Moving to Norway from Australia
What to Expect
Considering a move from Australia to Norway? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Australia to Norway, you would find that Norway is 9.9% more expensive than Australia overall. A A$110,000 salary in Australia would need to be roughly NOK807,000 in Norway to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk and Sami. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Oslo averages 49°F vs 67°F in Canberra, making it significantly cooler.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Australia and Norway.
What does your salary buy?
A$110,000 → NOK807,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Norway
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 33.9% more
Groceries
pay 21.0% more
Transportation
pay 42.5% more
Housing
pay 5.3% more
Childcare
pay 73.7% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 12.8% more
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
Cost of living by city
Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).
On average, cities in Norway cost about 14% more than cities in Australia.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Australia to Norway.
people moved from Australia to Norway · OECD (latest data available)
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Norway compared to Australia.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Norway performs significantly better than Australia across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Australia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Norway leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Norway performs significantly better than Australia across all environment metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
Norway performs significantly better than Australia across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
Norway generally does better on employment & economy, though Australia leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
Norway performs significantly better than Australia across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Australian Taxation Office (2016), Norwegian Tax Administration (2017), The World Factbook (2020). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Canberra | Oslo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 80°/54°F (26°/12°C) | 32°/22°F (0°/-6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 61°/39°F (16°/4°C) | 59°/43°F (15°/6°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 56°/35°F (13°/1°C) | 66°/51°F (19°/10°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 73°/47°F (23°/9°C) | 39°/30°F (4°/-1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Canberra | Oslo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 82°/55°F (27.7°/13.0°C) | 29°/20°F (-1.8°/-6.8°C) |
| Feb | 81°/55°F (27.0°/12.9°C) | 30°/20°F (-0.9°/-6.8°C) |
| Mar | 76°/51°F (24.4°/10.7°C) | 38°/26°F (3.5°/-3.3°C) |
| Apr | 68°/44°F (19.8°/6.6°C) | 48°/33°F (9.1°/0.8°C) |
| May | 60°/38°F (15.4°/3.1°C) | 60°/44°F (15.8°/6.5°C) |
| Jun | 54°/34°F (12.1°/0.9°C) | 69°/51°F (20.4°/10.6°C) |
| Jul | 52°/32°F (11.2°/-0.2°C) | 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.2°C) |
| Aug | 55°/34°F (12.9°/1.0°C) | 68°/52°F (20.1°/11.3°C) |
| Sep | 61°/38°F (16.0°/3.1°C) | 59°/46°F (15.1°/7.5°C) |
| Oct | 67°/43°F (19.2°/6.0°C) | 49°/39°F (9.3°/3.8°C) |
| Nov | 72°/47°F (22.4°/8.5°C) | 38°/29°F (3.2°/-1.5°C) |
| Dec | 79°/52°F (26.0°/11.2°C) | 31°/22°F (-0.5°/-5.6°C) |
Data:
Bureau of Meteorology,
Norwegian Meteorological Institute
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Australia and Norway. To live, work, or study long-term in Norway, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Norway's immigration authority.
Australia passport holder visiting Norway
Visa Free
Norway passport holder visiting Australia
Electronic Travel AuthorisationData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Norway than Australia?
On average Norway is around 10% pricier than Australia, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Norway?
Budget about NOK201,750 for 3 months in Norway (based on a A$110,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Norway?
Connectivity is usually fine (Norway: 45.2 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Norway offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Norway safe for expats?
Norway performs significantly better than Australia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Norway is 0.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.8 in Australia.
How is healthcare in Norway compared to Australia?
Australia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Norway leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 49.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Norway, compared to 40.9 in Australia. Norway scores 87 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Australia: 87).
What's the weather like in Norway compared to Australia?
The average high temperature in Oslo is 49°F, compared to 67°F in Canberra. Oslo receives around 30.0 in of rainfall per year, while Canberra gets 24.8 in.
What language do they speak in Norway?
The official languages in Norway are Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk and Sami. In Australia, the official language is English.
