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: $2,794 in Trondheim versus $2,463 in Molde.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,158 in Trondheim versus $3,636 in Molde.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,521 in Trondheim versus $4,808 in Molde.

Living in Trondheim is roughly 13% more expensive than Molde, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Trondheim 109% above, Molde 84% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.32 NOK 208

$25.70 NOK 239

-13.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$121 NOK 1,127

$79.6 NOK 742

51.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.30 NOK 133

$13.48 NOK 126

6.08%

Cappuccino

$4.67 NOK 43.55

$5.16 NOK 48.10

-9.50%

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

$3.66 NOK 34.10

$2.77 NOK 25.80

32.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 NOK 26.90

$2.62 NOK 24.43

10.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.79 NOK 101

$9.27 NOK 86.4

16.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.44 NOK 107

$9.93 NOK 92.5

15.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.52 NOK 23.51

$2.20 NOK 20.47

14.55%

White Bread (500g)

$3.60 NOK 33.53

$3.08 NOK 28.69

16.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.86 NOK 35.93

$3.77 NOK 35.13

2.39%

Eggs

$4.55 NOK 42.37

$3.08 NOK 28.68

47.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.19 NOK 114

$9.28 NOK 86.5

31.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.17 NOK 141

$17.33 NOK 162

-12.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.24 NOK 263

$27.43 NOK 256

2.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.88 NOK 36.13

$2.49 NOK 23.16

55.82%

Banana (1kg)

$3.00 NOK 27.92

$3.13 NOK 29.16

-4.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 NOK 24.88

$3.39 NOK 31.61

-21.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.03 NOK 46.86

$5.70 NOK 53.1

-11.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.97 NOK 27.73

$1.56 NOK 14.55

90.38%

Onion (1kg)

$3.34 NOK 31.09

$2.27 NOK 21.13

47.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.24 NOK 30.20

$2.58 NOK 24.09

25.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.53 NOK 23.59

$1.83 NOK 17.02

38.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.40 NOK 143

$18.19 NOK 169

-15.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.08 NOK 178

$16.75 NOK 156

13.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.66 NOK 34.10

$2.85 NOK 26.57

28.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.73 NOK 44.05

$4.08 NOK 38.04

15.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.69 NOK 43.68

$4.20 NOK 39.13

11.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.3 NOK 870

$80.8 NOK 753

15.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.00 NOK 140

$10.31 NOK 96.1

45.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.16 NOK 20.16

$1.46 NOK 13.63

47.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$88.6 NOK 826

$47.39 NOK 442

86.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 NOK 19.86

$2.14 NOK 19.97

-0.47%

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

$32.0K NOK 298.2K

$34.9K NOK 325.0K

-8.23%

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

$41.8K NOK 389.9K

$38.0K NOK 353.8K

10.20%

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

$318 NOK 2,962

$241 NOK 2,244

32.00%

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

$41.68 NOK 388

$38.28 NOK 357

8.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.9 NOK 717

$54.6 NOK 509

40.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.83 NOK 399

$49.56 NOK 462

-13.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.79 NOK 445

$35.44 NOK 330

34.85%

Cinema Ticket

$17.29 NOK 161

$16.43 NOK 153

5.23%

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

$329 NOK 3,069

$200 NOK 1,862

64.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,501 NOK 79.2K

$10.3K NOK 95.8K

-17.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$110 NOK 1,022

$96.8 NOK 902

13.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.69 NOK 444

$53.0 NOK 494

-10.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 NOK 1,202

$101 NOK 937

28.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 NOK 1,228

$154 NOK 1,435

-14.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,386 NOK 12.9K

$1,211 NOK 11.3K

14.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,065 NOK 9,928

$901 NOK 8,399

18.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,218 NOK 20.7K

$1,416 NOK 13.2K

56.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,676 NOK 15.6K

$1,415 NOK 13.2K

18.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,199 NOK 57.8K

$6,886 NOK 64.2K

-9.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,921 NOK 45.9K

$4,940 NOK 46.0K

-0.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,339 NOK 40.4K

$3,728 NOK 34.7K

16.39%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Molde: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,386 in Trondheim and $1,211 in Molde. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Trondheim pays 16% 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: $121 in Trondheim vs $80.0 in Molde for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $490 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

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 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Trondheim pays 16% 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: $1,386 in Trondheim versus $1,211 in Molde. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $329 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 9% 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 13% less than in Trondheim. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.