Moving to Norway from Guatemala

moving to

What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Guatemala to Norway — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Guatemala to Norway, you would find that Norway is 93.4% more expensive than Guatemala overall. A GTQ570,000 salary in Guatemala would need to be roughly NOK1,380,000 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 77°F in Guatemala City, making it significantly cooler.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Guatemala to Norway.

What does your salary buy?

GTQ570,000 → NOK1,380,000

To maintain the same standard of living in Norway

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 2.8 times more

Groceries

pay 59.0% more

Transportation

pay 2.4 times more

Housing

pay 96.6% more

Childcare

pay 4.7% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 2.3 times more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 GTQ = 1.25 NOK (October 2026)

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from Guatemala to Norway, and how the trend has changed.

Moved in 2023
7 ↓ 46% vs 2022

people moved from Guatemala to Norway · OECD (latest data available)

Who's moving to Norway?

Top countries of origin for Norway's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

How Guatemala and Norway stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

GT
23.4
NO
0.7
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

GT
12.6
NO
1.5

Norway performs significantly better than Guatemala across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

GT
$935
NO
$9,523
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2023

affects wait times and access to care

GT
12.8
NO
49.8

Norway generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Guatemala leads in healthcare spending per person.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

GT
40.0
NO
8.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

GT
1.1t
NO
7.2t

Guatemala generally does better on environment, though Norway leads in air pollution deaths.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

GT
5.3
NO
45.2
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

GT
5.7%
NO
2.0%

Norway performs significantly better than Guatemala across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

GT
2.6%
NO
4.6%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

GT
$6,598
NO
$94,594

Guatemala generally does better on employment & economy, though Norway leads in gdp per capita.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

GT
72.8 yrs
NO
83.2 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

GT
17.2
NO
2.0

Norway performs significantly better than Guatemala across all family life metrics.

Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Superintendence of the Tax Administration (2016), Norwegian Tax Administration (2017). How we calculate this

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Guatemala City Rain: 46.7 in/yr (1186 mm)
77° / 58°F

Avg. annual high / low

Oslo Rain: 30.0 in/yr (763 mm)
49° / 36°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Guatemala City Oslo
Jan–Mar 77°/55°F (25°/13°C) 32°/22°F (0°/-6°C)
Apr–Jun 80°/61°F (27°/16°C) 59°/43°F (15°/6°C)
Jul–Sep 76°/60°F (25°/16°C) 66°/51°F (19°/10°C)
Oct–Dec 74°/58°F (24°/14°C) 39°/30°F (4°/-1°C)
View all months
Month Guatemala City Oslo
Jan 75°/53°F (23.8°/11.5°C) 29°/20°F (-1.8°/-6.8°C)
Feb 77°/55°F (25.2°/12.9°C) 30°/20°F (-0.9°/-6.8°C)
Mar 80°/57°F (26.6°/14.0°C) 38°/26°F (3.5°/-3.3°C)
Apr 82°/60°F (27.5°/15.4°C) 48°/33°F (9.1°/0.8°C)
May 81°/61°F (27.1°/16.2°C) 60°/44°F (15.8°/6.5°C)
Jun 78°/61°F (25.3°/16.2°C) 69°/51°F (20.4°/10.6°C)
Jul 76°/60°F (24.5°/15.8°C) 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.2°C)
Aug 77°/60°F (25.0°/15.8°C) 68°/52°F (20.1°/11.3°C)
Sep 76°/60°F (24.4°/15.8°C) 59°/46°F (15.1°/7.5°C)
Oct 75°/60°F (24.1°/15.4°C) 49°/39°F (9.3°/3.8°C)
Nov 74°/57°F (23.4°/14.0°C) 38°/29°F (3.2°/-1.5°C)
Dec 74°/56°F (23.4°/13.1°C) 31°/22°F (-0.5°/-5.6°C)

Data: Instituto Nacional de Sismología, Vulcanología, Meteorología e Hidrología (INSIVUMEH) Instituto Nacional de Sismología, Vulcanología, Meteorología e Hidrología (INSIVUMEH), Norwegian Meteorological Institute Norwegian Meteorological Institute

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Guatemala 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.

Guatemala passport

Guatemala passport holder visiting Norway

Visa Free
Guatemala passport holders can enter Norway without a visa.
Norway passport

Norway passport holder visiting Guatemala

Visa Free
Norway passport holders can enter Guatemala without a visa.

Data: 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 Guatemala?

Day-to-day costs in Norway run about 93% higher than Guatemala 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 GTQ570,000 comparable salary, that's around NOK345,000 in Norway for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Norway?

With 45.2 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 Guatemala and Norway.

Is Norway safe for expats?

Norway performs significantly better than Guatemala across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Norway is 0.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 23.4 in Guatemala.

How is healthcare in Norway compared to Guatemala?

Norway generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Guatemala leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 49.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Norway, compared to 12.8 in Guatemala. Norway scores 87 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Guatemala: 59).

What's the weather like in Norway compared to Guatemala?

The average high temperature in Oslo is 49°F, compared to 77°F in Guatemala City. Oslo receives around 30.0 in of rainfall per year, while Guatemala City gets 46.7 in.

What language do they speak in Norway?

The official languages in Norway are Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk and Sami. In Guatemala, the official language is Spanish.

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At a Glance

GT NO
Population 18,687,881 5,610,870
Currency Guatemalan Quetzal (GTQ) Norwegian Krone (NOK)
Languages Spanish Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, Sami
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +502 +47
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 110 112