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: $2,442 in Molde versus $2,476 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,697 in Molde versus $3,545 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,952 in Molde versus $4,613 in Barcelona.

Living in Molde costs roughly 1% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Molde 79% above, Barcelona 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.59 NOK 288

$18.74 €16.32

63.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.8 NOK 808

$69.5 €60.5

23.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.94 NOK 150

$13.77 €11.99

15.76%

Cappuccino

$5.17 NOK 48.70

$3.10 €2.70

66.77%

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

$3.29 NOK 31.01

$2.83 €2.47

16.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 NOK 33.70

$1.88 €1.64

90.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.67 NOK 110

$3.98 €3.47

193.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.52 NOK 99.2

$4.53 €3.95

132.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.13 NOK 29.46

$1.27 €1.11

146.46%

White Bread (500g)

$4.23 NOK 39.85

$2.16 €1.88

95.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.11 NOK 38.69

$1.76 €1.53

133.52%

Eggs

$5.24 NOK 49.35

$5.13 €4.47

2.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.57 NOK 175

$17.88 €15.58

3.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.04 NOK 151

$9.65 €8.41

66.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.55

Apples (1kg)

$3.48 NOK 32.76

$3.25 €2.83

7.08%

Banana (1kg)

$3.28 NOK 30.89

$2.23 €1.94

47.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 NOK 28.97

$2.60 €2.27

18.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.93 NOK 46.41

$2.76 €2.40

78.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 NOK 24.80

$2.21 €1.93

19.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.43 NOK 22.88

$2.12 €1.85

14.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.77 NOK 26.05

$1.55 €1.35

78.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.59 NOK 194

$7.34 €6.40

180.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.72 NOK 223

$8.05 €7.01

194.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.17 NOK 39.25

$1.54 €1.35

170.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.19 NOK 77.1

$2.79 €2.43

193.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.20 NOK 48.98

$3.11 €2.71

67.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.8 NOK 798

$25.86 €22.53

227.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$16.35 NOK 154

$3.27 €2.85

400.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.86

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 NOK 21.75

$1.73 €1.51

33.53%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

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

$30.5K €26.6K

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

$187 €163

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

$21.65 NOK 204

$15.14 €13.19

43.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.4 NOK 795

$37.69 €32.83

124.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.7 NOK 563

$55.9 €48.73

6.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.88

Cinema Ticket

$18.95 NOK 178

$11.41 €9.94

66.08%

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

$214 NOK 2,013

$997 €868

-78.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$113 NOK 1,060

$92.6 €80.7

21.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.91

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 NOK 1,305

$111 €96.9

24.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 NOK 1,529

$125 €109

29.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 NOK 12.1K

$1,707 €1,487

-24.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$981 NOK 9,241

$1,286 €1,120

-23.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,899 NOK 17.9K

$2,565 €2,235

-25.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 NOK 15.8K

$1,942 €1,692

-13.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,662

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,501

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,356 NOK 41.0K

$2,348 €2,046

85.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.8

3.16

51.90%

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

Last update for Molde: September 14, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,288 in Molde and $1,707 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Molde pays 85% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $86.0 in Molde vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $429 vs $336 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 1% in total monthly costs ($2,442 vs $2,476 including rent). Molde is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 85% higher in Molde, 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: $1,288 in Molde versus $1,707 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $214 in Molde versus $997 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 28% 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 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 Molde gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.