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: $2,404 in Molde versus $2,519 in Lillestrom.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,650 in Molde versus $3,937 in Lillestrom.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,896 in Molde versus $5,354 in Lillestrom.

Living in Molde costs roughly 5% less than in Lillestrom, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Molde 81% above, Lillestrom 89% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.04 NOK 237

$20.58 NOK 195

21.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.8 NOK 776

$103 NOK 973

-20.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.47 NOK 128

$10.91 NOK 103

23.46%

Cappuccino

$5.34 NOK 50.6

$4.84 NOK 45.88

10.33%

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

$2.87 NOK 27.22

$2.55 NOK 24.22

12.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 NOK 25.04

$2.19 NOK 20.81

20.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.99 NOK 85.3

$9.16 NOK 86.8

-1.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.19 NOK 96.6

$10.04 NOK 95.2

1.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 NOK 20.54

$2.13 NOK 20.22

1.88%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 NOK 29.11

$3.35 NOK 31.75

-8.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.91 NOK 37.04

$3.15 NOK 29.87

24.13%

Eggs

$2.98 NOK 28.26

$4.32 NOK 40.98

-31.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.97 NOK 85.0

$11.53 NOK 109

-22.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.07 NOK 162

$13.93 NOK 132

22.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.04 NOK 266

$24.85 NOK 236

12.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.49 NOK 23.63

$3.05 NOK 28.88

-18.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.99 NOK 28.38

$2.25 NOK 21.31

32.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.42 NOK 32.43

$3.35 NOK 31.81

2.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.54 NOK 52.5

$4.08 NOK 38.73

35.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 NOK 14.64

$2.22 NOK 21.09

-30.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 NOK 21.65

$2.15 NOK 20.39

6.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.71 NOK 25.66

$1.98 NOK 18.74

36.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 NOK 18.24

$1.89 NOK 17.88

1.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.08 NOK 171

$14.21 NOK 135

27.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.96 NOK 218

$16.81 NOK 159

36.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.87 NOK 27.21

$3.18 NOK 30.18

-9.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 NOK 37.35

$3.91 NOK 37.06

0.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.28 NOK 40.61

$4.24 NOK 40.18

0.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.5 NOK 772

$72.3 NOK 686

12.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.20 NOK 96.7

$5.02 NOK 47.61

103.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 NOK 13.23

$1.39 NOK 13.20

0.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$46.41 NOK 440

$61.8 NOK 586

-24.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 NOK 21.36

$2.16 NOK 20.44

4.17%

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

$35.4K NOK 335.9K

$35.2K NOK 334.2K

0.50%

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

$38.7K NOK 366.5K

$30.8K NOK 292.3K

25.37%

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

$241 NOK 2,285

$61.5 NOK 583

291.69%

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

$37.75 NOK 358

$44.27 NOK 420

-14.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.4 NOK 525

$38.60 NOK 366

43.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.61 NOK 470

$70.7 NOK 670

-29.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.75 NOK 339

$17.36 NOK 165

105.93%

Cinema Ticket

$16.73 NOK 159

$14.59 NOK 138

14.67%

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

$202 NOK 1,918

$240 NOK 2,280

-15.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K NOK 95.7K

$4,151 NOK 39.4K

143.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.7 NOK 917

$97.6 NOK 926

-0.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.4 NOK 497

$46.42 NOK 440

12.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 NOK 953

$99.4 NOK 942

1.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$152 NOK 1,437

$174 NOK 1,650

-12.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,194 NOK 11.3K

$1,238 NOK 11.7K

-3.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$901 NOK 8,541

$1,238 NOK 11.7K

-27.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 NOK 13.3K

$2,523 NOK 23.9K

-44.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,456 NOK 13.8K

$2,199 NOK 20.9K

-33.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,590 NOK 53.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,151 NOK 39.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,189 NOK 39.7K

$3,710 NOK 35.2K

12.93%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Lillestrom: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,194 in Molde and $1,238 in Lillestrom. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Molde pays 13% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $82.0 in Molde vs $103 in Lillestrom. Groceries flip the comparison at $459 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 5% 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.

Average pay runs 13% higher in Molde, 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: $1,194 in Molde versus $1,238 in Lillestrom. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $202 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 8% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,404 in Molde versus $2,519 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 $2,404 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 5% less than in Lillestrom. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.