Cost of Living Comparison Between Molde and Trondheim Cost of Living Comparison Between Molde and Trondheim

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,463 in Molde versus $2,794 in Trondheim.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,636 in Molde versus $4,158 in Trondheim.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,808 in Molde versus $5,521 in Trondheim.

Living in Molde costs roughly 12% less than in Trondheim, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Molde 84% above, Trondheim 109% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.70 NOK 239

$22.32 NOK 208

15.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.6 NOK 742

$121 NOK 1,127

-34.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.48 NOK 126

$14.30 NOK 133

-5.73%

Cappuccino

$5.16 NOK 48.10

$4.67 NOK 43.55

10.49%

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

$2.77 NOK 25.80

$3.66 NOK 34.10

-24.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 NOK 24.43

$2.89 NOK 26.90

-9.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.27 NOK 86.4

$10.79 NOK 101

-14.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.93 NOK 92.5

$11.44 NOK 107

-13.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 NOK 20.47

$2.52 NOK 23.51

-12.70%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 NOK 28.69

$3.60 NOK 33.53

-14.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.77 NOK 35.13

$3.86 NOK 35.93

-2.33%

Eggs

$3.08 NOK 28.68

$4.55 NOK 42.37

-32.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.28 NOK 86.5

$12.19 NOK 114

-23.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.33 NOK 162

$15.17 NOK 141

14.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.43 NOK 256

$28.24 NOK 263

-2.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.49 NOK 23.16

$3.88 NOK 36.13

-35.82%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 NOK 29.16

$3.00 NOK 27.92

4.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.39 NOK 31.61

$2.67 NOK 24.88

26.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.70 NOK 53.1

$5.03 NOK 46.86

13.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 NOK 14.55

$2.97 NOK 27.73

-47.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 NOK 21.13

$3.34 NOK 31.09

-32.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.58 NOK 24.09

$3.24 NOK 30.20

-20.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 NOK 17.02

$2.53 NOK 23.59

-27.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.19 NOK 169

$15.40 NOK 143

18.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.75 NOK 156

$19.08 NOK 178

-12.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.85 NOK 26.57

$3.66 NOK 34.10

-22.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 NOK 38.04

$4.73 NOK 44.05

-13.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.20 NOK 39.13

$4.69 NOK 43.68

-10.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.8 NOK 753

$93.3 NOK 870

-13.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.31 NOK 96.1

$15.00 NOK 140

-31.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 NOK 13.63

$2.16 NOK 20.16

-32.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$47.39 NOK 442

$88.6 NOK 826

-46.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 NOK 19.97

$2.13 NOK 19.86

0.47%

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

$34.9K NOK 325.0K

$32.0K NOK 298.2K

8.96%

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

$38.0K NOK 353.8K

$41.8K NOK 389.9K

-9.26%

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

$241 NOK 2,244

$318 NOK 2,962

-24.24%

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

$38.28 NOK 357

$41.68 NOK 388

-8.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.6 NOK 509

$76.9 NOK 717

-28.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.56 NOK 462

$42.83 NOK 399

15.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 NOK 330

$47.79 NOK 445

-25.84%

Cinema Ticket

$16.43 NOK 153

$17.29 NOK 161

-4.97%

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

$200 NOK 1,862

$329 NOK 3,069

-39.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K NOK 95.8K

$8,501 NOK 79.2K

20.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.8 NOK 902

$110 NOK 1,022

-11.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.0 NOK 494

$47.69 NOK 444

11.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 NOK 937

$129 NOK 1,202

-22.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$154 NOK 1,435

$132 NOK 1,228

16.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 NOK 11.3K

$1,386 NOK 12.9K

-12.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$901 NOK 8,399

$1,065 NOK 9,928

-15.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,416 NOK 13.2K

$2,218 NOK 20.7K

-36.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,415 NOK 13.2K

$1,676 NOK 15.6K

-15.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,886 NOK 64.2K

$6,199 NOK 57.8K

11.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,940 NOK 46.0K

$4,921 NOK 45.9K

0.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,728 NOK 34.7K

$4,339 NOK 40.4K

-14.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.75

4.32

-13.19%

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

Last update for Molde: April 26, 2026

Last update for Trondheim: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,211 in Molde and $1,386 in Trondheim. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Trondheim 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: $80.0 in Molde vs $121 in Trondheim for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $448 vs $490 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 Trondheim: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Molde is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Trondheim earns 16% 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 $1,386 in Trondheim. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $200 in Molde versus $329 in Trondheim. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Trondheim. 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 Trondheim, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Molde and Trondheim 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 13% less than in Trondheim. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.