Moving to Norway from Canada
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Canada to Norway — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Canada to Norway, you would find that Norway is 21.0% more expensive than Canada overall. A CA$106,459 salary in Canada would need to be roughly NOK847,013 in Norway to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk and Sami. What to expect for your wallet after moving from Canada to Norway. What does your salary buy? CA$106,459 → NOK847,013 To maintain the same standard of living in Norway Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day Restaurants pay 48.2% more Groceries pay 11.1% more Transportation pay 48.0% more Housing pay 4.7% more Childcare pay 42.7% less Entertainment and Sports pay 40.1% 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 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 16% more than cities in Canada. Compare cities head-to-head We've teamed up with a vetted network of international movers to help MyLifeElsewhere readers plan their move with confidence. Tell us about your move and get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes in under 2 minutes. How many people actually move from Canada to Norway, based on official data. Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Canada to Norway. per 100,000 people per year per 100,000 people per year Norway performs significantly better than Canada across all safety metrics. 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 Canada generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Norway leads in doctors per 10,000 people. deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year Canada generally does better on environment, though Norway leads in co₂ emissions per capita. 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 Canada across all infrastructure metrics. 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 Canada generally does better on employment & economy, though Norway leads in unemployment rate. average years of life at birth deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better government spending on education as % of GDP Norway generally does better on family life, though Canada leads in life expectancy. Data: Canada Revenue Agency, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank Monthly averages — select a city to compare. Avg. annual high / low Avg. annual high / low Data: Short-stay tourist visa rules between Canada 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. Canada passport holder visiting Norway Norway passport holder visiting Canada Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements. No — Norway is on average about 14% more expensive than Canada. City-level variation matters. Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly NOK211,753 in Norway on a CA$106,459 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees). Internet is rarely the blocker — Norway has 45.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries. Norway performs significantly better than Canada across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Norway is 0.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 2.3 in Canada. Canada generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Norway leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 51.7 doctors per 10,000 people in Norway, compared to 25.0 in Canada. Norway scores 87 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Canada: 91). The average high temperature in Oslo is 49°F, compared to 52°F in Ottawa. Oslo receives around 30.0 in of rainfall per year, while Ottawa gets 37.1 in. The official languages in Norway are Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk and Sami. In Canada, the official languages are English and French. How Far Will Your Money Go?
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Key Indicator Comparison
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What's the Climate Like?
Months Ottawa Oslo Jan–Mar 27°/10°F (-3°/-12°C) 32°/22°F (0°/-6°C) Apr–Jun 64°/45°F (18°/7°C) 59°/43°F (15°/6°C) Jul–Sep 75°/55°F (24°/13°C) 66°/51°F (19°/10°C) Oct–Dec 41°/25°F (5°/-4°C) 39°/30°F (4°/-1°C) View all months
Month Ottawa Oslo Jan 21°/4°F (-6.1°/-15.3°C) 29°/20°F (-1.8°/-6.8°C) Feb 25°/8°F (-4.1°/-13.3°C) 30°/20°F (-0.9°/-6.8°C) Mar 36°/19°F (2.2°/-7.1°C) 38°/26°F (3.5°/-3.3°C) Apr 51°/33°F (10.8°/0.6°C) 48°/33°F (9.1°/0.8°C) May 66°/46°F (19.1°/7.7°C) 60°/44°F (15.8°/6.5°C) Jun 75°/55°F (23.8°/12.7°C) 69°/51°F (20.4°/10.6°C) Jul 80°/60°F (26.5°/15.4°C) 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.2°C) Aug 77°/57°F (24.9°/14.1°C) 68°/52°F (20.1°/11.3°C) Sep 67°/48°F (19.5°/9.1°C) 59°/46°F (15.1°/7.5°C) Oct 54°/37°F (12.5°/3.0°C) 49°/39°F (9.3°/3.8°C) Nov 41°/27°F (4.8°/-2.8°C) 38°/29°F (3.2°/-1.5°C) Dec 27°/12°F (-3.0°/-11.1°C) 31°/22°F (-0.5°/-5.6°C) 
Meteorological Service of Canada, 
Norwegian Meteorological Institute Visitor Visa Requirements
Frequently Asked Questions
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