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: $2,695 in Stavanger versus $2,463 in Molde.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,140 in Stavanger versus $3,636 in Molde.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,584 in Stavanger versus $4,808 in Molde.

Living in Stavanger is roughly 9% more expensive than Molde, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Stavanger 101% above, Molde 84% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.22 NOK 235

$25.70 NOK 239

-1.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$119 NOK 1,113

$79.6 NOK 742

49.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.32 NOK 143

$13.48 NOK 126

13.65%

Cappuccino

$5.05 NOK 47.09

$5.16 NOK 48.10

-2.13%

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

$4.01 NOK 37.36

$2.77 NOK 25.80

44.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 NOK 32.25

$2.62 NOK 24.43

32.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.16 NOK 104

$9.27 NOK 86.4

20.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.94 NOK 92.7

$9.93 NOK 92.5

0.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.45 NOK 22.84

$2.20 NOK 20.47

11.36%

White Bread (500g)

$3.10 NOK 28.90

$3.08 NOK 28.69

0.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.61 NOK 42.97

$3.77 NOK 35.13

22.28%

Eggs

$4.34 NOK 40.44

$3.08 NOK 28.68

40.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.93 NOK 120

$9.28 NOK 86.5

39.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.27 NOK 152

$17.33 NOK 162

-6.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.67 NOK 258

$27.43 NOK 256

0.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.41 NOK 31.76

$2.49 NOK 23.16

36.95%

Banana (1kg)

$2.62 NOK 24.42

$3.13 NOK 29.16

-16.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.01 NOK 28.07

$3.39 NOK 31.61

-11.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.55 NOK 42.42

$5.70 NOK 53.1

-20.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 NOK 19.28

$1.56 NOK 14.55

32.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.99 NOK 27.85

$2.27 NOK 21.13

31.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 NOK 23.00

$2.58 NOK 24.09

-4.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 NOK 17.14

$1.83 NOK 17.02

0.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.09 NOK 141

$18.19 NOK 169

-17.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.20 NOK 179

$16.75 NOK 156

14.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.55 NOK 33.07

$2.85 NOK 26.57

24.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.01 NOK 37.39

$4.08 NOK 38.04

-1.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.48 NOK 41.78

$4.20 NOK 39.13

6.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.9 NOK 623

$80.8 NOK 753

-17.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.00 NOK 140

$10.31 NOK 96.1

45.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 NOK 19.44

$1.46 NOK 13.63

43.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$102 NOK 951

$47.39 NOK 442

115.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 NOK 19.66

$2.14 NOK 19.97

-1.40%

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

$33.8K NOK 315.5K

$34.9K NOK 325.0K

-2.92%

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

$33.0K NOK 307.7K

$38.0K NOK 353.8K

-13.03%

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

$191 NOK 1,782

$241 NOK 2,244

-20.59%

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

$43.15 NOK 402

$38.28 NOK 357

12.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.5 NOK 750

$54.6 NOK 509

47.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.0 NOK 522

$49.56 NOK 462

13.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.16 NOK 328

$35.44 NOK 330

-0.79%

Cinema Ticket

$19.31 NOK 180

$16.43 NOK 153

17.53%

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

$322 NOK 2,998

$200 NOK 1,862

60.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K NOK 123.5K

$10.3K NOK 95.8K

28.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$117 NOK 1,087

$96.8 NOK 902

20.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.7 NOK 547

$53.0 NOK 494

10.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 NOK 994

$101 NOK 937

6.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 NOK 1,484

$154 NOK 1,435

3.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,580 NOK 14.7K

$1,211 NOK 11.3K

30.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,123 NOK 10.5K

$901 NOK 8,399

24.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,783 NOK 25.9K

$1,416 NOK 13.2K

96.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,781 NOK 16.6K

$1,415 NOK 13.2K

25.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,940 NOK 55.4K

$6,886 NOK 64.2K

-13.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,361 NOK 50.0K

$4,940 NOK 46.0K

8.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,014 NOK 46.7K

$3,728 NOK 34.7K

34.48%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Molde: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,580 in Stavanger and $1,211 in Molde. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stavanger pays 34% 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: $119 in Stavanger vs $80.0 in Molde for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $470 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

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 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Stavanger pays 34% 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: $1,580 in Stavanger versus $1,211 in Molde. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $322 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 5% 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 9% less than in Stavanger. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.