Cost of Living Comparison Between Molde and Stavanger Cost of Living Comparison Between Molde and Stavanger

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,463 in Molde versus $2,695 in Stavanger.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,636 in Molde versus $4,140 in Stavanger.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,808 in Molde versus $5,584 in Stavanger.

Living in Molde costs roughly 9% less than in Stavanger, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Molde 84% above, Stavanger 101% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.70 NOK 239

$25.22 NOK 235

1.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.6 NOK 742

$119 NOK 1,113

-33.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.48 NOK 126

$15.32 NOK 143

-12.01%

Cappuccino

$5.16 NOK 48.10

$5.05 NOK 47.09

2.18%

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

$2.77 NOK 25.80

$4.01 NOK 37.36

-30.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 NOK 24.43

$3.46 NOK 32.25

-24.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.27 NOK 86.4

$11.16 NOK 104

-16.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.93 NOK 92.5

$9.94 NOK 92.7

-0.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 NOK 20.47

$2.45 NOK 22.84

-10.20%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 NOK 28.69

$3.10 NOK 28.90

-0.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.77 NOK 35.13

$4.61 NOK 42.97

-18.22%

Eggs

$3.08 NOK 28.68

$4.34 NOK 40.44

-29.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.28 NOK 86.5

$12.93 NOK 120

-28.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.33 NOK 162

$16.27 NOK 152

6.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.43 NOK 256

$27.67 NOK 258

-0.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.49 NOK 23.16

$3.41 NOK 31.76

-26.98%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 NOK 29.16

$2.62 NOK 24.42

19.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.39 NOK 31.61

$3.01 NOK 28.07

12.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.70 NOK 53.1

$4.55 NOK 42.42

25.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 NOK 14.55

$2.07 NOK 19.28

-24.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 NOK 21.13

$2.99 NOK 27.85

-24.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.58 NOK 24.09

$2.47 NOK 23.00

4.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 NOK 17.02

$1.84 NOK 17.14

-0.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.19 NOK 169

$15.09 NOK 141

20.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.75 NOK 156

$19.20 NOK 179

-12.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.85 NOK 26.57

$3.55 NOK 33.07

-19.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 NOK 38.04

$4.01 NOK 37.39

1.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.20 NOK 39.13

$4.48 NOK 41.78

-6.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.8 NOK 753

$66.9 NOK 623

20.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.31 NOK 96.1

$15.00 NOK 140

-31.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 NOK 13.63

$2.09 NOK 19.44

-30.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$47.39 NOK 442

$102 NOK 951

-53.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 NOK 19.97

$2.11 NOK 19.66

1.42%

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

$34.9K NOK 325.0K

$33.8K NOK 315.5K

3.01%

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

$38.0K NOK 353.8K

$33.0K NOK 307.7K

14.98%

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

$241 NOK 2,244

$191 NOK 1,782

25.92%

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

$38.28 NOK 357

$43.15 NOK 402

-11.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.6 NOK 509

$80.5 NOK 750

-32.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.56 NOK 462

$56.0 NOK 522

-11.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 NOK 330

$35.16 NOK 328

0.80%

Cinema Ticket

$16.43 NOK 153

$19.31 NOK 180

-14.91%

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

$200 NOK 1,862

$322 NOK 2,998

-37.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K NOK 95.8K

$13.2K NOK 123.5K

-22.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.8 NOK 902

$117 NOK 1,087

-17.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.0 NOK 494

$58.7 NOK 547

-9.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 NOK 937

$107 NOK 994

-5.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$154 NOK 1,435

$159 NOK 1,484

-3.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 NOK 11.3K

$1,580 NOK 14.7K

-23.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$901 NOK 8,399

$1,123 NOK 10.5K

-19.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,416 NOK 13.2K

$2,783 NOK 25.9K

-49.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,415 NOK 13.2K

$1,781 NOK 16.6K

-20.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,886 NOK 64.2K

$5,940 NOK 55.4K

15.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,940 NOK 46.0K

$5,361 NOK 50.0K

-7.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,728 NOK 34.7K

$5,014 NOK 46.7K

-25.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.75

4.51

-16.85%

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

Last update for Molde: April 26, 2026

Last update for Stavanger: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,211 in Molde and $1,580 in Stavanger. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stavanger pays 34% 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 $119 in Stavanger for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $448 vs $470 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 Stavanger: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Molde is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Stavanger earns 34% 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 $1,580 in Stavanger. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $200 in Molde versus $322 in Stavanger. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Stavanger. 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 Stavanger, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Molde and Stavanger 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 9% less than in Stavanger. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.