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.
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: Molde68% above, Oslo160% above.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Molde
Oslo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.79NOK 154
$21.75NOK 200
-22.80%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$99.2NOK 912
$130NOK 1,193
-23.56%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$13.43NOK 123
$16.04NOK 147
-16.27%
Cappuccino
$4.01NOK 36.86
$5.84NOK 53.7
-31.34%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.96NOK 27.17
$4.38NOK 40.21
-32.42%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.48NOK 31.93
$3.35NOK 30.75
3.88%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$12.98NOK 119
$11.65NOK 107
11.42%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$12.03NOK 111
$12.81NOK 118
-6.09%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Molde
Oslo
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$3.00NOK 27.53
$2.61NOK 24.00
14.94%
White Bread(500g)
$4.41NOK 40.50
$4.38NOK 40.27
0.68%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$4.01NOK 36.82
$4.70NOK 43.19
-14.68%
Eggs
$5.49NOK 50.4
$6.25NOK 57.4
-12.16%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$18.51NOK 170
$15.48NOK 142
19.57%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$15.95NOK 147
$15.84NOK 146
0.69%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
-
$32.30NOK 297
-
Apples(1kg)
$3.46NOK 31.83
$3.36NOK 30.83
2.98%
Banana(1kg)
$3.16NOK 29.02
$2.72NOK 25.03
16.18%
Oranges(1kg)
$3.06NOK 28.11
$3.65NOK 33.54
-16.16%
Tomato(1kg)
$4.95NOK 45.50
$5.96NOK 54.8
-16.95%
Potato(1kg)
$2.62NOK 24.09
$2.69NOK 24.75
-2.60%
Onion(1kg)
$2.31NOK 21.22
$2.85NOK 26.18
-18.95%
Lettuce(1 head)
$2.84NOK 26.11
$3.26NOK 29.96
-12.88%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
-
$2.50NOK 22.96
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$20.15NOK 185
$19.21NOK 176
4.89%
Wine(Bottle)
$23.18NOK 213
$16.64NOK 153
39.30%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$4.27NOK 39.19
$3.60NOK 33.08
18.61%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$7.88NOK 72.4
$4.23NOK 38.82
86.29%
🚌 Getting Around
Molde
Oslo
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$5.28NOK 48.46
$5.02NOK 46.13
5.18%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$84.8NOK 779
$83.5NOK 767
1.63%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$16.27NOK 150
$12.39NOK 114
31.32%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
-
$1.84NOK 16.93
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
-
$70.8NOK 651
-
Gasoline(1 liter)
$2.41NOK 22.14
$2.48NOK 22.79
-2.82%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
-
$49.9KNOK 458.4K
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
-
$44.7KNOK 410.5K
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Molde
Oslo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
-
$433NOK 3,983
-
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.68NOK 199
$34.50NOK 317
-37.16%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$84.8NOK 779
$55.7NOK 512
52.35%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Molde
Oslo
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$58.8NOK 541
$58.1NOK 534
1.27%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$29.79NOK 274
-
Cinema Ticket
$18.72NOK 172
$20.78NOK 191
-9.91%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Molde
Oslo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$217NOK 1,992
$240NOK 2,201
-9.50%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
-
$16.2KNOK 148.5K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Molde
Oslo
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$113NOK 1,040
$104NOK 958
8.59%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
-
$61.8NOK 567
-
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$138NOK 1,267
$135NOK 1,239
2.23%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$160NOK 1,471
$160NOK 1,470
0.03%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Molde
Oslo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,276NOK 11.7K
$2,133NOK 19.6K
-40.19%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,013NOK 9,305
$1,645NOK 15.1K
-38.42%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,931NOK 17.7K
$3,270NOK 30.0K
-40.95%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,710NOK 15.7K
$2,466NOK 22.7K
-30.65%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
-
$12.4KNOK 113.6K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
-
$7,462NOK 68.6K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Molde
Oslo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$4,375NOK 40.2K
$4,703NOK 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.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Molde
–
Oslo
$1.6K 46.5%
🛒Groceries & Markets
Molde
–
Oslo
$530 15%
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Molde
–
Oslo
$524 14.8%
🍽Eating Out
Molde
–
Oslo
$407 11.5%
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Molde
–
Oslo
$207 5.9%
🚌Getting Around
Molde
–
Oslo
$125 3.5%
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Molde
–
Oslo
$100 2.8%
🏠Accommodation & Living
Molde
–
Oslo
$2.5K 37.1%
🛒Groceries & Markets
Molde
–
Oslo
$1.2K 18.4%
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Molde
–
Oslo
$558 8.4%
🍽Eating Out
Molde
–
Oslo
$1.5K 21.8%
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Molde
–
Oslo
$461 6.9%
🚌Getting Around
Molde
–
Oslo
$260 3.9%
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Molde
–
Oslo
$229 3.4%
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.
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.