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: $3,182 in Oslo versus $2,463 in Molde.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,651 in Oslo versus $3,636 in Molde.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,119 in Oslo versus $4,808 in Molde.

Living in Oslo is roughly 29% more expensive than Molde, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Oslo 138% above, Molde 84% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.80 NOK 231

$25.70 NOK 239

-3.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$123 NOK 1,146

$79.6 NOK 742

54.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.20 NOK 142

$13.48 NOK 126

12.76%

Cappuccino

$5.03 NOK 46.85

$5.16 NOK 48.10

-2.52%

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

$4.15 NOK 38.66

$2.77 NOK 25.80

49.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 NOK 30.13

$2.62 NOK 24.43

23.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.01 NOK 112

$9.27 NOK 86.4

29.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.31 NOK 105

$9.93 NOK 92.5

13.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 NOK 21.48

$2.20 NOK 20.47

5.00%

White Bread (500g)

$4.14 NOK 38.59

$3.08 NOK 28.69

34.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.60 NOK 33.53

$3.77 NOK 35.13

-4.51%

Eggs

$5.10 NOK 47.54

$3.08 NOK 28.68

65.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.21 NOK 123

$9.28 NOK 86.5

42.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.45 NOK 153

$17.33 NOK 162

-5.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$31.37 NOK 292

$27.43 NOK 256

14.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.48 NOK 32.40

$2.49 NOK 23.16

39.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.52 NOK 23.49

$3.13 NOK 29.16

-19.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.29 NOK 30.66

$3.39 NOK 31.61

-2.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.11 NOK 47.67

$5.70 NOK 53.1

-10.35%

Potato (1kg)

$2.43 NOK 22.65

$1.56 NOK 14.55

55.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.65 NOK 24.73

$2.27 NOK 21.13

16.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.88 NOK 26.81

$2.58 NOK 24.09

11.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 NOK 22.66

$1.83 NOK 17.02

32.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.47 NOK 163

$18.19 NOK 169

-3.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.32 NOK 180

$16.75 NOK 156

15.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.41 NOK 31.81

$2.85 NOK 26.57

19.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 NOK 40.94

$4.08 NOK 38.04

7.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.20 NOK 39.13

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.8 NOK 735

$80.8 NOK 753

-2.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.18 NOK 94.9

$10.31 NOK 96.1

-1.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 NOK 13.06

$1.46 NOK 13.63

-4.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.71 NOK 398

$47.39 NOK 442

-9.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 NOK 20.65

$2.14 NOK 19.97

3.74%

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

$36.6K NOK 340.9K

$34.9K NOK 325.0K

4.91%

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

$42.0K NOK 391.0K

$38.0K NOK 353.8K

10.51%

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

$306 NOK 2,848

$241 NOK 2,244

26.96%

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

$30.90 NOK 288

$38.28 NOK 357

-19.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.8 NOK 520

$54.6 NOK 509

2.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.2 NOK 524

$49.56 NOK 462

13.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.12 NOK 271

$35.44 NOK 330

-17.83%

Cinema Ticket

$17.89 NOK 167

$16.43 NOK 153

8.89%

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

$266 NOK 2,475

$200 NOK 1,862

32.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.5K NOK 135.4K

$10.3K NOK 95.8K

41.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 NOK 980

$96.8 NOK 902

8.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.7 NOK 612

$53.0 NOK 494

23.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 NOK 1,150

$101 NOK 937

22.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 NOK 1,514

$154 NOK 1,435

5.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,738 NOK 16.2K

$1,211 NOK 11.3K

43.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,421 NOK 13.2K

$901 NOK 8,399

57.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,699 NOK 25.2K

$1,416 NOK 13.2K

90.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,182 NOK 20.3K

$1,415 NOK 13.2K

54.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.4K NOK 106.3K

$6,886 NOK 64.2K

65.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,770 NOK 72.4K

$4,940 NOK 46.0K

57.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,467 NOK 41.6K

$3,728 NOK 34.7K

19.81%

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: April 28, 2026

Last update for Molde: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,738 in Oslo and $1,211 in Molde. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oslo pays 20% 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 $80.0 in Molde for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $504 vs $448 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 29% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Oslo pays 20% more on average, 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: $1,738 in Oslo versus $1,211 in Molde. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $266 in Oslo versus $200 in Molde. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% 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 29% less than in Oslo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.