Cost of Living Comparison Between Oslo and Molde Cost of Living Comparison Between Oslo and Molde

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,188 in Oslo versus $2,404 in Molde.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,644 in Oslo versus $3,650 in Molde.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,099 in Oslo versus $4,896 in Molde.

Living in Oslo is roughly 33% more expensive than in Molde, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Oslo 140% above, Molde 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.21 NOK 239

$25.04 NOK 237

0.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$123 NOK 1,170

$81.8 NOK 776

50.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.39 NOK 146

$13.47 NOK 128

14.25%

Cappuccino

$4.86 NOK 46.12

$5.34 NOK 50.6

-8.99%

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

$4.22 NOK 40.04

$2.87 NOK 27.22

47.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 NOK 31.47

$2.64 NOK 25.04

25.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.23 NOK 116

$8.99 NOK 85.3

36.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.04 NOK 105

$10.19 NOK 96.6

8.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.33 NOK 22.05

$2.17 NOK 20.54

7.37%

White Bread (500g)

$4.18 NOK 39.68

$3.07 NOK 29.11

36.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.56 NOK 33.75

$3.91 NOK 37.04

-8.95%

Eggs

$4.93 NOK 46.74

$2.98 NOK 28.26

65.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.33 NOK 126

$8.97 NOK 85.0

48.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.54 NOK 157

$17.07 NOK 162

-3.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$31.01 NOK 294

$28.04 NOK 266

10.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.57 NOK 33.83

$2.49 NOK 23.63

43.37%

Banana (1kg)

$2.52 NOK 23.88

$2.99 NOK 28.38

-15.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.29 NOK 31.22

$3.42 NOK 32.43

-3.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 NOK 47.14

$5.54 NOK 52.5

-10.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.44 NOK 23.18

$1.54 NOK 14.64

58.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.65 NOK 25.13

$2.28 NOK 21.65

16.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 NOK 26.37

$2.71 NOK 25.66

2.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.32 NOK 22.00

$1.92 NOK 18.24

20.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.05 NOK 162

$18.08 NOK 171

-5.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.64 NOK 177

$22.96 NOK 218

-18.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 NOK 32.70

$2.87 NOK 27.21

20.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 NOK 41.10

$3.94 NOK 37.35

9.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.13 NOK 39.19

$4.28 NOK 40.61

-3.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 NOK 750

$81.5 NOK 772

-2.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.04 NOK 95.3

$10.20 NOK 96.7

-1.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 NOK 13.64

$1.40 NOK 13.23

2.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.41 NOK 402

$46.41 NOK 440

-8.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 NOK 20.64

$2.25 NOK 21.36

-3.11%

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

$35.9K NOK 340.6K

$35.4K NOK 335.9K

1.41%

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

$42.5K NOK 402.6K

$38.7K NOK 366.5K

9.83%

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

$295 NOK 2,797

$241 NOK 2,285

22.42%

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

$30.62 NOK 290

$37.75 NOK 358

-18.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.2 NOK 524

$55.4 NOK 525

-0.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.7 NOK 528

$49.61 NOK 470

12.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.35 NOK 269

$35.75 NOK 339

-20.70%

Cinema Ticket

$18.46 NOK 175

$16.73 NOK 159

10.34%

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

$265 NOK 2,510

$202 NOK 1,918

30.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K NOK 140.6K

$10.1K NOK 95.7K

46.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 NOK 978

$96.7 NOK 917

6.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.9 NOK 616

$52.4 NOK 497

23.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 NOK 1,147

$101 NOK 953

20.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 NOK 1,558

$152 NOK 1,437

8.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,676 NOK 15.9K

$1,194 NOK 11.3K

40.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,415 NOK 13.4K

$901 NOK 8,541

57.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,748 NOK 26.1K

$1,400 NOK 13.3K

96.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,158 NOK 20.5K

$1,456 NOK 13.8K

48.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.6K NOK 110.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,087 NOK 67.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,263 NOK 40.4K

$4,189 NOK 39.7K

1.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.08

3.75

35.47%

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

Last update for Oslo: July 26, 2026

Last update for Molde: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,676 in Oslo and $1,194 in Molde. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oslo pays 2% 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: $123 in Oslo vs $82.0 in Molde for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $501 vs $459 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

Oslo vs Molde: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Molde is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 33% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 2% higher in Oslo, 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: $1,676 in Oslo versus $1,194 in Molde. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $265 in Oslo versus $202 in Molde. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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

Safety-wise, Oslo and Molde 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 33% less than in Oslo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.