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: $2,410 in Molde versus $2,337 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,669 in Molde versus $3,468 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,929 in Molde versus $4,599 in Barcelona.

Living in Molde is roughly 3% more expensive than Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Molde 79% above, Barcelona 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.59 NOK 243

$17.08 €14.72

49.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.4 NOK 754

$69.2 €59.7

14.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.54 NOK 129

$13.78 €11.87

-1.74%

Cappuccino

$5.18 NOK 49.13

$2.76 €2.37

87.68%

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

$2.88 NOK 27.32

$2.79 €2.40

3.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 NOK 25.26

$1.99 €1.72

33.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.06 NOK 86.0

$4.36 €3.76

107.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.96 NOK 94.6

$4.74 €4.09

110.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 NOK 20.87

$1.29 €1.11

70.54%

White Bread (500g)

$3.01 NOK 28.58

$2.05 €1.77

46.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.87 NOK 36.76

$1.99 €1.71

94.47%

Eggs

$3.09 NOK 29.28

$3.39 €2.92

-8.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 NOK 85.9

$18.81 €16.21

-51.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.79 NOK 159

$9.36 €8.07

79.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.72 NOK 263

$19.12 €16.48

44.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.50 NOK 23.75

$2.70 €2.32

-7.41%

Banana (1kg)

$3.06 NOK 29.03

$2.34 €2.02

30.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.38 NOK 32.13

$2.12 €1.83

59.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.55 NOK 52.6

$2.85 €2.46

94.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 NOK 14.56

$1.97 €1.70

-22.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 NOK 21.70

$1.80 €1.55

27.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.58 NOK 24.46

$1.45 €1.25

77.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 NOK 17.51

$0.86 €0.74

113.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.27 NOK 173

$6.78 €5.84

169.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.17 NOK 173

$7.90 €6.81

130.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 NOK 27.65

$1.39 €1.20

109.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.01 NOK 38.06

$2.37 €2.04

69.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.31 NOK 40.89

$2.92 €2.52

47.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.8 NOK 786

$28.69 €24.72

188.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.18 NOK 96.6

$4.46 €3.84

128.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 NOK 13.10

$2.05 €1.77

-32.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$47.05 NOK 447

$29.55 €25.46

59.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 NOK 21.31

$1.82 €1.56

23.08%

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

$35.9K NOK 340.5K

$38.8K €33.5K

-7.61%

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

$39.0K NOK 370.5K

$33.1K €28.5K

17.94%

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

$241 NOK 2,291

$189 €163

27.57%

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

$37.92 NOK 360

$22.80 €19.65

66.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.6 NOK 518

$37.59 €32.39

45.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.0 NOK 475

$57.7 €49.75

-13.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.26 NOK 335

$20.74 €17.87

70.01%

Cinema Ticket

$16.69 NOK 158

$10.82 €9.33

54.25%

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

$200 NOK 1,901

$728 €628

-72.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K NOK 97.5K

$14.8K €12.7K

-30.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.7 NOK 927

$88.6 €76.4

10.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.3 NOK 497

$36.85 €31.75

42.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 NOK 964

$102 €87.9

-0.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$151 NOK 1,434

$116 €100

30.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,174 NOK 11.1K

$1,569 €1,352

-25.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$903 NOK 8,574

$1,218 €1,050

-25.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,439 NOK 13.7K

$2,795 €2,409

-48.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,456 NOK 13.8K

$1,975 €1,702

-26.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,190 NOK 58.8K

$7,754 €6,680

-20.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,482 NOK 42.5K

$5,176 €4,460

-13.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,624 NOK 34.4K

$2,343 €2,019

54.65%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,174 in Molde and $1,569 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: $79.0 in Molde vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $447 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 3% in total monthly costs ($2,410 vs $2,337 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: $1,174 in Molde versus $1,569 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $200 in Molde versus $728 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.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Barcelona 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 Barcelona gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Molde. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.