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: $2,442 in Molde versus $2,663 in Lillestrom.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,697 in Molde versus $4,157 in Lillestrom.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,952 in Molde versus $5,651 in Lillestrom.

Living in Molde costs roughly 8% less than in Lillestrom, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Molde 79% above, Lillestrom 95% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.59 NOK 288

$21.44 NOK 202

42.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.8 NOK 808

$122 NOK 1,151

-29.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.94 NOK 150

$11.74 NOK 111

35.78%

Cappuccino

$5.17 NOK 48.70

$6.34 NOK 59.7

-18.45%

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

$3.29 NOK 31.01

$4.21 NOK 39.62

-21.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 NOK 33.70

$3.26 NOK 30.74

9.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.67 NOK 110

$12.57 NOK 118

-7.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.52 NOK 99.2

$10.88 NOK 103

-3.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.13 NOK 29.46

$2.41 NOK 22.67

29.88%

White Bread (500g)

$4.23 NOK 39.85

$3.78 NOK 35.62

11.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.11 NOK 38.69

$4.28 NOK 40.28

-3.97%

Eggs

$5.24 NOK 49.35

$5.97 NOK 56.3

-12.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.57 NOK 175

$13.60 NOK 128

36.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.04 NOK 151

$14.03 NOK 132

14.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.41 NOK 268

Apples (1kg)

$3.48 NOK 32.76

$3.56 NOK 33.57

-2.25%

Banana (1kg)

$3.28 NOK 30.89

$2.92 NOK 27.53

12.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 NOK 28.97

$4.41 NOK 41.57

-30.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.93 NOK 46.41

$5.36 NOK 50.5

-8.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 NOK 24.80

$2.97 NOK 27.93

-11.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.43 NOK 22.88

$3.78 NOK 35.57

-35.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.77 NOK 26.05

$1.86 NOK 17.56

48.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 NOK 22.90

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.59 NOK 194

$18.18 NOK 171

13.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.72 NOK 223

$16.86 NOK 159

40.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.17 NOK 39.25

$5.80 NOK 54.6

-28.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.19 NOK 77.1

$5.88 NOK 55.4

39.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.20 NOK 48.98

$4.60 NOK 43.35

13.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.8 NOK 798

$87.5 NOK 824

-3.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$16.35 NOK 154

$11.87 NOK 112

37.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.83 NOK 17.23

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$81.9 NOK 771

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 NOK 21.75

$2.32 NOK 21.84

-0.43%

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

$49.1K NOK 462.5K

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

$49.2K NOK 463.1K

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

$258 NOK 2,432

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

$21.65 NOK 204

$36.16 NOK 341

-40.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.4 NOK 795

$64.6 NOK 608

30.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.7 NOK 563

$51.2 NOK 482

16.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.85 NOK 347

Cinema Ticket

$18.95 NOK 178

$18.04 NOK 170

5.04%

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

$214 NOK 2,013

$250 NOK 2,359

-14.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K NOK 125.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$113 NOK 1,060

$102 NOK 960

10.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.8 NOK 535

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 NOK 1,305

$127 NOK 1,198

8.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 NOK 1,529

$159 NOK 1,495

2.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 NOK 12.1K

$1,306 NOK 12.3K

-1.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$981 NOK 9,241

$1,027 NOK 9,670

-4.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,899 NOK 17.9K

$2,049 NOK 19.3K

-7.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 NOK 15.8K

$1,690 NOK 15.9K

-0.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,240 NOK 58.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,378 NOK 41.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,356 NOK 41.0K

$3,815 NOK 35.9K

14.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.8

4.98

-3.61%

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

Last update for Molde: September 14, 2026

Last update for Lillestrom: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,288 in Molde and $1,306 in Lillestrom. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Molde pays 14% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $86.0 in Molde vs $122 in Lillestrom for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $429 vs $506 per month, with Molde cheaper across the board.

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 9% 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 14% 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: $1,288 in Molde versus $1,306 in Lillestrom. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $214 in Molde versus $250 in Lillestrom. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Lillestrom. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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 $2,442 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 9% less than in Lillestrom. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.