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: $2,745 in Trondheim versus $2,404 in Molde.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,170 in Trondheim versus $3,650 in Molde.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,595 in Trondheim versus $4,896 in Molde.

Living in Trondheim is roughly 14% more expensive than in Molde, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Trondheim 106% above, Molde 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.21 NOK 211

$25.04 NOK 237

-11.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$123 NOK 1,162

$81.8 NOK 776

49.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.44 NOK 137

$13.47 NOK 128

7.20%

Cappuccino

$4.82 NOK 45.75

$5.34 NOK 50.6

-9.74%

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

$3.67 NOK 34.84

$2.87 NOK 27.22

27.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 NOK 28.34

$2.64 NOK 25.04

13.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.80 NOK 102

$8.99 NOK 85.3

20.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.45 NOK 109

$10.19 NOK 96.6

12.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.51 NOK 23.79

$2.17 NOK 20.54

15.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.65 NOK 34.58

$3.07 NOK 29.11

18.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.86 NOK 36.62

$3.91 NOK 37.04

-1.28%

Eggs

$4.59 NOK 43.49

$2.98 NOK 28.26

54.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.21 NOK 116

$8.97 NOK 85.0

36.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.92 NOK 141

$17.07 NOK 162

-12.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.37 NOK 269

$28.04 NOK 266

1.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.77 NOK 35.76

$2.49 NOK 23.63

51.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.97 NOK 28.21

$2.99 NOK 28.38

-0.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.64 NOK 25.00

$3.42 NOK 32.43

-22.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.01 NOK 47.50

$5.54 NOK 52.5

-9.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.97 NOK 28.20

$1.54 NOK 14.64

92.86%

Onion (1kg)

$3.22 NOK 30.53

$2.28 NOK 21.65

41.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.20 NOK 30.33

$2.71 NOK 25.66

18.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 NOK 23.68

$1.92 NOK 18.24

30.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.41 NOK 146

$18.08 NOK 171

-14.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 NOK 175

$22.96 NOK 218

-19.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.66 NOK 34.68

$2.87 NOK 27.21

27.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.84 NOK 45.87

$3.94 NOK 37.35

22.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.57 NOK 43.37

$4.28 NOK 40.61

6.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.7 NOK 889

$81.5 NOK 772

15.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.40 NOK 146

$10.20 NOK 96.7

50.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.26 NOK 21.40

$1.40 NOK 13.23

61.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$89.5 NOK 848

$46.41 NOK 440

92.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.12 NOK 20.06

$2.25 NOK 21.36

-5.78%

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

$32.4K NOK 306.8K

$35.4K NOK 335.9K

-8.65%

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

$43.1K NOK 409.0K

$38.7K NOK 366.5K

11.59%

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

$323 NOK 3,059

$241 NOK 2,285

33.87%

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

$43.23 NOK 410

$37.75 NOK 358

14.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.7 NOK 727

$55.4 NOK 525

38.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.53 NOK 403

$49.61 NOK 470

-14.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.79 NOK 444

$35.75 NOK 339

30.88%

Cinema Ticket

$17.26 NOK 164

$16.73 NOK 159

3.17%

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

$321 NOK 3,044

$202 NOK 1,918

58.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,375 NOK 79.4K

$10.1K NOK 95.7K

-17.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$110 NOK 1,044

$96.7 NOK 917

13.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.48 NOK 450

$52.4 NOK 497

-9.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 NOK 1,214

$101 NOK 953

27.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 NOK 1,248

$152 NOK 1,437

-13.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,371 NOK 13.0K

$1,194 NOK 11.3K

14.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,079 NOK 10.2K

$901 NOK 8,541

19.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,269 NOK 21.5K

$1,400 NOK 13.3K

62.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,685 NOK 16.0K

$1,456 NOK 13.8K

15.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,109 NOK 57.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,952 NOK 47.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,148 NOK 39.3K

$4,189 NOK 39.7K

-0.99%

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: July 26, 2026

Last update for Molde: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,371 in Trondheim and $1,194 in Molde. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Molde pays 1% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $123 in Trondheim vs $82.0 in Molde for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $487 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

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 14% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 1% lower in Molde. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,371 in Trondheim versus $1,194 in Molde. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $321 in Trondheim 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 6% 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 14% less than in Trondheim. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.