Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Molde and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Cape Town: $1,527 a month against $2,277 in Molde, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index

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Molde

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,277

/mo nomad

Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,527

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Molde and in Cape Town

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 Cape Town actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,277 per month in Molde vs $1,527 in Cape Town, rent included.

Molde $2,277
Cape Town $1,527

A couple spends around $3,536 per month in Molde vs $2,417 in Cape Town, rent included.

Molde $3,536
Cape Town $2,417

A family of three spends $4,794 per month in Molde vs $3,306 in Cape Town, rent included.

Molde $4,794
Cape Town $3,306

Molde costs about 49% more than Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Molde and Cape Town sit above the global median – Molde by 68%, Cape Town by 13%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.68 NOK 155

$12.01 R 197

38.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.4 NOK 904

$42.92 R 703

127.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 NOK 128

$6.15 R 101

123.90%

Cappuccino

$4.05 NOK 37.56

$2.37 R 38.81

70.89%

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

$2.83 NOK 26.29

$1.27 R 20.84

122.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.56 NOK 33.08

$0.94 R 15.37

278.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.62 NOK 117

$2.96 R 48.48

326.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.61 NOK 108

$3.69 R 60.5

214.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.00 NOK 27.81

$1.32 R 21.61

127.27%

White Bread (500g)

$4.28 NOK 39.68

$1.21 R 19.75

253.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.00 NOK 37.09

$2.20 R 36.05

81.82%

Eggs

$5.26 NOK 48.80

$3.10 R 50.8

69.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 NOK 174

$8.73 R 143

114.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.04 NOK 149

$6.89 R 113

132.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.26 R 152

Apples (1kg)

$3.49 NOK 32.39

$1.83 R 29.90

90.71%

Banana (1kg)

$3.30 NOK 30.60

$1.95 R 31.94

69.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.14 NOK 29.12

$1.66 R 27.16

89.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.15 NOK 47.80

$2.14 R 34.99

140.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.65 NOK 24.55

$1.58 R 25.86

67.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 NOK 21.72

$1.47 R 24.15

59.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.83 NOK 26.26

$1.35 R 22.05

109.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 R 18.75

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.54 NOK 191

$3.58 R 58.6

473.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.28 NOK 216

$6.05 R 99.2

284.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.34 NOK 40.25

$1.39 R 22.82

212.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 NOK 75.4

$2.18 R 35.69

272.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.27 NOK 48.92

$1.40 R 22.88

276.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.2 NOK 790

$60.8 R 995

40.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$16.05 NOK 149

$0.93 R 15.18

1625.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 R 14.75

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.96 R 81.3

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.40 NOK 22.31

$1.54 R 25.23

55.84%

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

$35.4K R 579.4K

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

$33.4K R 546.7K

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

$117 R 1,918

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

$21.08 NOK 196

$25.71 R 421

-18.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.8 NOK 796

$39.41 R 646

117.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.3 NOK 550

$51.6 R 846

14.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.35 R 186

Cinema Ticket

$18.89 NOK 175

$8.89 R 146

112.49%

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

$218 NOK 2,027

$308 R 5,040

-28.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,141 R 133.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 NOK 1,026

$57.4 R 940

92.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.75 R 520

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$142 NOK 1,315

$116 R 1,900

22.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 NOK 1,521

$101 R 1,650

62.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,249 NOK 11.6K

$1,047 R 17.1K

19.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$998 NOK 9,264

$669 R 11.0K

49.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,956 NOK 18.2K

$1,861 R 30.5K

5.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 NOK 15.8K

$1,407 R 23.1K

21.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,410 R 39.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,570 R 25.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,322 NOK 40.1K

$1,630 R 26.7K

165.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.8

10.89

-55.92%

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

Last update for Molde: November 1, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Molde

–

Cape Town

$669 43.8%

Groceries & Markets

Molde

–

Cape Town

$223 14.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Molde

–

Cape Town

$182 11.9%

Eating Out

Molde

–

Cape Town

$174 11.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Molde

–

Cape Town

$138 9%

Getting Around

Molde

–

Cape Town

$72 4.7%

Sport & Entertainment

Molde

–

Cape Town

$69 4.5%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,249 in Molde versus $1,047 in Cape Town. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Molde are about 2.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $97 in Molde versus $43 in Cape Town. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $430 vs $223 – making Cape Town the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇴 Molde

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🕒 Local time

23:04 11:04 PM

00:04 12:04 AM

1 h ahead of Molde

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

32,920

3,740,026 Capital

💱 Currency

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 NOK = 10.78 USD

100 NOK = 9.6 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.1 USD

100 ZAR = 5.44 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to NOK – Norwegian Krone Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇴 Norwegian Krone (kr)

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 9.28 NOK (1 NOK = 0.108 USD). 1 EUR = 10.42 NOK (100 NOK = 9.6 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 16.38 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.1 USD). 1 EUR = 18.39 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.44 EUR).

USD to NOK in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Molde Cape Town 10,800 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Molde
Cape Town

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 Cape Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Molde costs about 49% more than Cape Town, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,416 per month in Molde and $2,291 in Cape Town. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cape Town, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,047 there versus $1,249 in Molde.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,277 in Molde and $1,527 in Cape Town. That makes Cape Town about 33% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 29% less in Cape Town. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,277 in Molde and $1,527 in Cape Town. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Cape Town has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,527 in Cape Town to $2,277 in Molde. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Cape Town. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Molde makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.