Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Molde and Stavanger

For one person, living is cheaper in Molde: $2,288 a month against $3,248 in Stavanger, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Stavanger
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Stavanger Living Index

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Molde

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,288

/mo nomad

Stavanger

🇳🇴 Norway

$3,248

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Molde and in Stavanger

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 Stavanger actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,288 in Molde versus $3,248 in Stavanger.

Molde $2,288
Stavanger $3,248

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,546 in Molde versus $4,717 in Stavanger.

Molde $3,546
Stavanger $4,717

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,803 in Molde versus $6,186 in Stavanger.

Molde $4,803
Stavanger $6,186

Living in Molde costs roughly 30% less than in Stavanger, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Molde 68% above, Stavanger 139% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.79 NOK 155

$24.67 NOK 227

-31.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.2 NOK 915

$98.0 NOK 903

1.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.43 NOK 124

$16.23 NOK 150

-17.25%

Cappuccino

$4.01 NOK 36.98

$6.22 NOK 57.3

-35.53%

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

$2.96 NOK 27.26

$5.89 NOK 54.3

-49.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 NOK 32.03

$4.53 NOK 41.73

-23.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.98 NOK 120

$13.76 NOK 127

-5.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.03 NOK 111

$10.62 NOK 97.9

13.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.00 NOK 27.62

$2.53 NOK 23.30

18.58%

White Bread (500g)

$4.41 NOK 40.63

$3.52 NOK 32.43

25.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.01 NOK 36.94

$3.98 NOK 36.65

0.75%

Eggs

$5.49 NOK 50.6

$4.75 NOK 43.82

15.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.51 NOK 171

$15.22 NOK 140

21.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.95 NOK 147

$17.54 NOK 162

-9.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$36.16 NOK 333

Apples (1kg)

$3.46 NOK 31.93

$3.53 NOK 32.55

-1.98%

Banana (1kg)

$3.16 NOK 29.12

$2.86 NOK 26.34

10.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.06 NOK 28.20

$3.62 NOK 33.36

-15.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.95 NOK 45.65

$4.93 NOK 45.44

0.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.62 NOK 24.17

$2.55 NOK 23.54

2.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 NOK 21.29

$3.11 NOK 28.68

-25.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 NOK 26.19

$2.90 NOK 26.70

-2.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 NOK 21.48

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.15 NOK 186

$18.27 NOK 168

10.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.18 NOK 214

$18.94 NOK 175

22.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.27 NOK 39.32

$3.80 NOK 35.05

12.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.88 NOK 72.6

$4.51 NOK 41.57

74.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.28 NOK 48.62

$4.75 NOK 43.74

11.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.8 NOK 782

$85.4 NOK 787

-0.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$16.27 NOK 150

$6.27 NOK 57.8

159.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.80 NOK 16.59

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$106 NOK 975

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.41 NOK 22.21

$2.46 NOK 22.72

-2.03%

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

$49.1K NOK 452.6K

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

$42.2K NOK 389.1K

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

$260 NOK 2,393

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

$21.68 NOK 200

$33.92 NOK 313

-36.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.8 NOK 782

$79.9 NOK 736

6.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.8 NOK 542

$52.0 NOK 479

13.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.64 NOK 347

Cinema Ticket

$18.72 NOK 173

$22.16 NOK 204

-15.52%

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

$217 NOK 1,998

$325 NOK 2,999

-33.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.3K NOK 132.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$113 NOK 1,044

$130 NOK 1,195

-12.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.9 NOK 571

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 NOK 1,271

$151 NOK 1,390

-8.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$160 NOK 1,476

$206 NOK 1,896

-22.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,276 NOK 11.8K

$1,805 NOK 16.6K

-29.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,013 NOK 9,335

$1,429 NOK 13.2K

-29.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,931 NOK 17.8K

$2,895 NOK 26.7K

-33.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,710 NOK 15.8K

$2,145 NOK 19.8K

-20.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,468 NOK 59.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,430 NOK 50.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,375 NOK 40.3K

$5,086 NOK 46.9K

-13.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.8

5.24

-8.40%

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

Last update for Molde: October 26, 2026

Last update for Stavanger: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Molde

–

Stavanger

$1.4K 44%

Groceries & Markets

Molde

–

Stavanger

$530 16.3%

Eating Out

Molde

–

Stavanger

$452 13.9%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Molde

–

Stavanger

$373 11.5%

Clothing & Footwear

Molde

–

Stavanger

$247 7.6%

Getting Around

Molde

–

Stavanger

$120 3.7%

Sport & Entertainment

Molde

–

Stavanger

$96 3%

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,276 in Molde and $1,805 in Stavanger. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stavanger pays 16% 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 $98 in Stavanger. Groceries flip the comparison at $428 vs $530, with Molde cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇳🇴 Molde

🇳🇴 Stavanger

🕒 Local time

10:19 10:19 AM

Same time as Molde

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

32,920

149,330

💱 Currency

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 NOK = 10.85 USD

100 NOK = 9.72 EUR

100 NOK = 10.85 USD

100 NOK = 9.72 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Molde Stavanger 430 km

From you

Molde
Stavanger

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 Stavanger: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Molde is about 30% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 14% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,276 in Molde versus $1,805 in Stavanger. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Stavanger. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Childcare runs $217 in Molde versus $325 in Stavanger. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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 Stavanger are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Molde wins on affordability, Stavanger on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.