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: $2,699 in Stavanger versus $2,404 in Molde.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,150 in Stavanger versus $3,650 in Molde.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,601 in Stavanger versus $4,896 in Molde.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Stavanger 103% above, Molde 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.22 NOK 239

$25.04 NOK 237

0.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$123 NOK 1,167

$81.8 NOK 776

50.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.08 NOK 143

$13.47 NOK 128

11.95%

Cappuccino

$5.02 NOK 47.61

$5.34 NOK 50.6

-5.99%

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

$3.89 NOK 36.85

$2.87 NOK 27.22

35.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 NOK 32.26

$2.64 NOK 25.04

28.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.99 NOK 104

$8.99 NOK 85.3

22.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.26 NOK 97.3

$10.19 NOK 96.6

0.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.40 NOK 22.72

$2.17 NOK 20.54

10.60%

White Bread (500g)

$3.11 NOK 29.46

$3.07 NOK 29.11

1.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.64 NOK 44.03

$3.91 NOK 37.04

18.67%

Eggs

$4.52 NOK 42.88

$2.98 NOK 28.26

51.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 NOK 123

$8.97 NOK 85.0

44.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.24 NOK 154

$17.07 NOK 162

-4.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.67 NOK 262

$28.04 NOK 266

-1.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.53 NOK 33.45

$2.49 NOK 23.63

41.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.52 NOK 23.92

$2.99 NOK 28.38

-15.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.05 NOK 28.94

$3.42 NOK 32.43

-10.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.66 NOK 44.17

$5.54 NOK 52.5

-15.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 NOK 19.44

$1.54 NOK 14.64

33.12%

Onion (1kg)

$3.04 NOK 28.86

$2.28 NOK 21.65

33.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.58 NOK 24.47

$2.71 NOK 25.66

-4.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 NOK 16.56

$1.92 NOK 18.24

-8.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.11 NOK 143

$18.08 NOK 171

-16.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.96 NOK 170

$22.96 NOK 218

-21.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.54 NOK 33.60

$2.87 NOK 27.21

23.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 NOK 38.69

$3.94 NOK 37.35

3.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.58 NOK 43.44

$4.28 NOK 40.61

7.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.1 NOK 656

$81.5 NOK 772

-15.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.37 NOK 146

$10.20 NOK 96.7

50.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 NOK 19.62

$1.40 NOK 13.23

47.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$103 NOK 972

$46.41 NOK 440

120.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 NOK 20.92

$2.25 NOK 21.36

-1.78%

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

$34.7K NOK 329.2K

$35.4K NOK 335.9K

-1.99%

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

$32.7K NOK 310.2K

$38.7K NOK 366.5K

-15.36%

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

$192 NOK 1,821

$241 NOK 2,285

-20.29%

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

$42.41 NOK 402

$37.75 NOK 358

12.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.9 NOK 767

$55.4 NOK 525

45.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 NOK 529

$49.61 NOK 470

12.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.17 NOK 333

$35.75 NOK 339

-1.62%

Cinema Ticket

$19.02 NOK 180

$16.73 NOK 159

13.69%

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

$314 NOK 2,975

$202 NOK 1,918

55.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K NOK 122.1K

$10.1K NOK 95.7K

27.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$116 NOK 1,096

$96.7 NOK 917

19.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.4 NOK 553

$52.4 NOK 497

11.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 NOK 1,018

$101 NOK 953

6.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$157 NOK 1,493

$152 NOK 1,437

3.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 NOK 15.1K

$1,194 NOK 11.3K

33.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,135 NOK 10.8K

$901 NOK 8,541

26.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,798 NOK 26.5K

$1,400 NOK 13.3K

99.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,777 NOK 16.9K

$1,456 NOK 13.8K

22.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,005 NOK 56.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,223 NOK 49.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,909 NOK 46.6K

$4,189 NOK 39.7K

17.19%

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: July 26, 2026

Last update for Molde: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,595 in Stavanger and $1,194 in Molde. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stavanger 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: $123 in Stavanger vs $82.0 in Molde for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $468 vs $459 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.

Average pay runs 17% higher in Stavanger, 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 $1,194 in Molde. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $314 in Stavanger versus $202 in Molde. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% 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.