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: $2,410 in Molde versus $2,776 in Trondheim.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,669 in Molde versus $4,121 in Trondheim.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,929 in Molde versus $5,465 in Trondheim.

Living in Molde costs roughly 13% less than in Trondheim, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Molde 79% above, Trondheim 107% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.59 NOK 243

$22.39 NOK 213

14.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.4 NOK 754

$119 NOK 1,131

-33.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.54 NOK 129

$14.04 NOK 133

-3.56%

Cappuccino

$5.18 NOK 49.13

$4.72 NOK 44.83

9.75%

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

$2.88 NOK 27.32

$3.62 NOK 34.35

-20.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 NOK 25.26

$2.94 NOK 27.88

-9.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.06 NOK 86.0

$10.68 NOK 101

-15.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.96 NOK 94.6

$11.73 NOK 111

-15.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 NOK 20.87

$2.64 NOK 25.03

-16.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.01 NOK 28.58

$3.52 NOK 33.36

-14.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.87 NOK 36.76

$3.96 NOK 37.59

-2.27%

Eggs

$3.09 NOK 29.28

$4.56 NOK 43.28

-32.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 NOK 85.9

$12.35 NOK 117

-26.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.79 NOK 159

$15.21 NOK 144

10.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.72 NOK 263

$28.37 NOK 269

-2.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.50 NOK 23.75

$3.78 NOK 35.84

-33.86%

Banana (1kg)

$3.06 NOK 29.03

$2.83 NOK 26.84

8.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.38 NOK 32.13

$2.64 NOK 25.01

28.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.55 NOK 52.6

$5.31 NOK 50.4

4.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 NOK 14.56

$2.87 NOK 27.27

-46.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 NOK 21.70

$3.18 NOK 30.19

-27.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.58 NOK 24.46

$3.24 NOK 30.73

-20.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 NOK 17.51

$2.52 NOK 23.97

-26.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.27 NOK 173

$15.32 NOK 145

19.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.17 NOK 173

$18.36 NOK 174

-1.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 NOK 27.65

$3.72 NOK 35.28

-21.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.01 NOK 38.06

$4.83 NOK 45.88

-16.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.31 NOK 40.89

$4.75 NOK 45.11

-9.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.8 NOK 786

$93.7 NOK 889

-11.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.18 NOK 96.6

$14.89 NOK 141

-31.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 NOK 13.10

$2.19 NOK 20.78

-36.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$47.05 NOK 447

$87.8 NOK 833

-46.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 NOK 21.31

$2.22 NOK 21.08

0.90%

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

$35.9K NOK 340.5K

$32.2K NOK 306.0K

11.26%

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

$39.0K NOK 370.5K

$42.5K NOK 403.0K

-8.06%

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

$241 NOK 2,291

$328 NOK 3,118

-26.51%

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

$37.92 NOK 360

$43.15 NOK 410

-12.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.6 NOK 518

$75.0 NOK 712

-27.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.0 NOK 475

$42.27 NOK 401

18.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.26 NOK 335

$46.32 NOK 440

-23.88%

Cinema Ticket

$16.69 NOK 158

$17.14 NOK 163

-2.63%

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

$200 NOK 1,901

$322 NOK 3,059

-37.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K NOK 97.5K

$8,553 NOK 81.2K

20.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.7 NOK 927

$113 NOK 1,076

-13.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.3 NOK 497

$47.89 NOK 455

9.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 NOK 964

$126 NOK 1,195

-19.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$151 NOK 1,434

$134 NOK 1,269

12.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,174 NOK 11.1K

$1,396 NOK 13.2K

-15.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$903 NOK 8,574

$1,055 NOK 10.0K

-14.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,439 NOK 13.7K

$2,233 NOK 21.2K

-35.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,456 NOK 13.8K

$1,689 NOK 16.0K

-13.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,190 NOK 58.8K

$6,157 NOK 58.4K

0.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,482 NOK 42.5K

$4,848 NOK 46.0K

-7.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,624 NOK 34.4K

$4,264 NOK 40.5K

-15.01%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Trondheim: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,174 in Molde and $1,396 in Trondheim. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Trondheim pays 18% 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: $79.0 in Molde vs $119 in Trondheim for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $447 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 15% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Trondheim earns 18% 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: $1,174 in Molde versus $1,396 in Trondheim. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

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

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% 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 15% less than in Trondheim. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.