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: $2,463 in Molde versus $2,547 in Lillestrom.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,636 in Molde versus $4,020 in Lillestrom.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,808 in Molde versus $5,492 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 84% above, Lillestrom 90% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.70 NOK 239

$20.59 NOK 192

24.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.6 NOK 742

$102 NOK 949

-21.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.48 NOK 126

$10.95 NOK 102

23.11%

Cappuccino

$5.16 NOK 48.10

$5.07 NOK 47.26

1.78%

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

$2.77 NOK 25.80

$2.55 NOK 23.77

8.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 NOK 24.43

$2.12 NOK 19.73

23.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.27 NOK 86.4

$8.91 NOK 83.0

4.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.93 NOK 92.5

$10.11 NOK 94.2

-1.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 NOK 20.47

$2.11 NOK 19.63

4.27%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 NOK 28.69

$3.32 NOK 30.92

-7.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.77 NOK 35.13

$3.30 NOK 30.77

14.24%

Eggs

$3.08 NOK 28.68

$4.22 NOK 39.32

-27.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.28 NOK 86.5

$11.35 NOK 106

-18.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.33 NOK 162

$13.81 NOK 129

25.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.43 NOK 256

$24.70 NOK 230

11.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.49 NOK 23.16

$3.11 NOK 29.00

-19.94%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 NOK 29.16

$2.35 NOK 21.93

33.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.39 NOK 31.61

$3.36 NOK 31.30

0.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.70 NOK 53.1

$4.18 NOK 39.00

36.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 NOK 14.55

$2.20 NOK 20.46

-29.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 NOK 21.13

$2.22 NOK 20.66

2.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.58 NOK 24.09

$1.97 NOK 18.39

30.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 NOK 17.02

$1.89 NOK 17.57

-3.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.19 NOK 169

$14.45 NOK 135

25.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.75 NOK 156

$17.20 NOK 160

-2.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.85 NOK 26.57

$3.21 NOK 29.92

-11.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 NOK 38.04

$4.02 NOK 37.47

1.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.20 NOK 39.13

$4.35 NOK 40.58

-3.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.8 NOK 753

$73.2 NOK 682

10.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.31 NOK 96.1

$5.14 NOK 47.93

100.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 NOK 13.63

$1.40 NOK 13.05

4.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$47.39 NOK 442

$61.9 NOK 577

-23.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 NOK 19.97

$2.17 NOK 20.22

-1.38%

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

$34.9K NOK 325.0K

$35.4K NOK 329.9K

-1.50%

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

$38.0K NOK 353.8K

$29.8K NOK 277.5K

27.51%

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

$241 NOK 2,244

$61.6 NOK 574

290.80%

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

$38.28 NOK 357

$43.51 NOK 405

-12.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.6 NOK 509

$37.76 NOK 352

44.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.56 NOK 462

$70.8 NOK 659

-29.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 NOK 330

$18.06 NOK 168

96.23%

Cinema Ticket

$16.43 NOK 153

$14.69 NOK 137

11.84%

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

$200 NOK 1,862

$240 NOK 2,234

-16.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K NOK 95.8K

$4,135 NOK 38.5K

148.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.8 NOK 902

$95.3 NOK 888

1.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.0 NOK 494

$46.68 NOK 435

13.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 NOK 937

$100 NOK 934

0.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$154 NOK 1,435

$176 NOK 1,638

-12.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 NOK 11.3K

$1,196 NOK 11.1K

1.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$901 NOK 8,399

$1,230 NOK 11.5K

-26.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,416 NOK 13.2K

$2,544 NOK 23.7K

-44.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,415 NOK 13.2K

$2,182 NOK 20.3K

-35.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,886 NOK 64.2K

$5,986 NOK 55.8K

15.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,940 NOK 46.0K

$4,645 NOK 43.3K

6.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,728 NOK 34.7K

$3,898 NOK 36.3K

-4.36%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Lillestrom: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,211 in Molde and $1,196 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: $80.0 in Molde vs $102 in Lillestrom. Groceries flip the comparison at $448 vs $426, 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: $1,211 in Molde versus $1,196 in Lillestrom. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $200 in Molde versus $240 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.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Molde is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Molde delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,463 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.