Cost of Living Comparison Between Molde and Lillestrom Cost of Living Comparison Between Molde and Lillestrom

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,410 in Molde versus $2,472 in Lillestrom.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,669 in Molde versus $3,909 in Lillestrom.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,929 in Molde versus $5,345 in Lillestrom.

Living in Molde costs roughly 3% less than in Lillestrom, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Molde 79% above, Lillestrom 84% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.59 NOK 243

$20.49 NOK 194

24.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.4 NOK 754

$102 NOK 971

-22.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.54 NOK 129

$11.08 NOK 105

22.20%

Cappuccino

$5.18 NOK 49.13

$4.82 NOK 45.72

7.47%

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

$2.88 NOK 27.32

$2.52 NOK 23.94

14.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 NOK 25.26

$2.22 NOK 21.03

19.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.06 NOK 86.0

$8.96 NOK 85.0

1.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.96 NOK 94.6

$10.18 NOK 96.6

-2.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 NOK 20.87

$2.18 NOK 20.71

0.92%

White Bread (500g)

$3.01 NOK 28.58

$3.43 NOK 32.55

-12.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.87 NOK 36.76

$3.20 NOK 30.36

20.94%

Eggs

$3.09 NOK 29.28

$4.14 NOK 39.28

-25.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 NOK 85.9

$11.46 NOK 109

-21.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.79 NOK 159

$13.90 NOK 132

20.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.72 NOK 263

$24.59 NOK 233

12.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.50 NOK 23.75

$3.15 NOK 29.89

-20.63%

Banana (1kg)

$3.06 NOK 29.03

$2.24 NOK 21.23

36.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.38 NOK 32.13

$3.41 NOK 32.37

-0.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.55 NOK 52.6

$3.99 NOK 37.86

39.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 NOK 14.56

$2.30 NOK 21.85

-33.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 NOK 21.70

$2.13 NOK 20.24

7.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.58 NOK 24.46

$1.98 NOK 18.81

30.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 NOK 17.51

$1.82 NOK 17.28

1.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.27 NOK 173

$14.08 NOK 134

29.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.17 NOK 173

$17.03 NOK 162

6.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 NOK 27.65

$3.21 NOK 30.47

-9.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.01 NOK 38.06

$3.87 NOK 36.77

3.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.31 NOK 40.89

$4.24 NOK 40.20

1.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.8 NOK 786

$72.4 NOK 687

14.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.18 NOK 96.6

$5.00 NOK 47.44

103.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 NOK 13.10

$1.45 NOK 13.75

-4.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$47.05 NOK 447

$61.0 NOK 579

-22.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 NOK 21.31

$2.09 NOK 19.85

7.18%

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

$35.9K NOK 340.5K

$34.4K NOK 326.6K

4.25%

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

$39.0K NOK 370.5K

$30.9K NOK 293.8K

26.14%

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

$241 NOK 2,291

$60.9 NOK 578

296.65%

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

$37.92 NOK 360

$43.99 NOK 418

-13.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.6 NOK 518

$37.96 NOK 360

43.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.0 NOK 475

$70.2 NOK 666

-28.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.26 NOK 335

$17.53 NOK 166

101.14%

Cinema Ticket

$16.69 NOK 158

$14.60 NOK 139

14.32%

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

$200 NOK 1,901

$234 NOK 2,221

-14.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K NOK 97.5K

$4,195 NOK 39.8K

144.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.7 NOK 927

$95.0 NOK 902

2.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.3 NOK 497

$47.87 NOK 454

9.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 NOK 964

$101 NOK 961

0.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$151 NOK 1,434

$175 NOK 1,662

-13.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,174 NOK 11.1K

$1,233 NOK 11.7K

-4.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$903 NOK 8,574

$1,233 NOK 11.7K

-26.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,439 NOK 13.7K

$2,486 NOK 23.6K

-42.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,456 NOK 13.8K

$2,234 NOK 21.2K

-34.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,190 NOK 58.8K

$6,932 NOK 65.8K

-10.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,482 NOK 42.5K

$4,024 NOK 38.2K

11.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,624 NOK 34.4K

$3,793 NOK 36.0K

-4.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.75

4.38

-14.38%

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

Last update for Molde: June 7, 2026

Last update for Lillestrom: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,174 in Molde and $1,233 in Lillestrom. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lillestrom pays 5% 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 $102 in Lillestrom. Groceries flip the comparison at $447 vs $425, with Lillestrom cheaper for home cooking.

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 Lillestrom: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Molde wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Lillestrom. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Molde the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Lillestrom earns 5% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,174 in Molde versus $1,233 in Lillestrom. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $200 in Molde versus $234 in Lillestrom. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lillestrom pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,410 in Molde versus $2,472 in Lillestrom, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Molde but tight or insufficient in Lillestrom. The gap between the two cities makes Molde the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Molde delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,410 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Molde hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Molde and Lillestrom 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 3% less than in Lillestrom. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.