Cost of Living Comparison Between Philadelphia, PA and Molde Cost of Living Comparison Between Philadelphia, PA and Molde

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,958 in Philadelphia, PA versus $2,427 in Molde.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,388 in Philadelphia, PA versus $3,678 in Molde.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,817 in Philadelphia, PA versus $4,929 in Molde.

Living in Philadelphia, PA is roughly 22% more expensive than Molde, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Philadelphia, PA 121% above, Molde 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.74 $19.74

$25.26 NOK 235

-21.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.7 $88.7

$81.8 NOK 760

8.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.03 $12.03

$13.45 NOK 125

-10.56%

Cappuccino

$4.93 $4.93

$5.07 NOK 47.10

-2.76%

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

$2.70 $2.70

$2.85 NOK 26.49

-5.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$2.65 NOK 24.65

-26.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.98 $5.98

$9.28 NOK 86.2

-35.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.80 $6.80

$10.14 NOK 94.2

-32.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$2.29 NOK 21.27

-40.17%

White Bread (500g)

$4.13 $4.13

$3.13 NOK 29.09

31.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$10.28 $10.28

$3.87 NOK 35.98

165.63%

Eggs

$4.49 $4.49

$3.09 NOK 28.72

45.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.12 $15.12

$9.03 NOK 83.9

67.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.67 $13.67

$16.97 NOK 158

-19.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.23 $21.23

$28.21 NOK 262

-24.74%

Apples (1kg)

$6.13 $6.13

$2.60 NOK 24.17

135.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.24 $2.24

$3.08 NOK 28.59

-27.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.17 $5.17

$3.41 NOK 31.67

51.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.20 $5.20

$5.47 NOK 50.8

-4.94%

Potato (1kg)

$3.28 $3.28

$1.48 NOK 13.76

121.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 $2.88

$2.18 NOK 20.26

32.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.60 NOK 24.19

16.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$1.83 NOK 17.00

33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.68 $12.68

$18.11 NOK 168

-29.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.03 $15.03

$18.40 NOK 171

-18.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$2.93 NOK 27.26

-33.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 $4.10

$4.03 NOK 37.47

1.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.54 $2.54

$4.38 NOK 40.65

-42.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.1 $94.1

$83.9 NOK 779

12.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.97 $2.97

$9.94 NOK 92.3

-70.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.41 NOK 13.08

12.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.44 $22.44

$46.02 NOK 428

-51.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$2.26 NOK 20.97

-61.95%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$34.9K NOK 324.4K

-22.46%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$38.6K NOK 358.6K

-34.07%

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

$270 $270

$241 NOK 2,243

11.71%

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

$61.9 $61.9

$37.94 NOK 352

63.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.3 $77.3

$56.4 NOK 524

37.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.48 $49.48

$49.52 NOK 460

-0.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$32.90 $32.90

$35.16 NOK 327

-6.43%

Cinema Ticket

$14.92 $14.92

$16.62 NOK 154

-10.23%

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

$2,044 $2,044

$200 NOK 1,854

924.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$43.1K $43.1K

$10.0K NOK 93.3K

328.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.1 $51.1

$94.8 NOK 881

-46.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.53 $42.53

$53.1 NOK 494

-19.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.7 $93.7

$98.9 NOK 919

-5.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$150 NOK 1,389

-5.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,791 $1,791

$1,172 NOK 10.9K

52.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,388 $1,388

$902 NOK 8,382

53.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,149 $3,149

$1,390 NOK 12.9K

126.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,263 $2,263

$1,429 NOK 13.3K

58.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,044 $4,044

$6,221 NOK 57.8K

-35.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,844 $1,844

$5,148 NOK 47.8K

-64.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,475 $4,475

$3,811 NOK 35.4K

17.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.68

3.75

78.13%

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

Last update for Philadelphia, PA: June 1, 2026

Last update for Molde: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,791 in Philadelphia, PA and $1,172 in Molde. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Philadelphia, PA pays 17% 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: $89.0 in Philadelphia, PA vs $82.0 in Molde for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $487 vs $452 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

Philadelphia, PA vs Molde: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Molde is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 22% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Philadelphia, PA pays 17% 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: $1,791 in Philadelphia, PA versus $1,172 in Molde. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,044 in Philadelphia, PA 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 8% higher in Philadelphia, PA. 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 Philadelphia, PA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Philadelphia, PA 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 22% less than in Philadelphia, PA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.