Cost of Living Comparison Between Molde and Oslo Cost of Living Comparison Between Molde and Oslo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,410 in Molde versus $3,167 in Oslo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,669 in Molde versus $4,598 in Oslo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,929 in Molde versus $6,029 in Oslo.

Living in Molde costs roughly 24% less than in Oslo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Molde 79% above, Oslo 136% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.59 NOK 243

$25.05 NOK 238

2.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.4 NOK 754

$121 NOK 1,145

-34.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.54 NOK 129

$15.29 NOK 145

-11.45%

Cappuccino

$5.18 NOK 49.13

$5.01 NOK 47.58

3.39%

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

$2.88 NOK 27.32

$4.22 NOK 40.04

-31.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 NOK 25.26

$3.33 NOK 31.62

-20.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.06 NOK 86.0

$11.97 NOK 114

-24.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.96 NOK 94.6

$11.28 NOK 107

-11.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 NOK 20.87

$2.29 NOK 21.75

-3.93%

White Bread (500g)

$3.01 NOK 28.58

$4.12 NOK 39.10

-26.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.87 NOK 36.76

$3.60 NOK 34.19

7.50%

Eggs

$3.09 NOK 29.28

$5.15 NOK 48.87

-40.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 NOK 85.9

$13.37 NOK 127

-32.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.79 NOK 159

$16.54 NOK 157

1.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.72 NOK 263

$31.78 NOK 302

-12.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.50 NOK 23.75

$3.55 NOK 33.66

-29.58%

Banana (1kg)

$3.06 NOK 29.03

$2.60 NOK 24.69

17.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.38 NOK 32.13

$3.42 NOK 32.50

-1.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.55 NOK 52.6

$4.97 NOK 47.21

11.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 NOK 14.56

$2.56 NOK 24.29

-40.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 NOK 21.70

$2.67 NOK 25.36

-14.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.58 NOK 24.46

$2.78 NOK 26.35

-7.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 NOK 17.51

$2.39 NOK 22.73

-23.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.27 NOK 173

$16.92 NOK 161

7.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.17 NOK 173

$19.07 NOK 181

-4.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 NOK 27.65

$3.46 NOK 32.83

-15.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.01 NOK 38.06

$4.23 NOK 40.15

-5.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.31 NOK 40.89

$4.16 NOK 39.48

3.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.8 NOK 786

$79.0 NOK 750

4.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.18 NOK 96.6

$10.08 NOK 95.7

0.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 NOK 13.10

$1.45 NOK 13.76

-4.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$47.05 NOK 447

$42.60 NOK 404

10.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 NOK 21.31

$2.18 NOK 20.69

2.75%

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

$35.9K NOK 340.5K

$36.8K NOK 349.4K

-2.54%

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

$39.0K NOK 370.5K

$41.9K NOK 397.5K

-6.79%

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

$241 NOK 2,291

$301 NOK 2,857

-19.81%

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

$37.92 NOK 360

$31.61 NOK 300

19.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.6 NOK 518

$56.3 NOK 534

-3.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.0 NOK 475

$56.2 NOK 533

-10.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.26 NOK 335

$29.38 NOK 279

20.01%

Cinema Ticket

$16.69 NOK 158

$18.20 NOK 173

-8.30%

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

$200 NOK 1,901

$273 NOK 2,587

-26.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K NOK 97.5K

$15.0K NOK 142.3K

-31.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.7 NOK 927

$102 NOK 966

-4.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.3 NOK 497

$64.9 NOK 616

-19.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 NOK 964

$122 NOK 1,155

-16.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$151 NOK 1,434

$167 NOK 1,590

-9.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,174 NOK 11.1K

$1,738 NOK 16.5K

-32.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$903 NOK 8,574

$1,422 NOK 13.5K

-36.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,439 NOK 13.7K

$2,689 NOK 25.5K

-46.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,456 NOK 13.8K

$2,122 NOK 20.1K

-31.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,190 NOK 58.8K

$11.7K NOK 110.8K

-46.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,482 NOK 42.5K

$7,097 NOK 67.4K

-36.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,624 NOK 34.4K

$4,357 NOK 41.4K

-16.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.75

5.08

-26.18%

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

Last update for Molde: June 7, 2026

Last update for Oslo: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,174 in Molde and $1,738 in Oslo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oslo pays 20% 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 $121 in Oslo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $447 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 Oslo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Molde is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 31% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Oslo earns 20% 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 $1,738 in Oslo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $200 in Molde versus $273 in Oslo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Oslo. 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.

For families, Molde is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Oslo, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Molde and Oslo 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 31% less than in Oslo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.