Moving to Norway from Italy

moving to

What to Expect

Everything you need to know before relocating from Italy to Norway — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.

If you moved from Italy to Norway, you would find that Norway is 45.3% more expensive than Italy overall. A €67,000 salary in Italy would need to be roughly NOK1,030,000 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 69°F in Rome, making it significantly cooler.

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Is Norway cheaper than Italy?

Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day

Restaurants

pay 33.3% more

Groceries

pay 35.6% more

Transportation

pay 34.4% more

Housing

pay 75.7% more

Childcare

pay 33.9% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 76.0% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 EUR = 10.59 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.

What salary do you need in Norway?

What does your salary buy?

€67,000 → NOK1,030,000

To maintain the same standard of living in Norway

Calculate with your salary →

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 20% more than cities in Italy.

Italy

Milan 68%
Bologna 60%
Monza 58%
Aosta 57%
Lucca 57%

Norway

Oslo ★ 78%
Arendal 69%
Drammen 69%
Sandnes 68%
Haugesund 68%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

How many people actually move from Italy to Norway, based on official data.

Moved in 2023
943 ↓ 3% vs 2022

people moved from Italy 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

Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Italy to Norway.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

IT
0.6
NO
0.7
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

IT
5.0
NO
1.5

Italy generally does better on safety, though Norway leads in road traffic deaths.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

IT
$4,993
NO
$9,523
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2023

affects wait times and access to care

IT
41.9
NO
49.8

Italy generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Norway leads in doctors per 10,000 people.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

IT
15.0
NO
8.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

IT
5.1t
NO
7.2t

Italy 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

IT
31.8
NO
45.2
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

IT
29.8%
NO
2.0%

Norway performs significantly better than Italy across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

IT
6.4%
NO
4.6%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

IT
$43,309
NO
$94,594

Norway performs significantly better than Italy across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

IT
84.0 yrs
NO
83.2 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

IT
2.3
NO
2.0

Norway generally does better on family life, though Italy leads in life expectancy.

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

Weather in Norway vs Italy

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Rome Rain: 31.7 in/yr (804 mm)
69° / 50°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Rome Oslo
Jan–Mar 56°/39°F (13°/4°C) 32°/22°F (0°/-6°C)
Apr–Jun 72°/53°F (22°/11°C) 59°/43°F (15°/6°C)
Jul–Sep 85°/63°F (29°/17°C) 66°/51°F (19°/10°C)
Oct–Dec 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) 39°/30°F (4°/-1°C)
View all months
Month Rome Oslo
Jan 53°/38°F (11.9°/3.1°C) 29°/20°F (-1.8°/-6.8°C)
Feb 55°/38°F (13.0°/3.5°C) 30°/20°F (-0.9°/-6.8°C)
Mar 59°/41°F (15.2°/5.2°C) 38°/26°F (3.5°/-3.3°C)
Apr 64°/46°F (17.7°/7.5°C) 48°/33°F (9.1°/0.8°C)
May 73°/53°F (22.8°/11.6°C) 60°/44°F (15.8°/6.5°C)
Jun 80°/60°F (26.9°/15.3°C) 69°/51°F (20.4°/10.6°C)
Jul 87°/64°F (30.3°/18.0°C) 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.2°C)
Aug 87°/65°F (30.6°/18.3°C) 68°/52°F (20.1°/11.3°C)
Sep 80°/59°F (26.5°/15.2°C) 59°/46°F (15.1°/7.5°C)
Oct 71°/52°F (21.4°/11.3°C) 49°/39°F (9.3°/3.8°C)
Nov 61°/44°F (15.9°/6.9°C) 38°/29°F (3.2°/-1.5°C)
Dec 55°/40°F (12.6°/4.2°C) 31°/22°F (-0.5°/-5.6°C)

Data: Italian Air Force- Department of Meteorology Italian Air Force- Department of Meteorology, Norwegian Meteorological Institute Norwegian Meteorological Institute

Can you move from Italy to Norway?

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Italy 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.

Italy passport

Italy passport holder visiting Norway

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

Norway passport holder visiting Italy

Visa Free
Norway passport holders can enter Italy 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 Italy?

No — Norway is on average about 45% more expensive than Italy. City-level variation matters.

How much money do I need to move to Norway?

Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly NOK257,500 in Norway on a €67,000 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 45.2 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?

Italy generally does better on safety, though Norway leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Norway is 0.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.6 in Italy.

How is healthcare in Norway compared to Italy?

Italy 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 41.9 in Italy. Norway scores 87 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Italy: 84).

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

The average high temperature in Oslo is 49°F, compared to 69°F in Rome. Oslo receives around 30.0 in of rainfall per year, while Rome gets 31.7 in.

What language do they speak in Norway?

The official languages in Norway are Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk and Sami. In Italy, the official languages are Catalan and Italian.

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At a Glance

IT NO
Population 58,915,656 5,610,870
Currency Euro (€) Norwegian Krone (NOK)
Languages Catalan, Italian Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, Sami
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +39 +47
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 112