Moving to Norway from China
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from China to Norway — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from China to Norway, you would find that Norway is 3.3 times more expensive than China overall. A CN¥508,312 salary in China would need to be roughly NOK1,705,665 in Norway to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk and Sami. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Oslo averages 49°F vs 64°F in Beijing, making it significantly cooler.
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What to expect for your wallet after moving from China to Norway.
What does your salary buy?
CN¥508,312 → NOK1,705,665
To maintain the same standard of living in Norway
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 6.7 times more
Groceries
pay 2.5 times more
Transportation
pay 3.4 times more
Housing
pay 4.3 times more
Childcare
pay 34.7% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 3.9 times 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 119% more than cities in China.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from China to Norway, based on official data.
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from China to Norway.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
China generally does better on safety, though Norway leads in road traffic deaths.
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
China 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 China 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 China 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 China leads in poverty 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 China across all family life metrics.
Data: State Administration of Taxation, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Beijing | Oslo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 42°/22°F (6°/-6°C) | 32°/22°F (0°/-6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 78°/55°F (26°/13°C) | 59°/43°F (15°/6°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 83°/66°F (29°/19°C) | 66°/51°F (19°/10°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 51°/32°F (11°/0°C) | 39°/30°F (4°/-1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Beijing | Oslo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35°/15°F (1.6°/-9.4°C) | 29°/20°F (-1.8°/-6.8°C) |
| Feb | 39°/20°F (4.0°/-6.9°C) | 30°/20°F (-0.9°/-6.8°C) |
| Mar | 52°/31°F (11.3°/-0.6°C) | 38°/26°F (3.5°/-3.3°C) |
| Apr | 68°/45°F (19.9°/7.2°C) | 48°/33°F (9.1°/0.8°C) |
| May | 80°/56°F (26.4°/13.2°C) | 60°/44°F (15.8°/6.5°C) |
| Jun | 87°/65°F (30.3°/18.2°C) | 69°/51°F (20.4°/10.6°C) |
| Jul | 87°/71°F (30.8°/21.6°C) | 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.2°C) |
| Aug | 85°/69°F (29.5°/20.4°C) | 68°/52°F (20.1°/11.3°C) |
| Sep | 78°/58°F (25.8°/14.2°C) | 59°/46°F (15.1°/7.5°C) |
| Oct | 66°/45°F (19.0°/7.3°C) | 49°/39°F (9.3°/3.8°C) |
| Nov | 50°/31°F (10.1°/-0.4°C) | 38°/29°F (3.2°/-1.5°C) |
| Dec | 38°/20°F (3.3°/-6.9°C) | 31°/22°F (-0.5°/-5.6°C) |
Data:
China Meteorological Administration,
Norwegian Meteorological Institute
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between China 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.
China passport holder visiting Norway
Visa Required
Norway passport holder visiting China
Visa FreeData: 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 China?
No — Norway is on average about 132% more expensive than China. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Norway?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly NOK426,416 in Norway on a CN¥508,312 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Norway?
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.
Is Norway safe for expats?
China generally does better on safety, though Norway leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Norway is 0.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.5 in China.
How is healthcare in Norway compared to China?
China 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 25.2 in China. Norway scores 87 on the WHO universal health coverage index (China: 81).
What's the weather like in Norway compared to China?
The average high temperature in Oslo is 49°F, compared to 64°F in Beijing. Oslo receives around 30.0 in of rainfall per year, while Beijing gets 22.8 in.
What language do they speak in Norway?
The official languages in Norway are Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk and Sami. In China, the official language is Chinese.
