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: $3,103 in Oslo versus $2,424 in Molde.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,561 in Oslo versus $3,663 in Molde.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,018 in Oslo versus $4,903 in Molde.

Living in Oslo is roughly 28% more expensive than Molde, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Oslo 133% above, Molde 82% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.82 NOK 235

$25.62 NOK 243

-3.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 NOK 1,157

$81.9 NOK 776

49.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.08 NOK 143

$13.39 NOK 127

12.62%

Cappuccino

$4.82 NOK 45.63

$5.12 NOK 48.46

-5.86%

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

$4.23 NOK 40.04

$2.91 NOK 27.53

45.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 NOK 31.77

$2.58 NOK 24.45

29.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.18 NOK 115

$9.29 NOK 88.0

31.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.33 NOK 107

$9.97 NOK 94.4

13.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.29 NOK 21.68

$2.19 NOK 20.75

4.57%

White Bread (500g)

$4.00 NOK 37.89

$3.01 NOK 28.55

32.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.53 NOK 33.43

$3.94 NOK 37.33

-10.41%

Eggs

$4.96 NOK 46.96

$3.10 NOK 29.39

60.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.32 NOK 126

$8.86 NOK 83.9

50.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.29 NOK 154

$16.82 NOK 159

-3.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$31.77 NOK 301

$28.38 NOK 269

11.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.56 NOK 33.72

$2.59 NOK 24.51

37.45%

Banana (1kg)

$2.59 NOK 24.58

$3.03 NOK 28.65

-14.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.41 NOK 32.34

$3.29 NOK 31.17

3.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 NOK 47.09

$5.67 NOK 53.7

-12.35%

Potato (1kg)

$2.56 NOK 24.24

$1.54 NOK 14.63

66.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.57 NOK 24.35

$2.27 NOK 21.49

13.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.74 NOK 25.99

$2.68 NOK 25.35

2.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 NOK 22.78

$1.83 NOK 17.36

31.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.06 NOK 162

$18.20 NOK 172

-6.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.85 NOK 179

$17.67 NOK 167

6.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.34 NOK 31.63

$2.82 NOK 26.72

18.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.18 NOK 39.60

$3.93 NOK 37.24

6.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.34 NOK 41.12

$4.20 NOK 39.79

3.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.0 NOK 748

$81.6 NOK 773

-3.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.02 NOK 94.9

$10.15 NOK 96.2

-1.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.45 NOK 13.73

$1.41 NOK 13.32

2.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.09 NOK 408

$47.59 NOK 451

-9.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.27 NOK 21.53

$2.26 NOK 21.37

0.44%

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

$36.7K NOK 347.2K

$35.7K NOK 338.5K

2.56%

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

$41.9K NOK 396.7K

$38.6K NOK 365.4K

8.58%

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

$295 NOK 2,796

$243 NOK 2,299

21.62%

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

$31.21 NOK 296

$37.91 NOK 359

-17.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.1 NOK 541

$55.3 NOK 524

3.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.8 NOK 548

$49.53 NOK 469

16.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.69 NOK 272

$35.20 NOK 333

-18.49%

Cinema Ticket

$18.58 NOK 176

$16.49 NOK 156

12.67%

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

$268 NOK 2,541

$204 NOK 1,928

31.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K NOK 138.9K

$10.0K NOK 95.0K

46.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 NOK 986

$94.7 NOK 897

9.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.6 NOK 630

$51.9 NOK 491

28.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 NOK 1,170

$98.6 NOK 934

25.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$166 NOK 1,572

$150 NOK 1,420

10.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 NOK 15.9K

$1,172 NOK 11.1K

43.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,453 NOK 13.8K

$884 NOK 8,370

64.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,683 NOK 25.4K

$1,443 NOK 13.7K

85.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,111 NOK 20.0K

$1,460 NOK 13.8K

44.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.5K NOK 108.8K

$5,580 NOK 52.8K

105.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,031 NOK 66.6K

$3,745 NOK 35.5K

87.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,263 NOK 40.4K

$3,620 NOK 34.3K

17.77%

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: June 13, 2026

Last update for Molde: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Oslo and $1,172 in Molde. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oslo pays 18% 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: $122 in Oslo vs $82.0 in Molde for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $501 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 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Oslo pays 18% 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: $1,677 in Oslo versus $1,172 in Molde. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $268 in Oslo versus $204 in Molde. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% 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 28% less than in Oslo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.