Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Molde and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,550 a month against $2,231 in Molde, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

123

Cost of Living Index in Molde
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Molde Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Molde

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,231

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Molde and in Istanbul

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

A single person spends $2,231 per month in Molde vs $1,550 in Istanbul, rent included.

Molde $2,231
Istanbul $1,550

A couple spends around $3,464 per month in Molde vs $2,415 in Istanbul, rent included.

Molde $3,464
Istanbul $2,415

A family of three spends $4,697 per month in Molde vs $3,281 in Istanbul, rent included.

Molde $4,697
Istanbul $3,281

Molde costs about 44% more than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Molde and Istanbul sit above the global median – Molde by 65%, Istanbul by 15%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.10 NOK 161

$12.30 ₺609

39.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.2 NOK 905

$54.7 ₺2,708

75.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.25 NOK 125

$9.22 ₺456

43.71%

Cappuccino

$4.11 NOK 38.70

$4.40 ₺218

-6.59%

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

$3.00 NOK 28.21

$1.68 ₺83.1

78.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 NOK 31.45

$0.59 ₺29.40

466.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.71 NOK 120

$4.70 ₺233

170.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.27 NOK 106

$5.91 ₺292

90.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.91 NOK 27.37

$1.21 ₺60.0

140.50%

White Bread (500g)

$4.17 NOK 39.22

$0.89 ₺44.10

368.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.92 NOK 36.87

$2.19 ₺108

79.00%

Eggs

$5.24 NOK 49.35

$2.35 ₺116

122.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.98 NOK 169

$10.42 ₺516

72.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.75 NOK 148

$5.65 ₺280

178.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

Apples (1kg)

$3.32 NOK 31.29

$1.90 ₺94.1

74.74%

Banana (1kg)

$3.10 NOK 29.20

$2.31 ₺114

34.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 NOK 29.16

$1.28 ₺63.1

142.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.76 NOK 44.84

$1.80 ₺89.0

164.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.45 NOK 23.05

$0.65 ₺32.16

276.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 NOK 22.11

$0.64 ₺31.91

267.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.73 NOK 25.66

$1.25 ₺62.1

118.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.77 NOK 186

$2.37 ₺118

734.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.12 NOK 218

$13.42 ₺664

72.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.23 NOK 39.78

$2.40 ₺119

76.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.68 NOK 72.3

$3.48 ₺172

120.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.02 NOK 47.24

$0.89 ₺43.84

464.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.8 NOK 779

$67.4 ₺3,338

22.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.41 NOK 145

$1.29 ₺64.1

1094.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 NOK 21.82

$1.47 ₺72.9

57.82%

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

$50.8K ₺2.5M

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

$44.5K ₺2.2M

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

$88.6 ₺4,387

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

$21.17 NOK 199

$11.59 ₺574

82.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.9 NOK 800

$15.81 ₺783

437.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 NOK 542

$77.2 ₺3,820

-25.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

Cinema Ticket

$18.48 NOK 174

$8.14 ₺403

127.03%

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

$207 NOK 1,953

$1,008 ₺49.9K

-79.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$108 NOK 1,021

$54.0 ₺2,671

101.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 NOK 1,272

$98.9 ₺4,895

36.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$157 NOK 1,482

$96.6 ₺4,783

62.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,249 NOK 11.8K

$985 ₺48.7K

26.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 NOK 9,199

$650 ₺32.2K

50.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,854 NOK 17.5K

$1,983 ₺98.2K

-6.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,666 NOK 15.7K

$1,180 ₺58.4K

41.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,256 NOK 40.1K

$1,205 ₺59.7K

253.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.8

40.92

-88.27%

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

Last update for Molde: October 10, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Molde

$977 43.8%

Istanbul

$650 41.9% 33.5% $327

Groceries & Markets

Molde

$417 * 18.7%

Istanbul

$260 16.8% 37.8% $158

Eating Out

Molde

$337 15.1%

Istanbul

$223 14.4% 33.8% $114

Clothing & Footwear

Molde

$180 * 8.1%

Istanbul

$131 8.4% 27.6% $50

Getting Around

Molde

$118 * 5.3%

Istanbul

$77 5% 35% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Molde

$106 * 4.8%

Istanbul

$116 7.5% 9.3% $9.9

Sport & Entertainment

Molde

$95 4.2%

Istanbul

$93 6% 1.2% $1.1

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,249 in Molde versus $985 in Istanbul. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 253% higher in Molde, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $96.0 in Molde versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $417 vs $260 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇴 Molde

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

16:42 4:42 PM

17:42 5:42 PM

1 h ahead of Molde

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

32,920

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

100 NOK = 10.62 USD

100 NOK = 9.45 EUR

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to NOK – Norwegian Krone Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇴 Norwegian Krone (kr)

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 9.41 NOK (1 NOK = 0.106 USD). 1 EUR = 10.58 NOK (100 NOK = 9.45 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.67 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

USD to NOK in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Molde Istanbul 2,810 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Molde
Istanbul

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 Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Molde is pricier by about 44%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,347 per month in Molde and $2,325 in Istanbul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Istanbul, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Molde and $1,008 in Istanbul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 61% more in Molde, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Istanbul, where all-in costs run around $1,550, than in Molde at $2,231. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Molde it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Istanbul – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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