Moving to Norway from Iceland
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Iceland to Norway — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Iceland to Norway, you would find that Norway is 20.3% cheaper than Iceland overall. A ISK9,200,000 salary in Iceland would need to be roughly NOK574,000 in Norway to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk and Sami.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Iceland to Norway.
What does your salary buy?
ISK9,200,000 → NOK574,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Norway
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 20.5% less
Groceries
pay 5.6% less
Transportation
pay 0.3% less
Housing
pay 26.9% less
Childcare
pay 67.2% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 10.2% less
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 Iceland to Norway, and how the trend has changed.
Key Indicator Comparison
How Iceland 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 Iceland 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
Iceland 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
Iceland generally does better on environment, though Norway leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
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
Iceland generally does better on infrastructure, though Norway 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
Iceland generally does better on employment & economy, though Norway leads in top income tax 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 generally does better on family life, though Iceland leads in education spending.
Sources: World Bank (2017–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Directorate of Internal Revenue (2016), Norwegian Tax Administration (2017). 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 | Reykjavik | Oslo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 37°/28°F (3°/-2°C) | 32°/22°F (0°/-6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 48°/38°F (9°/4°C) | 59°/43°F (15°/6°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 54°/45°F (12°/7°C) | 66°/51°F (19°/10°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 39°/31°F (4°/-1°C) | 39°/30°F (4°/-1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Reykjavik | Oslo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35°/27°F (1.9°/-3.0°C) | 29°/20°F (-1.8°/-6.8°C) |
| Feb | 37°/28°F (2.8°/-2.1°C) | 30°/20°F (-0.9°/-6.8°C) |
| Mar | 38°/28°F (3.2°/-2.0°C) | 38°/26°F (3.5°/-3.3°C) |
| Apr | 42°/33°F (5.7°/0.4°C) | 48°/33°F (9.1°/0.8°C) |
| May | 49°/38°F (9.4°/3.6°C) | 60°/44°F (15.8°/6.5°C) |
| Jun | 53°/44°F (11.7°/6.7°C) | 69°/51°F (20.4°/10.6°C) |
| Jul | 56°/47°F (13.3°/8.3°C) | 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.2°C) |
| Aug | 55°/46°F (13.0°/7.9°C) | 68°/52°F (20.1°/11.3°C) |
| Sep | 50°/41°F (10.1°/5.0°C) | 59°/46°F (15.1°/7.5°C) |
| Oct | 44°/36°F (6.8°/2.2°C) | 49°/39°F (9.3°/3.8°C) |
| Nov | 38°/30°F (3.4°/-1.3°C) | 38°/29°F (3.2°/-1.5°C) |
| Dec | 36°/27°F (2.2°/-2.8°C) | 31°/22°F (-0.5°/-5.6°C) |
Data:
Icelandic Meteorological Office,
Norwegian Meteorological Institute
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Iceland 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.
Iceland passport holder visiting Norway
Visa Free
Norway passport holder visiting Iceland
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 Iceland?
Generally yes: Norway runs about 20% cheaper than Iceland on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
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 ISK9,200,000 comparable salary, that's around NOK143,500 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 Iceland and Norway.
Is Norway safe for expats?
Norway performs significantly better than Iceland across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Norway is 0.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.3 in Iceland.
How is healthcare in Norway compared to Iceland?
Iceland 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 43.7 in Iceland. Norway scores 87 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Iceland: 89).
What's the weather like in Norway compared to Iceland?
The average high temperature in Oslo is 49°F, compared to 45°F in Reykjavik. Oslo receives around 30.0 in of rainfall per year, while Reykjavik gets 31.4 in.
What language do they speak in Norway?
The official languages in Norway are Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk and Sami. In Iceland, the official language is Icelandic.
