Cost of Living Comparison Between Stavanger and Molde Cost of Living Comparison Between Stavanger and Molde

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,689 in Stavanger versus $2,410 in Molde.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,070 in Stavanger versus $3,669 in Molde.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,451 in Stavanger versus $4,929 in Molde.

Living in Stavanger is roughly 12% more expensive than Molde, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Stavanger 100% above, Molde 79% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.39 NOK 241

$25.59 NOK 243

-0.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 NOK 1,138

$79.4 NOK 754

51.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.31 NOK 145

$13.54 NOK 129

13.07%

Cappuccino

$5.03 NOK 47.77

$5.18 NOK 49.13

-2.90%

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

$3.88 NOK 36.83

$2.88 NOK 27.32

34.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.47 NOK 32.89

$2.66 NOK 25.26

30.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.98 NOK 104

$9.06 NOK 86.0

21.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.21 NOK 96.9

$9.96 NOK 94.6

2.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 NOK 21.93

$2.20 NOK 20.87

5.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 NOK 29.59

$3.01 NOK 28.58

3.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.58 NOK 43.48

$3.87 NOK 36.76

18.35%

Eggs

$4.48 NOK 42.52

$3.09 NOK 29.28

44.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 NOK 122

$9.05 NOK 85.9

42.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.73 NOK 159

$16.79 NOK 159

-0.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.83 NOK 264

$27.72 NOK 263

0.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.48 NOK 33.01

$2.50 NOK 23.75

39.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.64 NOK 25.03

$3.06 NOK 29.03

-13.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.11 NOK 29.53

$3.38 NOK 32.13

-7.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.68 NOK 44.37

$5.55 NOK 52.6

-15.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 NOK 19.77

$1.53 NOK 14.56

35.95%

Onion (1kg)

$3.08 NOK 29.27

$2.29 NOK 21.70

34.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 NOK 23.47

$2.58 NOK 24.46

-4.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 NOK 17.38

$1.84 NOK 17.51

-0.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.97 NOK 142

$18.27 NOK 173

-18.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.46 NOK 175

$18.17 NOK 173

1.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.68 NOK 34.89

$2.91 NOK 27.65

26.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 NOK 38.90

$4.01 NOK 38.06

2.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.58 NOK 43.47

$4.31 NOK 40.89

6.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.6 NOK 651

$82.8 NOK 786

-17.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.31 NOK 145

$10.18 NOK 96.6

50.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.06 NOK 19.57

$1.38 NOK 13.10

49.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$100 NOK 953

$47.05 NOK 447

113.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 NOK 20.01

$2.24 NOK 21.31

-5.80%

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

$34.4K NOK 326.1K

$35.9K NOK 340.5K

-4.24%

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

$32.4K NOK 307.3K

$39.0K NOK 370.5K

-17.06%

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

$190 NOK 1,806

$241 NOK 2,291

-21.19%

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

$42.20 NOK 401

$37.92 NOK 360

11.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$83.1 NOK 789

$54.6 NOK 518

52.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 NOK 531

$50.0 NOK 475

11.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.16 NOK 334

$35.26 NOK 335

-0.28%

Cinema Ticket

$19.57 NOK 186

$16.69 NOK 158

17.26%

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

$321 NOK 3,048

$200 NOK 1,901

60.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K NOK 123.1K

$10.3K NOK 97.5K

26.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$116 NOK 1,098

$97.7 NOK 927

18.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 NOK 550

$52.3 NOK 497

10.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 NOK 1,017

$102 NOK 964

5.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$160 NOK 1,519

$151 NOK 1,434

5.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 NOK 15.1K

$1,174 NOK 11.1K

35.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 NOK 10.7K

$903 NOK 8,574

24.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,732 NOK 25.9K

$1,439 NOK 13.7K

89.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,774 NOK 16.8K

$1,456 NOK 13.8K

21.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,036 NOK 57.3K

$6,190 NOK 58.8K

-2.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,366 NOK 50.9K

$4,482 NOK 42.5K

19.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,104 NOK 48.4K

$3,624 NOK 34.4K

40.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

3.75

20.27%

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

Last update for Stavanger: June 8, 2026

Last update for Molde: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,595 in Stavanger and $1,174 in Molde. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stavanger pays 41% 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: $120 in Stavanger vs $79.0 in Molde for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $473 vs $447 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

Stavanger vs Molde: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Molde is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Stavanger pays 41% 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: $1,595 in Stavanger versus $1,174 in Molde. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $321 in Stavanger 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 6% higher in Stavanger. 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 Stavanger, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Stavanger 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 12% less than in Stavanger. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.