.97 €1.68

91.37%

Eggs

$3.08 NOK 28.68

$3.44 €2.94

-10.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.28 NOK 86.5

$18.83 €16.08

-50.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.33 NOK 162

$9.45 €8.07

83.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.43 NOK 256

$19.01 €16.24

44.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.49 NOK 23.16

$2.72 €2.32

-8.46%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 NOK 29.16

$2.37 €2.03

32.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.39 NOK 31.61

$2.08 €1.77

62.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.70 NOK 53.1

$2.76 €2.36

106.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 NOK 14.55

$1.97 €1.68

-20.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 NOK 21.13

$1.79 €1.53

26.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.58 NOK 24.09

$1.51 €1.29

70.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 NOK 17.02

$0.90 €0.77

103.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.19 NOK 169

$6.76 €5.77

169.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.75 NOK 156

$7.55 €6.44

121.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.85 NOK 26.57

$1.44 €1.23

97.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 NOK 38.04

$2.41 €2.06

69.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.20 NOK 39.13

$3.03 €2.59

38.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.8 NOK 753

$28.39 €24.25

184.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.31 NOK 96.1

$4.43 €3.78

132.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 NOK 13.63

$2.05 €1.75

-28.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$47.39 NOK 442

$29.33 €25.05

61.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 NOK 19.97

$1.89 €1.61

13.23%

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

$34.9K NOK 325.0K

$38.7K €33.1K

-10.00%

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

$38.0K NOK 353.8K

$32.4K €27.6K

17.32%

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

$241 NOK 2,244

$189 €161

27.65%

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

$38.28 NOK 357

$22.21 €18.96

72.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.6 NOK 509

$36.82 €31.44

48.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.56 NOK 462

$58.0 €49.52

-14.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 NOK 330

$20.99 €17.93

68.84%

Cinema Ticket

$16.43 NOK 153

$11.05 €9.44

48.69%

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

$200 NOK 1,862

$726 €620

-72.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K NOK 95.8K

$15.2K €13.0K

-32.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.8 NOK 902

$88.3 €75.4

9.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.0 NOK 494

$36.98 €31.58

43.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 NOK 937

$103 €87.6

-1.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$154 NOK 1,435

$119 €102

29.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 NOK 11.3K

$1,526 €1,304

-20.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$901 NOK 8,399

$1,218 €1,040

-26.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,416 NOK 13.2K

$2,794 €2,386

-49.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,415 NOK 13.2K

$2,027 €1,731

-30.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,886 NOK 64.2K

$7,094 €6,058

-2.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,940 NOK 46.0K

$4,849 €4,141

1.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,728 NOK 34.7K

$2,404 €2,053

55.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.75

3.39

10.62%

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

Last update for Molde: April 26, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,211 in Molde and $1,526 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Molde pays 55% 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: $80.0 in Molde vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $448 vs $320 per month, with Barcelona cheaper across the board.

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 Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Molde and Barcelona differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($2,463 vs $2,341 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Molde pays 55% 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: $1,211 in Molde versus $1,526 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $200 in Molde versus $726 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Molde. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,341 in Barcelona versus $2,463 in Molde, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Molde. The gap between the two cities makes Barcelona the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Barcelona 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 Barcelona gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Molde. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.