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: $2,442 in Molde versus $3,009 in Trondheim.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,697 in Molde versus $4,335 in Trondheim.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,952 in Molde versus $5,661 in Trondheim.

Living in Molde costs roughly 19% less than in Trondheim, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Molde 79% above, Trondheim 120% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.59 NOK 288

$20.98 NOK 198

45.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.8 NOK 808

$110 NOK 1,036

-21.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.94 NOK 150

$15.84 NOK 149

0.63%

Cappuccino

$5.17 NOK 48.70

$5.62 NOK 52.9

-8.01%

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

$3.29 NOK 31.01

$5.77 NOK 54.4

-42.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 NOK 33.70

$4.37 NOK 41.13

-18.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.67 NOK 110

$13.62 NOK 128

-14.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.52 NOK 99.2

$13.21 NOK 124

-20.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.13 NOK 29.46

$2.59 NOK 24.37

20.85%

White Bread (500g)

$4.23 NOK 39.85

$3.55 NOK 33.49

19.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.11 NOK 38.69

$3.90 NOK 36.78

5.38%

Eggs

$5.24 NOK 49.35

$4.88 NOK 46.00

7.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.57 NOK 175

$13.49 NOK 127

37.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.04 NOK 151

$16.46 NOK 155

-2.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$32.40 NOK 305

Apples (1kg)

$3.48 NOK 32.76

$3.89 NOK 36.65

-10.54%

Banana (1kg)

$3.28 NOK 30.89

$2.94 NOK 27.67

11.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 NOK 28.97

$4.00 NOK 37.68

-23.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.93 NOK 46.41

$5.77 NOK 54.3

-14.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 NOK 24.80

$2.89 NOK 27.23

-9.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.43 NOK 22.88

$3.14 NOK 29.56

-22.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.77 NOK 26.05

$2.87 NOK 27.06

-3.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 NOK 21.22

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.59 NOK 194

$18.01 NOK 170

14.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.72 NOK 223

$19.22 NOK 181

23.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.17 NOK 39.25

$3.54 NOK 33.32

17.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.19 NOK 77.1

$4.69 NOK 44.18

74.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.20 NOK 48.98

$4.88 NOK 45.99

6.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.8 NOK 798

$102 NOK 963

-17.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$16.35 NOK 154

$9.49 NOK 89.4

72.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 NOK 15.15

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.3 NOK 577

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 NOK 21.75

$2.38 NOK 22.40

-2.94%

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

$47.1K NOK 443.9K

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

$46.4K NOK 437.0K

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

$282 NOK 2,655

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

$21.65 NOK 204

$36.46 NOK 343

-40.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.4 NOK 795

$83.6 NOK 787

1.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.7 NOK 563

$44.16 NOK 416

35.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.28 NOK 389

Cinema Ticket

$18.95 NOK 178

$21.08 NOK 199

-10.10%

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

$214 NOK 2,013

$304 NOK 2,860

-29.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,455 NOK 42.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$113 NOK 1,060

$110 NOK 1,040

1.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.7 NOK 496

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 NOK 1,305

$124 NOK 1,171

11.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 NOK 1,529

$158 NOK 1,484

2.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 NOK 12.1K

$1,496 NOK 14.1K

-13.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$981 NOK 9,241

$1,236 NOK 11.6K

-20.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,899 NOK 17.9K

$2,253 NOK 21.2K

-15.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 NOK 15.8K

$1,690 NOK 15.9K

-0.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,555 NOK 61.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,105 NOK 48.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,356 NOK 41.0K

$4,338 NOK 40.9K

0.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.8

5.32

-9.77%

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

Last update for Molde: September 14, 2026

Last update for Trondheim: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,288 in Molde and $1,496 in Trondheim. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Molde pays 0% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $86.0 in Molde vs $110 in Trondheim for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $429 vs $517 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 23% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 0% higher in Molde, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,288 in Molde versus $1,496 in Trondheim. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $214 in Molde versus $304 in Trondheim. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% 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 23% less than in Trondheim. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.