Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Molde and Oslo

For one person, living is cheaper in Molde: $2,288 a month against $3,538 in Oslo, rent and utilities included – about $15,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Molde, Norway
Oslo, Norway
Molde
🇳🇴 Norway
$2,288
/mo nomad
Oslo
🇳🇴 Norway
$3,538
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Molde and in Oslo

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Molde and in Oslo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,288 in Molde versus $3,538 in Oslo.

  • Molde $2,288
  • Oslo $3,538

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,546 in Molde versus $5,096 in Oslo.

  • Molde $3,546
  • Oslo $5,096

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,803 in Molde versus $6,653 in Oslo.

  • Molde $4,803
  • Oslo $6,653

Living in Molde costs roughly 35% less than in Oslo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Molde 68% above, Oslo 160% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Molde
Oslo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.79 NOK 154
$21.75 NOK 200
-22.80%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$99.2 NOK 912
$130 NOK 1,193
-23.56%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.43 NOK 123
$16.04 NOK 147
-16.27%
Cappuccino
$4.01 NOK 36.86
$5.84 NOK 53.7
-31.34%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.96 NOK 27.17
$4.38 NOK 40.21
-32.42%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.48 NOK 31.93
$3.35 NOK 30.75
3.88%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$12.98 NOK 119
$11.65 NOK 107
11.42%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$12.03 NOK 111
$12.81 NOK 118
-6.09%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Molde
Oslo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$3.00 NOK 27.53
$2.61 NOK 24.00
14.94%
White Bread (500g)
$4.41 NOK 40.50
$4.38 NOK 40.27
0.68%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.01 NOK 36.82
$4.70 NOK 43.19
-14.68%
Eggs
$5.49 NOK 50.4
$6.25 NOK 57.4
-12.16%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$18.51 NOK 170
$15.48 NOK 142
19.57%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$15.95 NOK 147
$15.84 NOK 146
0.69%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
-
$32.30 NOK 297
-
Apples (1kg)
$3.46 NOK 31.83
$3.36 NOK 30.83
2.98%
Banana (1kg)
$3.16 NOK 29.02
$2.72 NOK 25.03
16.18%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.06 NOK 28.11
$3.65 NOK 33.54
-16.16%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.95 NOK 45.50
$5.96 NOK 54.8
-16.95%
Potato (1kg)
$2.62 NOK 24.09
$2.69 NOK 24.75
-2.60%
Onion (1kg)
$2.31 NOK 21.22
$2.85 NOK 26.18
-18.95%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.84 NOK 26.11
$3.26 NOK 29.96
-12.88%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
-
$2.50 NOK 22.96
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$20.15 NOK 185
$19.21 NOK 176
4.89%
Wine (Bottle)
$23.18 NOK 213
$16.64 NOK 153
39.30%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.27 NOK 39.19
$3.60 NOK 33.08
18.61%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.88 NOK 72.4
$4.23 NOK 38.82
86.29%
🚌 Getting Around
Molde
Oslo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$5.28 NOK 48.46
$5.02 NOK 46.13
5.18%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$84.8 NOK 779
$83.5 NOK 767
1.63%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$16.27 NOK 150
$12.39 NOK 114
31.32%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$1.84 NOK 16.93
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$70.8 NOK 651
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.41 NOK 22.14
$2.48 NOK 22.79
-2.82%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
-
$49.9K NOK 458.4K
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
-
$44.7K NOK 410.5K
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Molde
Oslo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
-
$433 NOK 3,983
-
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.68 NOK 199
$34.50 NOK 317
-37.16%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$84.8 NOK 779
$55.7 NOK 512
52.35%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Molde
Oslo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$58.8 NOK 541
$58.1 NOK 534
1.27%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$29.79 NOK 274
-
Cinema Ticket
$18.72 NOK 172
$20.78 NOK 191
-9.91%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Molde
Oslo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$217 NOK 1,992
$240 NOK 2,201
-9.50%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$16.2K NOK 148.5K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Molde
Oslo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$113 NOK 1,040
$104 NOK 958
8.59%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
-
$61.8 NOK 567
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$138 NOK 1,267
$135 NOK 1,239
2.23%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$160 NOK 1,471
$160 NOK 1,470
0.03%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Molde
Oslo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,276 NOK 11.7K
$2,133 NOK 19.6K
-40.19%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,013 NOK 9,305
$1,645 NOK 15.1K
-38.42%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,931 NOK 17.7K
$3,270 NOK 30.0K
-40.95%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,710 NOK 15.7K
$2,466 NOK 22.7K
-30.65%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$12.4K NOK 113.6K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$7,462 NOK 68.6K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Molde
Oslo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,375 NOK 40.2K
$4,703 NOK 43.2K
-6.96%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.8
4.94
-2.83%

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

Last update for Molde: October 26, 2026

Last update for Oslo: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Molde
–
Oslo
$1.6K
Groceries & Markets
Molde
–
Oslo
$530
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Molde
–
Oslo
$524
Eating Out
Molde
–
Oslo
$407
Clothing & Footwear
Molde
–
Oslo
$207
Getting Around
Molde
–
Oslo
$125
Sport & Entertainment
Molde
–
Oslo
$100

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,276 in Molde and $2,133 in Oslo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oslo pays 7% 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: $99 in Molde vs $130 in Oslo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $428 vs $530 per month, with Molde cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇳🇴 Molde
🇳🇴 Oslo
🕒 Local time
18:08 6:08 PM
18:08 6:08 PM
Same time as Molde
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
32,920
1,098,061 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to NOK – Norwegian Krone Converter

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 9.19 NOK (1 NOK = 0.109 USD). 1 EUR = 10.26 NOK (100 NOK = 9.75 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Molde Oslo 370 km
From you
  • Molde
  • Oslo

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Is Molde cheaper than Oslo?
Molde is about 35% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Molde or Oslo?
On paper, salaries run 7% lower in Molde. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Molde and Oslo?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,276 in Molde versus $2,133 in Oslo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $217 in Molde versus $240 in Oslo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Molde or in Oslo?
Dining out is cheaper in Molde – a meal for two runs $99 versus $130 in Oslo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is it better to live in Molde or in Oslo?
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.
Which city is safer, Molde or Oslo?
Safety-wise, Molde and Oslo are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
It comes down to priorities – Molde wins on affordability, Oslo on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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