Moving to Norway from France
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from France to Norway — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from France to Norway, you would find that Norway is 12.0% more expensive than France overall. A €65,577 salary in France would need to be roughly NOK817,108 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 60°F in Paris, making it significantly cooler.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from France to Norway.
What does your salary buy?
€65,577 → NOK817,108
To maintain the same standard of living in Norway
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 23.2% more
Groceries
pay 13.8% more
Transportation
pay 12.4% more
Housing
pay 38.1% more
Childcare
pay 37.8% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 28.4% 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 18% more than cities in France.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from France to Norway, and how the trend has changed.
Key Indicator Comparison
How France and Norway stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Norway performs significantly better than France 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
Norway generally does better on health & wellbeing, though France leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
France generally does better on environment, though Norway leads in air pollution deaths.
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 generally does better on infrastructure, though France leads in broadband per 100 people.
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 performs significantly better than France across all employment & economy metrics.
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 generally does better on family life, though France leads in life expectancy.
Data: Direction Générale des Finances Publiques, 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 | Paris | Oslo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 48°/38°F (9°/3°C) | 32°/22°F (0°/-6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 65°/50°F (18°/10°C) | 59°/43°F (15°/6°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 74°/58°F (23°/14°C) | 66°/51°F (19°/10°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 52°/43°F (11°/6°C) | 39°/30°F (4°/-1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Paris | Oslo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 44°/36°F (6.9°/2.5°C) | 29°/20°F (-1.8°/-6.8°C) |
| Feb | 47°/37°F (8.2°/2.8°C) | 30°/20°F (-0.9°/-6.8°C) |
| Mar | 53°/41°F (11.8°/5.1°C) | 38°/26°F (3.5°/-3.3°C) |
| Apr | 58°/44°F (14.7°/6.8°C) | 48°/33°F (9.1°/0.8°C) |
| May | 66°/51°F (19.0°/10.5°C) | 60°/44°F (15.8°/6.5°C) |
| Jun | 71°/56°F (21.8°/13.3°C) | 69°/51°F (20.4°/10.6°C) |
| Jul | 76°/60°F (24.4°/15.5°C) | 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.2°C) |
| Aug | 76°/60°F (24.6°/15.4°C) | 68°/52°F (20.1°/11.3°C) |
| Sep | 69°/54°F (20.8°/12.5°C) | 59°/46°F (15.1°/7.5°C) |
| Oct | 60°/49°F (15.8°/9.2°C) | 49°/39°F (9.3°/3.8°C) |
| Nov | 51°/42°F (10.4°/5.3°C) | 38°/29°F (3.2°/-1.5°C) |
| Dec | 46°/38°F (7.8°/3.6°C) | 31°/22°F (-0.5°/-5.6°C) |
Météo-France
Norwegian Meteorological InstituteVisitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between France 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.
France passport holder visiting Norway
Visa Free
Norway passport holder visiting France
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 France?
Day-to-day costs in Norway run about 13% higher than France on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to Norway?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a €65,577 comparable salary, that's around NOK204,277 in Norway for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Norway?
With 45.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Norway can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in France and Norway.
Is Norway safe for expats?
Norway performs significantly better than France across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Norway is 0.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.6 in France.
How is healthcare in Norway compared to France?
Norway generally does better on health & wellbeing, though France leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 51.7 doctors per 10,000 people in Norway, compared to 33.4 in France. Norway scores 87 on the WHO universal health coverage index (France: 85).
What's the weather like in Norway compared to France?
The average high temperature in Oslo is 49°F, compared to 60°F in Paris. Oslo receives around 30.0 in of rainfall per year, while Paris gets 25.6 in.
What language do they speak in Norway?
The official languages in Norway are Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk and Sami. In France, the official language is French.
