Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Oslo and Molde

For one person, living is cheaper in Molde: $2,288 a month against $3,538 in Oslo, rent and utilities included – about $15,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

170

Cost of Living Index in Oslo
Learn more

Oslo Living Index

Jump to prices

Oslo

🇳🇴 Norway

$3,538

/mo nomad

Molde

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,288

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Oslo and in Molde

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Oslo and in Molde actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,538 in Oslo versus $2,288 in Molde.

Oslo $3,538
Molde $2,288

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,096 in Oslo versus $3,546 in Molde.

Oslo $5,096
Molde $3,546

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,653 in Oslo versus $4,803 in Molde.

Oslo $6,653
Molde $4,803

Living in Oslo is roughly 55% more expensive than in Molde, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Oslo 160% above, Molde 68% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.75 NOK 200

$16.79 NOK 155

29.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$130 NOK 1,196

$99.2 NOK 915

30.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.04 NOK 148

$13.43 NOK 124

19.43%

Cappuccino

$5.84 NOK 53.9

$4.01 NOK 36.98

45.64%

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

$4.38 NOK 40.34

$2.96 NOK 27.26

47.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 NOK 30.85

$3.48 NOK 32.03

-3.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.65 NOK 107

$12.98 NOK 120

-10.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.81 NOK 118

$12.03 NOK 111

6.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.61 NOK 24.08

$3.00 NOK 27.62

-13.00%

White Bread (500g)

$4.38 NOK 40.40

$4.41 NOK 40.63

-0.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.70 NOK 43.33

$4.01 NOK 36.94

17.21%

Eggs

$6.25 NOK 57.6

$5.49 NOK 50.6

13.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.48 NOK 143

$18.51 NOK 171

-16.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.84 NOK 146

$15.95 NOK 147

-0.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$32.30 NOK 298

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 NOK 30.93

$3.46 NOK 31.93

-2.89%

Banana (1kg)

$2.72 NOK 25.11

$3.16 NOK 29.12

-13.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.65 NOK 33.65

$3.06 NOK 28.20

19.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.96 NOK 54.9

$4.95 NOK 45.65

20.40%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 NOK 24.83

$2.62 NOK 24.17

2.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.85 NOK 26.27

$2.31 NOK 21.29

23.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.26 NOK 30.06

$2.84 NOK 26.19

14.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 NOK 23.03

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.21 NOK 177

$20.15 NOK 186

-4.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.64 NOK 153

$23.18 NOK 214

-28.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.60 NOK 33.19

$4.27 NOK 39.32

-15.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.23 NOK 38.94

$7.88 NOK 72.6

-46.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.02 NOK 46.28

$5.28 NOK 48.62

-4.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.5 NOK 769

$84.8 NOK 782

-1.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.39 NOK 114

$16.27 NOK 150

-23.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 NOK 16.99

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$70.8 NOK 653

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.48 NOK 22.87

$2.41 NOK 22.21

2.90%

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

$49.9K NOK 459.9K

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

$44.7K NOK 411.8K

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

$433 NOK 3,995

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

$34.50 NOK 318

$21.68 NOK 200

59.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.7 NOK 513

$84.8 NOK 782

-34.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 NOK 535

$58.8 NOK 542

-1.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.79 NOK 275

Cinema Ticket

$20.78 NOK 192

$18.72 NOK 173

11.00%

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

$240 NOK 2,208

$217 NOK 1,998

10.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K NOK 149.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 NOK 961

$113 NOK 1,044

-7.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.8 NOK 569

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 NOK 1,243

$138 NOK 1,271

-2.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$160 NOK 1,475

$160 NOK 1,476

-0.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,133 NOK 19.7K

$1,276 NOK 11.8K

67.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,645 NOK 15.2K

$1,013 NOK 9,335

62.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,270 NOK 30.1K

$1,931 NOK 17.8K

69.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,466 NOK 22.7K

$1,710 NOK 15.8K

44.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.4K NOK 114.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,462 NOK 68.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,703 NOK 43.3K

$4,375 NOK 40.3K

7.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.94

4.8

2.92%

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

Last update for Oslo: October 25, 2026

Last update for Molde: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Oslo

$1.6K 46.5%

Molde

–

Groceries & Markets

Oslo

$530 15%

Molde

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Oslo

$524 14.8%

Molde

–

Eating Out

Oslo

$407 11.5%

Molde

–

Clothing & Footwear

Oslo

$207 5.9%

Molde

–

Getting Around

Oslo

$125 3.5%

Molde

–

Sport & Entertainment

Oslo

$100 2.8%

Molde

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,133 in Oslo and $1,276 in Molde. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oslo pays 7% 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: $130 in Oslo vs $99 in Molde for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $530 vs $428 per month, with Molde cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇴 Oslo

🇳🇴 Molde

🕒 Local time

11:01 11:01 AM

Same time as Oslo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,098,061 Capital

32,920

💱 Currency

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 NOK = 10.85 USD

100 NOK = 9.72 EUR

100 NOK = 10.85 USD

100 NOK = 9.72 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Oslo Molde 370 km

From you

Oslo
Molde

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

Oslo vs Molde: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Molde is about 35% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 7% 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: $2,133 in Oslo versus $1,276 in Molde. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $240 in Oslo versus $217 in Molde. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Molde – a meal for two runs $99 versus $130 in Oslo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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.

Safety-wise, Oslo and Molde are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Molde wins on affordability, Oslo on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.