Cost of Living Comparison Between Molde and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Molde and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,404 in Molde versus $1,472 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,650 in Molde versus $2,359 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,896 in Molde versus $3,245 in Mexico City.

Living in Molde is roughly 63% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Molde 81% above, Mexico City 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.04 NOK 237

$13.14 MX$227

90.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.8 NOK 776

$53.5 MX$926

52.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.47 NOK 128

$9.33 MX$161

44.37%

Cappuccino

$5.34 NOK 50.6

$3.70 MX$64.0

44.32%

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

$2.87 NOK 27.22

$1.60 MX$27.76

79.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 NOK 25.04

$1.12 MX$19.34

135.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.99 NOK 85.3

$3.14 MX$54.3

186.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.19 NOK 96.6

$4.85 MX$83.9

110.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 NOK 20.54

$1.65 MX$28.61

31.52%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 NOK 29.11

$2.71 MX$46.96

13.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.91 NOK 37.04

$1.91 MX$33.03

104.71%

Eggs

$2.98 NOK 28.26

$2.59 MX$44.81

15.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.97 NOK 85.0

$9.81 MX$170

-8.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.07 NOK 162

$8.43 MX$146

102.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.04 NOK 266

$11.93 MX$206

135.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.49 NOK 23.63

$2.95 MX$51.1

-15.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.99 NOK 28.38

$1.74 MX$30.10

71.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.42 NOK 32.43

$2.04 MX$35.38

67.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.54 NOK 52.5

$2.06 MX$35.64

168.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 NOK 14.64

$2.15 MX$37.20

-28.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 NOK 21.65

$2.26 MX$39.02

0.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.71 NOK 25.66

$1.39 MX$23.97

94.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 NOK 18.24

$1.12 MX$19.31

71.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.08 NOK 171

$4.22 MX$73.0

328.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.96 NOK 218

$17.51 MX$303

31.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.87 NOK 27.21

$1.71 MX$29.58

67.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 NOK 37.35

$3.63 MX$62.8

8.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.28 NOK 40.61

$0.35 MX$6.10

1122.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.5 NOK 772

$19.32 MX$334

321.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.20 NOK 96.7

$1.38 MX$23.80

639.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 NOK 13.23

$0.28 MX$4.77

400.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$46.41 NOK 440

$5.28 MX$91.3

778.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 NOK 21.36

$1.36 MX$23.50

65.44%

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

$35.4K NOK 335.9K

$19.1K MX$330.5K

85.43%

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

$38.7K NOK 366.5K

$23.6K MX$408.4K

63.74%

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

$241 NOK 2,285

$40.53 MX$701

494.55%

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

$37.75 NOK 358

$27.38 MX$474

37.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.4 NOK 525

$30.38 MX$526

82.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.61 NOK 470

$52.2 MX$903

-5.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.75 NOK 339

$26.48 MX$458

35.01%

Cinema Ticket

$16.73 NOK 159

$6.19 MX$107

170.27%

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

$202 NOK 1,918

$425 MX$7,355

-52.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K NOK 95.7K

$10.7K MX$185.7K

-5.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.7 NOK 917

$58.3 MX$1,009

65.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.4 NOK 497

$44.57 MX$771

17.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 NOK 953

$103 MX$1,791

-2.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$152 NOK 1,437

$109 MX$1,881

39.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,194 NOK 11.3K

$1,014 MX$17.5K

17.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$901 NOK 8,541

$623 MX$10.8K

44.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 NOK 13.3K

$2,119 MX$36.7K

-33.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,456 NOK 13.8K

$1,223 MX$21.2K

18.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,189 NOK 39.7K

$1,052 MX$18.2K

298.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.75

11.34

-66.93%

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

Last update for Molde: July 27, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,194 in Molde and $1,014 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Molde pays 298% 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: $82.0 in Molde vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $459 vs $293 per month, with Mexico City 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 Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Molde and Mexico City differ by about 63% in total monthly costs ($2,404 vs $1,472 including rent). Mexico City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 298% 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 $1,014 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 322% less than in Molde. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $202 in Molde versus $425 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,472 in Mexico City versus $2,404 in Molde, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Molde. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Molde and Mexico City 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 Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 63% less than in Molde. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.