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: $2,404 in Molde versus $2,359 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,650 in Molde versus $3,498 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,896 in Molde versus $4,638 in Barcelona.

Living in Molde is roughly 2% more expensive than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Molde 81% above, Barcelona 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.04 NOK 237

$17.15 €14.86

46.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.8 NOK 776

$68.1 €58.9

20.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.47 NOK 128

$13.64 €11.82

-1.25%

Cappuccino

$5.34 NOK 50.6

$2.78 €2.41

92.09%

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

$2.87 NOK 27.22

$2.82 €2.44

1.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 NOK 25.04

$1.96 €1.70

34.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.99 NOK 85.3

$4.43 €3.84

102.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.19 NOK 96.6

$4.61 €3.99

121.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 NOK 20.54

$1.27 €1.10

70.87%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 NOK 29.11

$2.13 €1.85

44.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.91 NOK 37.04

$1.99 €1.72

96.48%

Eggs

$2.98 NOK 28.26

$3.37 €2.92

-11.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.97 NOK 85.0

$18.96 €16.42

-52.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.07 NOK 162

$9.53 €8.26

79.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.04 NOK 266

$18.73 €16.22

49.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.49 NOK 23.63

$2.65 €2.29

-6.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.99 NOK 28.38

$2.35 €2.04

27.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.42 NOK 32.43

$2.09 €1.81

63.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.54 NOK 52.5

$2.73 €2.37

102.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 NOK 14.64

$1.96 €1.70

-21.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 NOK 21.65

$1.81 €1.56

25.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.71 NOK 25.66

$1.51 €1.31

79.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 NOK 18.24

$0.89 €0.77

115.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.08 NOK 171

$6.78 €5.87

166.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.96 NOK 218

$7.92 €6.86

189.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.87 NOK 27.21

$1.37 €1.19

109.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 NOK 37.35

$2.40 €2.08

64.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.28 NOK 40.61

$2.91 €2.52

47.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.5 NOK 772

$28.66 €24.82

184.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.20 NOK 96.7

$4.58 €3.96

122.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 NOK 13.23

$2.04 €1.77

-31.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$46.41 NOK 440

$28.72 €24.87

61.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 NOK 21.36

$1.82 €1.58

23.63%

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

$35.4K NOK 335.9K

$39.3K €34.0K

-9.90%

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

$38.7K NOK 366.5K

$32.5K €28.1K

19.02%

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

$241 NOK 2,285

$187 €162

29.12%

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

$37.75 NOK 358

$22.29 €19.30

69.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.4 NOK 525

$36.37 €31.50

52.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.61 NOK 470

$57.5 €49.82

-13.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.75 NOK 339

$20.74 €17.96

72.37%

Cinema Ticket

$16.73 NOK 159

$10.77 €9.33

55.34%

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

$202 NOK 1,918

$725 €628

-72.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K NOK 95.7K

$15.2K €13.1K

-33.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.7 NOK 917

$87.9 €76.1

10.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.4 NOK 497

$36.81 €31.88

42.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 NOK 953

$103 €89.6

-2.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$152 NOK 1,437

$119 €103

27.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,194 NOK 11.3K

$1,524 €1,319

-21.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$901 NOK 8,541

$1,227 €1,062

-26.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 NOK 13.3K

$2,727 €2,362

-48.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,456 NOK 13.8K

$1,984 €1,718

-26.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,189 NOK 39.7K

$2,393 €2,072

75.09%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,194 in Molde and $1,524 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Molde pays 75% 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: $82.0 in Molde vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $459 vs $319 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 2% in total monthly costs ($2,404 vs $2,359 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 75% 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: $1,194 in Molde versus $1,524 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $202 in Molde versus $725 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 44% higher in Molde. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,359 in Barcelona versus $2,404 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 2% less than in Molde. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.