Cost of Living Comparison Between Trondheim and Molde Cost of Living Comparison Between Trondheim and Molde

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,776 in Trondheim versus $2,410 in Molde.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,121 in Trondheim versus $3,669 in Molde.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,465 in Trondheim versus $4,929 in Molde.

Living in Trondheim is roughly 15% more expensive than Molde, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Trondheim 107% above, Molde 79% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.39 NOK 213

$25.59 NOK 243

-12.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$119 NOK 1,131

$79.4 NOK 754

50.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.04 NOK 133

$13.54 NOK 129

3.69%

Cappuccino

$4.72 NOK 44.83

$5.18 NOK 49.13

-8.88%

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

$3.62 NOK 34.35

$2.88 NOK 27.32

25.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 NOK 27.88

$2.66 NOK 25.26

10.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.68 NOK 101

$9.06 NOK 86.0

17.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.73 NOK 111

$9.96 NOK 94.6

17.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.64 NOK 25.03

$2.20 NOK 20.87

20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.52 NOK 33.36

$3.01 NOK 28.58

16.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.96 NOK 37.59

$3.87 NOK 36.76

2.33%

Eggs

$4.56 NOK 43.28

$3.09 NOK 29.28

47.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.35 NOK 117

$9.05 NOK 85.9

36.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.21 NOK 144

$16.79 NOK 159

-9.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.37 NOK 269

$27.72 NOK 263

2.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.78 NOK 35.84

$2.50 NOK 23.75

51.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 NOK 26.84

$3.06 NOK 29.03

-7.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.64 NOK 25.01

$3.38 NOK 32.13

-21.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.31 NOK 50.4

$5.55 NOK 52.6

-4.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.87 NOK 27.27

$1.53 NOK 14.56

87.58%

Onion (1kg)

$3.18 NOK 30.19

$2.29 NOK 21.70

38.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.24 NOK 30.73

$2.58 NOK 24.46

25.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 NOK 23.97

$1.84 NOK 17.51

36.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.32 NOK 145

$18.27 NOK 173

-16.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.36 NOK 174

$18.17 NOK 173

1.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.72 NOK 35.28

$2.91 NOK 27.65

27.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.83 NOK 45.88

$4.01 NOK 38.06

20.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.75 NOK 45.11

$4.31 NOK 40.89

10.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.7 NOK 889

$82.8 NOK 786

13.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$14.89 NOK 141

$10.18 NOK 96.6

46.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 NOK 20.78

$1.38 NOK 13.10

58.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.8 NOK 833

$47.05 NOK 447

86.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 NOK 21.08

$2.24 NOK 21.31

-0.89%

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

$32.2K NOK 306.0K

$35.9K NOK 340.5K

-10.12%

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

$42.5K NOK 403.0K

$39.0K NOK 370.5K

8.77%

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

$328 NOK 3,118

$241 NOK 2,291

36.07%

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

$43.15 NOK 410

$37.92 NOK 360

13.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.0 NOK 712

$54.6 NOK 518

37.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.27 NOK 401

$50.0 NOK 475

-15.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.32 NOK 440

$35.26 NOK 335

31.37%

Cinema Ticket

$17.14 NOK 163

$16.69 NOK 158

2.70%

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

$322 NOK 3,059

$200 NOK 1,901

60.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,553 NOK 81.2K

$10.3K NOK 97.5K

-16.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$113 NOK 1,076

$97.7 NOK 927

16.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.89 NOK 455

$52.3 NOK 497

-8.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 NOK 1,195

$102 NOK 964

23.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 NOK 1,269

$151 NOK 1,434

-11.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,396 NOK 13.2K

$1,174 NOK 11.1K

18.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 NOK 10.0K

$903 NOK 8,574

16.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,233 NOK 21.2K

$1,439 NOK 13.7K

55.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,689 NOK 16.0K

$1,456 NOK 13.8K

16.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,157 NOK 58.4K

$6,190 NOK 58.8K

-0.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,848 NOK 46.0K

$4,482 NOK 42.5K

8.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,264 NOK 40.5K

$3,624 NOK 34.4K

17.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.32

3.75

15.20%

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

Last update for Trondheim: June 7, 2026

Last update for Molde: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,396 in Trondheim and $1,174 in Molde. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Trondheim pays 18% 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 Trondheim vs $79.0 in Molde for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $490 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

Trondheim vs Molde: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Molde is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 15% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Trondheim pays 18% 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: $1,396 in Trondheim versus $1,174 in Molde. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $322 in Trondheim 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 10% higher in Trondheim. 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 Trondheim, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Trondheim 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 15% less than in Trondheim. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.