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: $2,404 in Molde versus $2,745 in Trondheim.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,650 in Molde versus $4,170 in Trondheim.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,896 in Molde versus $5,595 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 81% above, Trondheim 106% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.04 NOK 237

$22.21 NOK 211

12.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.8 NOK 776

$123 NOK 1,162

-33.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.47 NOK 128

$14.44 NOK 137

-6.72%

Cappuccino

$5.34 NOK 50.6

$4.82 NOK 45.75

10.79%

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

$2.87 NOK 27.22

$3.67 NOK 34.84

-21.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 NOK 25.04

$2.99 NOK 28.34

-11.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.99 NOK 85.3

$10.80 NOK 102

-16.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.19 NOK 96.6

$11.45 NOK 109

-11.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 NOK 20.54

$2.51 NOK 23.79

-13.55%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 NOK 29.11

$3.65 NOK 34.58

-15.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.91 NOK 37.04

$3.86 NOK 36.62

1.30%

Eggs

$2.98 NOK 28.26

$4.59 NOK 43.49

-35.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.97 NOK 85.0

$12.21 NOK 116

-26.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.07 NOK 162

$14.92 NOK 141

14.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.04 NOK 266

$28.37 NOK 269

-1.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.49 NOK 23.63

$3.77 NOK 35.76

-33.95%

Banana (1kg)

$2.99 NOK 28.38

$2.97 NOK 28.21

0.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.42 NOK 32.43

$2.64 NOK 25.00

29.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.54 NOK 52.5

$5.01 NOK 47.50

10.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 NOK 14.64

$2.97 NOK 28.20

-48.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 NOK 21.65

$3.22 NOK 30.53

-29.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.71 NOK 25.66

$3.20 NOK 30.33

-15.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 NOK 18.24

$2.50 NOK 23.68

-23.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.08 NOK 171

$15.41 NOK 146

17.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.96 NOK 218

$18.42 NOK 175

24.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.87 NOK 27.21

$3.66 NOK 34.68

-21.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 NOK 37.35

$4.84 NOK 45.87

-18.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.28 NOK 40.61

$4.57 NOK 43.37

-6.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.5 NOK 772

$93.7 NOK 889

-13.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.20 NOK 96.7

$15.40 NOK 146

-33.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 NOK 13.23

$2.26 NOK 21.40

-38.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$46.41 NOK 440

$89.5 NOK 848

-48.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 NOK 21.36

$2.12 NOK 20.06

6.13%

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

$35.4K NOK 335.9K

$32.4K NOK 306.8K

9.47%

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

$38.7K NOK 366.5K

$43.1K NOK 409.0K

-10.38%

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

$241 NOK 2,285

$323 NOK 3,059

-25.30%

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

$37.75 NOK 358

$43.23 NOK 410

-12.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.4 NOK 525

$76.7 NOK 727

-27.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.61 NOK 470

$42.53 NOK 403

16.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.75 NOK 339

$46.79 NOK 444

-23.59%

Cinema Ticket

$16.73 NOK 159

$17.26 NOK 164

-3.07%

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

$202 NOK 1,918

$321 NOK 3,044

-36.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K NOK 95.7K

$8,375 NOK 79.4K

20.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.7 NOK 917

$110 NOK 1,044

-12.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.4 NOK 497

$47.48 NOK 450

10.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 NOK 953

$128 NOK 1,214

-21.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$152 NOK 1,437

$132 NOK 1,248

15.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,194 NOK 11.3K

$1,371 NOK 13.0K

-12.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$901 NOK 8,541

$1,079 NOK 10.2K

-16.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 NOK 13.3K

$2,269 NOK 21.5K

-38.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,456 NOK 13.8K

$1,685 NOK 16.0K

-13.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,109 NOK 57.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,952 NOK 47.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,189 NOK 39.7K

$4,148 NOK 39.3K

1.00%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Trondheim: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,194 in Molde and $1,371 in Trondheim. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Molde pays 1% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $82.0 in Molde vs $123 in Trondheim for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $459 vs $487 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 14% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 1% 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: $1,194 in Molde versus $1,371 in Trondheim. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $202 in Molde versus $321 in Trondheim. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% 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 14% less than in Trondheim. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.