Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Molde and Trondheim

For one person, living is cheaper in Molde: $2,288 a month against $3,027 in Trondheim, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Molde, Norway
Trondheim, Norway
Molde
🇳🇴 Norway
$2,288
/mo nomad
Trondheim
🇳🇴 Norway
$3,027
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Molde and in Trondheim

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,288 in Molde versus $3,027 in Trondheim.

  • Molde $2,288
  • Trondheim $3,027

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,546 in Molde versus $4,390 in Trondheim.

  • Molde $3,546
  • Trondheim $4,390

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,803 in Molde versus $5,752 in Trondheim.

  • Molde $4,803
  • Trondheim $5,752

Living in Molde costs roughly 24% less than in Trondheim, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Molde 68% above, Trondheim 122% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Molde
Trondheim
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.79 NOK 154
$21.10 NOK 194
-20.43%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$99.2 NOK 912
$108 NOK 996
-8.52%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.43 NOK 123
$16.26 NOK 149
-17.40%
Cappuccino
$4.01 NOK 36.86
$5.58 NOK 51.3
-28.14%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.96 NOK 27.17
$5.90 NOK 54.2
-49.83%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.48 NOK 31.93
$4.40 NOK 40.38
-20.91%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$12.98 NOK 119
$13.21 NOK 121
-1.74%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$12.03 NOK 111
$13.16 NOK 121
-8.59%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Molde
Trondheim
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$3.00 NOK 27.53
$2.52 NOK 23.12
19.05%
White Bread (500g)
$4.41 NOK 40.50
$3.55 NOK 32.58
24.23%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.01 NOK 36.82
$3.83 NOK 35.20
4.70%
Eggs
$5.49 NOK 50.4
$5.01 NOK 45.98
9.58%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$18.51 NOK 170
$13.20 NOK 121
40.23%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$15.95 NOK 147
$17.00 NOK 156
-6.18%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
-
$32.32 NOK 297
-
Apples (1kg)
$3.46 NOK 31.83
$4.01 NOK 36.84
-13.72%
Banana (1kg)
$3.16 NOK 29.02
$3.05 NOK 28.04
3.61%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.06 NOK 28.11
$3.87 NOK 35.57
-20.93%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.95 NOK 45.50
$5.60 NOK 51.4
-11.61%
Potato (1kg)
$2.62 NOK 24.09
$2.98 NOK 27.36
-12.08%
Onion (1kg)
$2.31 NOK 21.22
$3.03 NOK 27.86
-23.76%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.84 NOK 26.11
$2.98 NOK 27.35
-4.70%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
-
$2.35 NOK 21.63
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$20.15 NOK 185
$18.01 NOK 165
11.88%
Wine (Bottle)
$23.18 NOK 213
$18.61 NOK 171
24.56%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.27 NOK 39.19
$3.68 NOK 33.80
16.03%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.88 NOK 72.4
$4.53 NOK 41.59
73.95%
🚌 Getting Around
Molde
Trondheim
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$5.28 NOK 48.46
$4.86 NOK 44.61
8.64%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$84.8 NOK 779
$102 NOK 940
-17.09%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$16.27 NOK 150
$9.63 NOK 88.5
68.95%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$1.64 NOK 15.09
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$61.7 NOK 567
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.41 NOK 22.14
$2.54 NOK 23.34
-5.12%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
-
$46.3K NOK 425.6K
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
-
$46.2K NOK 424.2K
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Molde
Trondheim
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
-
$281 NOK 2,579
-
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.68 NOK 199
$36.31 NOK 334
-40.29%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$84.8 NOK 779
$84.9 NOK 780
-0.13%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Molde
Trondheim
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$58.8 NOK 541
$45.31 NOK 416
29.84%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$40.99 NOK 377
-
Cinema Ticket
$18.72 NOK 172
$19.70 NOK 181
-4.97%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Molde
Trondheim
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$217 NOK 1,992
$305 NOK 2,798
-28.81%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$4,591 NOK 42.2K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Molde
Trondheim
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$113 NOK 1,040
$109 NOK 998
4.23%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
-
$51.4 NOK 472
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$138 NOK 1,267
$121 NOK 1,112
13.97%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$160 NOK 1,471
$158 NOK 1,455
1.07%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Molde
Trondheim
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,276 NOK 11.7K
$1,635 NOK 15.0K
-21.96%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,013 NOK 9,305
$1,266 NOK 11.6K
-20.00%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,931 NOK 17.7K
$2,320 NOK 21.3K
-16.77%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,710 NOK 15.7K
$1,817 NOK 16.7K
-5.91%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$6,610 NOK 60.7K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$4,997 NOK 45.9K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Molde
Trondheim
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,375 NOK 40.2K
$4,392 NOK 40.3K
-0.37%
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: October 26, 2026

Last update for Trondheim: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Molde
–
Trondheim
$1.3K
Groceries & Markets
Molde
–
Trondheim
$519
Eating Out
Molde
–
Trondheim
$418
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Molde
–
Trondheim
$402
Clothing & Footwear
Molde
–
Trondheim
$198
Getting Around
Molde
–
Trondheim
$140
Sport & Entertainment
Molde
–
Trondheim
$85

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,276 in Molde and $1,635 in Trondheim. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $99 in Molde vs $108 in Trondheim for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $428 vs $519 per month, with Molde cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇳🇴 Molde
🇳🇴 Trondheim
🕒 Local time
10:23 10:23 AM
10:23 10:23 AM
Same time as Molde
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
32,920
215,121
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to NOK – Norwegian Krone Converter

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 9.19 NOK (1 NOK = 0.109 USD). 1 EUR = 10.26 NOK (100 NOK = 9.75 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Molde Trondheim 180 km
From you
  • Molde
  • Trondheim

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 Trondheim: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Molde cheaper than Trondheim?
Molde is about 24% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $3,432 in Molde and $4,541 in Trondheim to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the rent difference between Molde and Trondheim?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,276 in Molde versus $1,635 in Trondheim. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $217 in Molde versus $305 in Trondheim. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Molde and in Trondheim?
Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Trondheim. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is it better to live in Molde or in Trondheim?
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.
Which city is safer, Molde or Trondheim?
Safety-wise, Molde and Trondheim are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Molde gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Trondheim. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Molde vs other spots: cost of living compared

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