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: $2,463 in Molde versus $3,182 in Oslo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,636 in Molde versus $4,651 in Oslo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,808 in Molde versus $6,119 in Oslo.

Living in Molde costs roughly 23% less than in Oslo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Molde 84% above, Oslo 138% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.70 NOK 239

$24.80 NOK 231

3.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.6 NOK 742

$123 NOK 1,146

-35.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.48 NOK 126

$15.20 NOK 142

-11.32%

Cappuccino

$5.16 NOK 48.10

$5.03 NOK 46.85

2.58%

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

$2.77 NOK 25.80

$4.15 NOK 38.66

-33.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 NOK 24.43

$3.23 NOK 30.13

-18.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.27 NOK 86.4

$12.01 NOK 112

-22.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.93 NOK 92.5

$11.31 NOK 105

-12.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 NOK 20.47

$2.31 NOK 21.48

-4.76%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 NOK 28.69

$4.14 NOK 38.59

-25.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.77 NOK 35.13

$3.60 NOK 33.53

4.72%

Eggs

$3.08 NOK 28.68

$5.10 NOK 47.54

-39.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.28 NOK 86.5

$13.21 NOK 123

-29.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.33 NOK 162

$16.45 NOK 153

5.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.43 NOK 256

$31.37 NOK 292

-12.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.49 NOK 23.16

$3.48 NOK 32.40

-28.45%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 NOK 29.16

$2.52 NOK 23.49

24.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.39 NOK 31.61

$3.29 NOK 30.66

3.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.70 NOK 53.1

$5.11 NOK 47.67

11.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 NOK 14.55

$2.43 NOK 22.65

-35.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 NOK 21.13

$2.65 NOK 24.73

-14.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.58 NOK 24.09

$2.88 NOK 26.81

-10.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 NOK 17.02

$2.43 NOK 22.66

-24.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.19 NOK 169

$17.47 NOK 163

4.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.75 NOK 156

$19.32 NOK 180

-13.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.85 NOK 26.57

$3.41 NOK 31.81

-16.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 NOK 38.04

$4.39 NOK 40.94

-7.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.20 NOK 39.13

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.8 NOK 753

$78.8 NOK 735

2.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.31 NOK 96.1

$10.18 NOK 94.9

1.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 NOK 13.63

$1.40 NOK 13.06

4.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$47.39 NOK 442

$42.71 NOK 398

10.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 NOK 19.97

$2.22 NOK 20.65

-3.60%

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

$34.9K NOK 325.0K

$36.6K NOK 340.9K

-4.68%

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

$38.0K NOK 353.8K

$42.0K NOK 391.0K

-9.51%

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

$241 NOK 2,244

$306 NOK 2,848

-21.23%

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

$38.28 NOK 357

$30.90 NOK 288

23.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.6 NOK 509

$55.8 NOK 520

-2.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.56 NOK 462

$56.2 NOK 524

-11.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 NOK 330

$29.12 NOK 271

21.70%

Cinema Ticket

$16.43 NOK 153

$17.89 NOK 167

-8.16%

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

$200 NOK 1,862

$266 NOK 2,475

-24.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K NOK 95.8K

$14.5K NOK 135.4K

-29.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.8 NOK 902

$105 NOK 980

-7.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.0 NOK 494

$65.7 NOK 612

-19.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 NOK 937

$123 NOK 1,150

-18.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$154 NOK 1,435

$162 NOK 1,514

-5.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 NOK 11.3K

$1,738 NOK 16.2K

-30.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$901 NOK 8,399

$1,421 NOK 13.2K

-36.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,416 NOK 13.2K

$2,699 NOK 25.2K

-47.52%

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

$11.4K NOK 106.3K

-39.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,940 NOK 46.0K

$7,770 NOK 72.4K

-36.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,728 NOK 34.7K

$4,467 NOK 41.6K

-16.53%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Oslo: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,211 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: $80.0 in Molde vs $123 in Oslo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $448 vs $504 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 29% 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: $1,211 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 $266 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 29% less than in Oslo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.