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The Cost of Living in Norway

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It's known as one of the world's most expensive countries to visit, but how much does it cost to actually live in Norway?

The first questions on the lips of almost everyone considering a move to Norway are always the same: How much does it cost to live here?

A woman holding Norwegian money and the flag of Norway.

Is it really as expensive as everyone says? Does a beer really cost $12? What's a good salary? How much money do I need to live on?

You get the idea. These questions are simple, and understandable, but the answers are unfortunately not so simple.

An expensive country, sort of

The short version is that yes, Norway is an expensive country. But the truth is far more complex than that.

To be more precise, Norway is a very expensive country to visit from most other countries, because of exchange rates. If you come here to live and work, you'll be earning in Norwegian kroner and spending in Norwegian kroner.

This means you should stop comparing prices with your home country as soon as possible. Instead, compare prices in Norway to your salary in Norway. That's what matters, not what an apple cost you when you were living somewhere else.

Trollfjord in Northern Norway
Norway is beautiful, but pricey

So job one is to compare your expected Norwegian salary with the expected costs of living. Basically, it's time for some good old-fashioned household budgeting!

After you've fully adjusted into the economy, you may be surprised at how much disposable income you have left over even on what might at first seem like a modest salary.

Or you might not. It's still fair to say that Norway is an expensive country to live in, but my point is you can only judge this for yourself by looking at your income in Norway too.

Just also be aware that the first few months can be a real challenge, as you adjust to high prices while using savings to pay for relocation costs.

High salaries, sort of

Generally speaking, salaries are higher in Norway relative to other countries. This is particularly true at the lower end of the pay scales even though there is no national minimum wage.

This means you have more money in your pocket to pay the higher prices, leaving things a little more balanced. It also explains why service-heavy industries in Norway are so expensive – think restaurants, bars, anything involving a significant human cost.

Norwegian krone coins

However, senior management staff tend to be paid the same, or even less, than their foreign counterparts. Basically the range of salaries is narrower in Norway. Bear this in mind if you are considering working in Norway for a foreign employer!

Regardless of the relative cost of living, it will take you several months at least to overcome sticker-shock on the price of things such as groceries, meals out, and of course, alcohol.

Some people never recover from the sticker-shock, and can be seen returning from trips to their home country laden with food-packed luggage. And of course, Norwegians love to shop in Sweden for meat and alcohol.

Consumption taxes

MVA, or merverdiavgift, is a form of sales tax or VAT applied to goods and services purchased in Norway. MVA is applied to the vast majority of goods and services. Unlike in the USA, the tax is always included in the price you see for consumer goods and services. For business-to-business transactions, prices are listed exclusive of MVA.

The standard rate of MVA is 25%, the same as the other Scandinavian countries. It is the highest rate in Europe apart form Hungary at 27%.

A lower rate of 12% is applied to various items such as food, public transport, accommodation, and cinema tickets. Certain items such as health services and education are exempt from MVA.

Shopping mall at Leirvik
A typical Norwegian shopping centre

As a consumer you don't really need to concern yourself with which items fall into which category, because the price is always inclusive. However, it's good to understand that this tax is one reason for the high price of goods! You'll see the base price and MVA broken down on your receipt.

Read more: Taxes in Norway

Duty on alcohol is extremely high, and increases with the strength of the alcohol. That's why spirits are prohibitively expensive, compared to beer which is just expensive. More on that later.

Relocation expenses

One of the biggest problems facing new expats is the initial cost of relocating. Because these costs are so high, newcomers are often the loudest objectors to Norway's cost of living. Not only is Norway an expensive country on an ongoing basis, there are lots of up-front payments and charges that you might be unfamiliar with.

To begin with, renting a house or even just a room will usually require a significant security deposit. This will be one month's rent as a minimum, but can often be as high as three months.

It's also important to understand that this is not the same as rent! It's an amount of money you get back once you've moved out and the landlord has checked you haven't caused any damage.

A Norwegian credit card

With a month's rent usually needing to be paid in advance, that means you could be required to stump up the equivalent of four months rent before you even see a key, then you'll have to pay the regular monthly rent just one month later.

So how much will I need?

Ah, the million dollar question. Or perhaps that should be the million kroner question? The answer will frustrate you, because of course, it depends.

The biggest impact on your personal cost of living in Norway will of course be your family situation. Are you just supporting yourself, or are you supporting a partner and children?

But in addition to your personal circumstances, an often overlooked factor is your lifestyle expectations. Something I see time and time again with newcomers is that they don't adjust to a Norwegian lifestyle quickly enough. That's not to say you have to adopt all the habits and customs, of course!

But if you're used to buying lunch every day instead of making your own, you'll run up an unnecessary expense very quickly. Adapting to the Norwegian model of matpakke (packed lunch) will cut your costs immediately.

Anyway, now it's time to talk numbers. I think I've made the point well enough that your own expenses are going to be very personal to you, but I do want to give you a starting point for your own research. So, here we go!

The cost of housing in Norway

Rental accommodation is expensive in the major cities and especially so in Oslo and Stavanger. However, housing does get cheaper the further into the suburbs you travel. If a much smaller town suits your needs, you'll find drastically lower prices.

New neighbourhood in the winter

Tax breaks are offered on savings towards a property purchase for those under 35. So even if you're not planning to buy anytime soon, it's worth looking into these savings options from the moment you arrive, if you are under 35.

There are other tax advantages for home owners, which means many Norwegians own their own property by the time they reach 30-35.

But as mentioned earlier, renting a home is the only option for most new arrivals. So, here's an idea of what you can expect to pay.

Read more: Average Rental Costs in Norwegian Cities

A single bedroom in a shared house will run at least 3,000kr per month in most cities, with a small bedsit (hybel) in the region of 5,000-6,500kr. This is typically the basement of a larger house that has been converted into a self-contained apartment. You see this a lot in student cities such as Trondheim.

A one-bedroom apartment could cost you anything from 7,500 to 12,500kr or even higher depending on how close to a city centre you are. For a family-sized apartment or house, expect to pay more like 12,500kr-20,000kr. As mentioned previously, budget for the equivalent of 1-3 months rent up-front as a deposit, along with your first month's rent.

Utilities are harder to estimate but they are typically competitive with other countries. We live on an estate served by a district heating system, something that's very common in Norway. As a result, we've been pleasantly surprised by our heating bills.

Transport costs in Norway

If you're going to be living in a city, consider very carefully if you really need a car. I have never owned a car in Norway and enjoy the financial benefits of that!

Local buses in Oslo, Norway

Public transport systems in Norway are generally reliable. A monthly pass can be picked up for around 800kr in most cities. If you live, work and play in the same city, this will save you a lot of money over time.

Everything about driving is expensive. It quickly adds up. The cost of purchasing cars, road tolls, taxation on fuel and perhaps the worst offender, parking charges in cities, are all reasons that I choose not to drive or even own a car. Even if your job provides you with a company car, you will spend a lot on associated expenses.

Flying is the most common method to move around the country as the terrain makes driving, buses and trains slow. SAS, Norwegian and Widerøe all offer well-developed route networks to all parts of the country.

With advance booking, fares of under 1,000kr are the norm between the major cities, although these can rise substantially around one week before departure.

Trains between the main cities run a little more than 1,000kr, but as long as you book a couple days in advance you'll find much lower fares. Typically, advance fares can be booked for 300-600kr. Check out En Tur for the latest deals.

Many people living in Norway collect frequent flyer points to benefit from free flights and other travel deals. If you have a job that requires you to travel around Norway frequently, it's well worth taking advantage.

The cost of food and groceries in Norway

The lack of variety in Norwegian supermarkets is a constant source of frustration for expats in Norway, as is the price of certain basic goods. Yet not everything is expensive. Fresh fish and in particular salmon is cheaper than in many other countries.

Cost of restaurants in Norway

A lot of food is imported into Norway and as such, expensive. Dairy and agriculture is closely controlled, which drives up prices of everyday items like milk and butter.

Many enterprising expats have set up foreign supermarkets in the major cities, which provides the opportunity to buy items otherwise unavailable in Norway. Prices are often much cheaper here, and in particular fruit and vegetables.

Again, returning to the topic of expectations. If you're used to eating out regularly, you might need to prepare for a lifestyle adjustment.

Eating out in restaurants is expensive due to the high wages paid to staff. This applies even to—and especially so—the lower end of the scale such as fast-food restaurants. As such, Norwegians eat out far less than many other Europeans. We are a double-income family with no cars and no kids, and we still only eat out once per week.

Expect to get little change from 1,000kr for a two-course meal for two with a drink in a reasonable standard restaurant. A single course Indian, Chinese or Thai meal can run 160kr-225kr in many places, and is almost always the best value option to eat out. If you're a fan of eating out, many foreign restaurants offer special lunch deals that are pretty good value.

How much is a beer in Norway?

For some reason, I get asked this question by my fellow Brits more than by any other nationality! Well, the rumours are indeed true, buying a beer in Norway is one of the more expensive things you can do. The reason? High taxes.

Celebrating Norway's National Day in a very British style, with a beer on our balcony.

Every bar will always have one standard lager (Dahls, Hansa, Ringnes) on tap, which usually depends on the city. You're likely to pay between 85kr and 105kr for a half-litre glass, which rises well over 120kr at places such as airports.

Like most other countries, Norway has also discovered a love of craft beer. Depending on the brand, you'll be paying 95kr-135kr or even more for a 0.4L glass. Cheers!

Read more: Alcohol in Norway

Beer in supermarkets is much cheaper, but still a lot more expensive than you'll be used to. A half-litre can typically costs 30kr to 40kr, but you are limited to beers with a strength of 4.7%.

To buy stronger beer, you'll need to head to Vinmonopolet, the state-run off-licence. Or, remember to buy it from the duty free next time you're passing through the airport.

Healthcare costs in Norway

Despite rumours to the contrary, Norway's healthcare system is not free to use. Everyone pays for doctor's appointments and prescriptions, but only up to an annual limit of around 2,200kr.

Healthcare travel

Once you hit this limit, services are free. This system is designed with fairness in mind, so that everyone pays their share but if you fall seriously ill, you won't have the stress of figuring out how to pay for treatment.

Once you've finished with a doctor's appointment, you pay for the service. Most surgeries have automated machines which you are expected to use before leaving. If you forget, you'll get an invoice in the mail with a surcharge.

You can read more about the healthcare system in Norway here, including who gets access and how it works. If you are just visiting Norway, check out our advice for tourists.

Bear in mind that dental care also costs money for adult residents. The prices are high compared to other European countries.

Sports and entertainment

This is an enormous category so perhaps unsurprisingly, the cost of activities varies hugely.

If you are going to be living on a tight budget, do as the Norwegians do and get outdoors. Once you've shelled out for some quality gear, hiking is a bargain and you can enjoy one of the best things about the country – the spectacular scenery – while keeping fit.

Hiking to Trolltunga in Norway
Hiking in Norway. Photo: Mathias Jensen / Unsplash

If spectator sports are more your thing, tickets for most top-tier football matches in the country can usually be found for 250kr. That's much cheaper than England's Premier League, but the standard is of course not the same.

As for evenings out: Cinema tickets last time I checked were about 140kr, while a visit to an escape room runs 350-450kr per person.

Some final thoughts

I hope this article has helped give you a feel for how much it really costs to live in Norway. It really does come down to personal preferences and expectations.

Norwegians generally make the most of ‘free' activities such as hiking, eat out less than many other nationalities, and – and perhaps this is the most important point of all – live in households where two people work full-time.

If you move to Norway intending to live a typical American or British lifestyle, you may find Norway's reputation as an expensive country is just the beginning…

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About David Nikel

Originally from the UK, David now lives in Trondheim and was the original founder of Life in Norway back in 2011. He now works as a professional writer on all things Scandinavia.

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27 thoughts on “The Cost of Living in Norway”

  1. I had to laugh at an old 1953 English film (Laxdale Hall) that I recently watched.The statement by a politician in that film may or may not be applicable to Norway. He said ‘I am opposed to scenery-it makes people lazy’

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    • enjoyed that comment Mr ‘Fjeseth’ !
      Being English myself and having lived in Norway for four years. Not your atypical beer drinking Brit or Scott with his ponies. I have lived and worked a few countries from the Middle East to Africa and Asia. A controlled ‘pride, in the fact, that i adapted quickly to new cultures based on an open mind and flexibility. So. imagine the surprise when i found myself in a tiny Spar supermarket one not so tropical day. The mini Spar with a a handful of ‘natives’ in standard ‘uniforms’ of checked shirts and those day glow- TeleTubby jackets . I could hear the food freezer compartments humming in the silence. The squeaking wheels and’ chingle’ of the shopping trolley seemed to be intrusive and draw unwanted attention. Never had i felt so out place. Rather like Scott with his ‘lille’ ponies. This was the back yard of Norge. The frozen fields of Telemark. Extraordinary landscape.

      More X TRA-ordinary was the first taste of culture shock in my mid forties. One summer’s day after four years, the same cashier lady in the Spar said: ‘Godag’ to me. Well, you can imagine my delight. That really was progress

      A certain English writer from the 1940’s wrote: ‘Norway is a country where the sun never sets, the bar never opens and the whole place smells of herring.’ (as we know the sun does set – very much so in Winter. (Silly man.) My own brand of English humour along with cultural identity, often was ‘lost’ like Scott and his ‘lille’ ponies in the snow. i now live in Indonesia!

      Reply
  2. Mr. Nikel’s column about the cost of living in Norway is succinct and informative. The clarity of his prose and his comprehensive treatment of the subject provide a primer that a first-time visitor (which I hope eventually to be) would do well to print out and carry as with a vade mecum. I admire Norway for its success in making modernity together with democratic governance adapt to its unique culture, without sacrificing the essence of either. The Nordics and Norway in particular are for me the proof of concept: goodwill, pragmatism, and a fidelity to democratic precepts create a polity in which nearly everyone feels included and valued.

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      • You really have to take the prices on face value and not keep comparing it or using the IS equivalent. You need to do your own homework. I’ve been coming to Norway since I was 16 and he has given a great all round view of the cost of living in Norway’. Although I’ve got a good one. Get your winter gear in Feb at the outlets as they are cheap and awesome. I enjoy getting around Melbourne in winter with all my Bergans gear on!! So warm!

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  3. My quiet, studious (American) son is interested in moving to Norway for university in the next year or two. He’s attracted to its clean environment, Happiness rating, and progressive attitudes. Wondering what kind of reception (liberal) Americans are getting there these days? Is our current president ruining it for all of us?

    He’s learning a little Norwegian but hopes for at least some classes in English, and is likely going to study Physics and/or Chemistry, with an aim to go into sustainable engineering.
    Thank you.

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    • Why would an American Liberal want to move to Norway, especially one who disagrees with our current President.
      All our president wants is Border controls and an immigration policy similar policy to Norway. Maybe your son wants the freedom to speak his mind in the USA and Live without the diversity he so agrees with. The photos of Norway are extremely White and Im not talking about the snow.

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      • the fuck are you talking about? i AM Norwegian. and, did you just compare trump to norway? honest question, have you even been to norway? a large chunk of norway’s population is from the middle east and around there. we simply can’t let so many people in due to “FRP” the Norwegian republican/liberal party. they hold a little piece of the Norwegian parliament, “Stortinget”. and we are definitely not bloody obsessed with border control. jesus

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      • Like all things trump, this comment didn’t age well….compare and contrast Norway’s response to Covid-19 versus trump’s and his maskless/mindless followers …who wouldn’t want to leave the U.S. with the orange sociopathic monster in charge and so many numskulls still supporting him…thank god it won’t be much longer.

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  4. This article is “city oriented” but pretty much correct in most aspects.
    ‘Been here on Norway for 3 months on a temporary assignment as a Sr. level engineer from a US owned division of a Norwegian company. Although I add GREAT value to the company and my skills are sorely needed here they would/could not pay me an equivalent salary as back in the states. 15-20% less. My wife who is an art teacher and doesn’t make much in the US could double her salary here and both incomes would be better than in the states but that would take a year or so of her having to learn Norwegian at 50. So, I unfortunately had to decline. ‘Really sad about it. Wonderful place!

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    • Huh? I almost can’t believe that only for the reason of not choosing to learn Norwegian at the age of 50 you’ve declined this offer, and missed a chance to enjoy a good life in Norway. I almost suspect another motive for not wanting to go, am I right? Usually, at the age of 50 it’s not difficult to learn a language at all.

      Reply
  5. We lived many years in northern Sweden and can understand many of the points raised/explained here. The idea of going to Sweden for food/alcohol did make us laugh, though! Generally, we find Denmark the most expensive Scandiland country! However, one of the tips I’d add is if based outside major towns/cities, try buying a property asap. There is great value generally in the sticks, as there is in Sweden too.

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  6. Wish I could visit and perhaps live in Norway not so convenient to shop in Sweden hmmm and not affordable to eat outside and pay ahead 3 months rent

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  7. I grew up in Norway and have been living in the US for over 20 years now. Never even once considered moving back. Not missing anything, just my family, but they are more than happy to visit me here.
    Here I a cut down of facts for you. Your employer has to pay 14.5% fee of your salary. That is cutting off the top of what could have been your money. You have to pay 35 – 45 % in direct tax. What you have left is being stripped of 25% sales tax. Then you are paying extra taxes of anything containing sugar, alcohol or tobacco. Cars are 3 times more expensive than here due to extra taxes so is gasoline. There are nothing that are free in Norway, that is a myth, because as you can see you are paying for it, without getting a bill every month. Even those on a welfare check are paying those taxes except the income e tax. And there is a minimum vage in Norway. And dental and optical is not covered by the health system. You have premiums like most insurance systems in US and you cannot choose which doctor you want. And if you are not in an emergency it can take up to 3 weeks to get an appointment , and the hospitals are always crowded. People are in bed in the corridors, even on the newest hospitals. I can go on. Btw for having the same living standard as I have here in US I would have to have a annual salary of more than $250,000, which very few in Norway have. I could go on but I’ll call it a day.

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    • John, most of your statements are completely bogus!

      I have lived in 4 European countries incl UK, Norway, Holland and Switzerland, plus Mexico and USA (LA and San Diego). We have houses in Norway, Switzerland, San Diego and Mexico.
      I am born in Norway, and I lived in Norway until I left in my 20s for business reasons. i have had companies in all Nordic countries, plus most of the largest European countries.
      i am quite familiar to employee and employment laws and cost of living in most European countries.

      1. The 14.1 % employer tax in Norway is a tax on top of employee salaries. A person working in Norway typically earns around 1,480,000 NOK per year. Salaries range from 200,000 NOK (lowest average) to 6,560,000 NOK (highest average, actual maximum salary is higher).

      2. In Norway, the average single worker face a net average tax rate of 27.5% in 2018, compared with the OECD average of 25.5%.

      3. I bought a new car BMW X5 here in Switzerland where we live most of the year. The price in Switzerland was USD 95 000. In California we keep the same car, and the price was USD 80 000 incl. extra features.
      The listing price in Norway is from USD 61 000 – 67 000 (however we don’t own a car in Norway).
      A Tesla in Norway is actually cheaper compared to the price in USA. In Norway Model 3 sedan is USD 43 700 and in California USD 48 500.

      4. We do our dental in Cal, – half price compared to Switzerland. In Cal. our dental average price is USD 435 per hour. Dental price in Norway start from USD 150 per hour.

      5. In Norway i can choose my “fastlege” DOCTOR, and I also have the choice to pick the hospital to carry out a surgery. I did an open heart surgery in Norway in 2007, and the service and experience was just amazingly positive. My American wife (from LA Cal) came to visit me first time in Norway in 2004, and she had to go to hospital while visiting me. She had to carry out a surgery while she was in Norway, and she never received a bill, – that in USA would cost approx. USD 60 000 – 80 000. Hospitals in Norway have never been crowded during our stays.
      My wife and me have both been hospitalized in Norway during the last couple of years. I am no longer part of the Norwegian social security system, but we never see any bills after our hospital stays.

      Now, my wife who grew up in California can no longer see herself ever living in the USA. According to her, the reason is “no racism” in Europe, Europe offers such a vast variety of genuine culture, and Norway is especially appealing to her because of the people and a country with true cultural spirit that attracts her.
      We have (her and mine) children living in Norway, Sweden, England, Italy, Switzerland and USA. Our family life is like a mini-cosmos.

      So finally, my conclusion is that your views, and your so-called false statements of Norway and how Norway function should not go unchallenged.

      Why you seem to spew these false views is to me a mystery, and I am asking myself the question; – “Why do you publish such “Bull Shit” and not true information?
      I came to USA first time in 1976, – when I was in my 20s. USA was as a country quite different in the 1970s.

      We clearly see how and why our two US based kids looks at Europe like a “paradise” compared to USA!

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      • dude you are batshit crazy if you say that average salary in norway is 1.5 million nok per year my wife is a dr here in sweden and we are moving to norway because other then sweden being a flat out fascist communist country as a dr she earns just 600 000 sek and moving to norway will increase her salary to 1 million to 1.2 to 1.3 million per year before taxes so i dont know where you get this crazy notion that average salary is 1.5 million nok per year that is just an impossibility.

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      • From the statistics here in SSB Norway, you can clearly see that the average wage across Norway is well below 600,000 NOKs per year. (https://www.ssb.no/en/lonnansatt)

        How the hell did you make those numbers as average? maybe as a top medical doctor with 15 years of practice experience, you’d make about 1.5M a year, but certainly nothing NOTHING close to what an average person makes.

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      • I agree with you Bjarne!
        I grew up in the UK, my Mother is from Molde and my Father is from Lancashire. Why the hell they chose the UK as their base I’ll never really understand given that my Father could have earned a similar or better wage in Norway. I moved here in 2012 with my Italian wife and two boys and have never had a moment of regret! Best place in the world to raise kids that I know of. I feel that I can justify that statement by having lived in the UK (31 years), Italy (1 year), the USA (1 year) and now Norway (nearly 10 years).
        The taxes are high, but the value for money we get back is much better than anywhere else that I have lived and worked, child care is stupidly cheap, health costs are reasonable and with a small investment in equipment you have the entire country as a playground for you and your family to enjoy.
        When we first moved here I was quite poor but a 40 dollar investment in a couple of fishing rods kept me and my boys entertained for hours each week and put a few dinners on the table. As time went by and I quickly progressed in the employment market, we then bought our first house and with the tax savings we made through interest rate relief (the UK doesn’t offer this) we bought our first boat. I came here with 10 000 kr and 1 suitcase full of clothes. 10 years later we are very comfortably ‘well off’ and have a better life than we ever could have had in the UK, Italy or USA. Living the Norwegian dream 🙂

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    • 100% agree, with John, not just because we both share the same Christian name.
      Norway is a salary sucker.
      You cannot operate here as a contractor. Contracting here is essentially being coerced into acting as a temporary worker/employee of a large resource management company with a payroll. So zero rights, high tax burden and no control of your circumstances.
      The whole Norwegian system is rigged from its foundations up.
      Government monopolies would rather watch people starve than see the cost of goods fall in line with market forces. As an example they are currently pushing/coercing people from butter to margarine, for “their health”…..
      I am actually trying to work less to avoid the crippling bracket taxes levied upon the lower middle class upwards. In Norway it is better to be filthy rich or unskilled, anything in the middle and you will be robbed mercilessly.
      Accommodation is astronomically expensive, 10,000 NOK per month to live in a noisy damp basement dwelling, and this does not include energy.
      If you wish to eat a healthy diet, meat (Beef not the best cuts) is 400 NOK per kilo, and the much lauded cheap (don’t make me laugh) Salmon is farmed making it one of the most deadly toxic foods one can consume (but don’t worry the government corruption actively silences any truthful scientific research on the pesticide content of the farmed Salmon, business connections do work at the top of the political cesspit).
      The harder you work, the less you earn, absolutely zero incentive to work hard under the crippling progressive tax regime that is squarely aimed at middle income earners (worker bees for the collective hive).
      Once you’ve been taxed/robbed of your income, you have to deal with the cost of living, ten times higher than anywhere else on the planet.
      Then, there is access to basic medicine cabinet supplies, Aspirin, is pharmacy access only, so ten times more expensive than it should be (starting to see the pattern?). Paracetamol is a dangerous hepatoxic drug with little medicinal use and is freely available to buy in supermarkets. Oh and if you ask a Norwegian their brainwashed response is, Aspirin is dangerous, clearly they’ve never seen a person die slowly from a Paracetamol overdose. Aspirin thins the blood and helps regulate hormones, paracetamol is just toxic garbage.
      Then the cost of public transport, you are coerced into buying monthly tickets (you cannot buy a return ticket so have to pay double to travel return) with a smartphone, no smartphone? Then you are effectively excluded or have to pay twice the price. Local bus services are non existent on weekends and fragmented during the day. If you work overtime in the evening then there will be no bus, so all that overtime pay will be spent on a taxi home with of course the governments obligatory 12% cut (yes, another monopoly).
      If you like a drink you are best off investing in a still and learning the art of distillery, unless you want to contribute more of your income to the government monopoly on alcohol!
      As for the wages being higher I refer to my above statement, certainly if you are unskilled and have no ambition to improve your lot, but as a professional you will soon find you hit the tax barrier even though you earn 25% less than comparative positions in other countries, as soon as you hit the tax barrier, you will be working at a high level and earning the same as a hairdresser.
      I find the government ignorant and stifling, there is no space for the individual and a small select bunch of activist experts can force their backward vision of the world upon the masses with impunity.
      The state monopolies are deeply corrupt.
      Anything that could be remotely described as fun is taxed into Hades.
      And Norway is at the head of the “digital transformation” another totalitarian grab at your privacy and freedom sold as a convenience, and the Norwegians suck up the propaganda like a sponge!
      The country is essentially lost, too many foreign immigrants with a high birthrate, they have already surpassed the limit for replacement, now it is just a matter of time. So all those high wage low skilled jobs will be taken in the not too distant future and the quality of life will continue to fall….

      Reply
  8. I’m doing a budget project for school, and I will be living in Bodo Norway. I was wondering if anything is different there, and I am seafood-intolerant. Will I be able to find things to eat cheap there? I actually also want to live in Norway. Um… any good websites to find house listings in Norway. Thanks!

    Reply
  9. Hej! I often went to Norway for business and it did not cost me more than anywhere else:
    Your prospect will perfectly understand if you are staying at a basic hut in a camping place rather than at an expensive hotel. A big company like STATOIL can even pay for your accomodation or at least arrange for a very low fare!
    Prospects don’t expect to be invited to restaurants or even for a beer. If you just take a sandwich at their cafeteria, you will actually improve your image.
    A duty free whisky bottle or a cartridge of cigarettes are sumptuous presents for your contacts.
    I found plane trips and even taxis cheaper than in France last time I was there.
    On your day off, hiking in the beautiful scenery is completely free.
    I never had to pay for parking. In the UK, tarifs are extortionate.

    Reply

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