Moving to Australia from Norway
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Norway to Australia — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Norway to Australia, you would find that Australia is 24.7% more expensive than Norway overall. A NOK733,695 salary in Norway would need to be roughly A$97,401 in Australia to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Canberra averages 67°F vs 49°F in Oslo, making it significantly warmer.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Norway to Australia.
What does your salary buy?
NOK733,695 → A$97,401
To maintain the same standard of living in Australia
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 23.3% less
Groceries
pay 11.0% less
Transportation
pay 18.5% less
Housing
pay 2.5% less
Childcare
pay 3.4 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 1.1% 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 Australia cost about 11% less than cities in Norway.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Norway to Australia, based on official data.
Who's moving to Australia?
Top countries of origin for Australia's foreign-born residents.
- 1,285,149
- 653,232
- 611,266
- 579,264
- 286,303
- 269,812
- · · ·
-
92.4,748
Norway
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Norway to Australia.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Norway performs better than Australia 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 Australia 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
Norway performs better than Australia 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 better than Australia 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 performs better than Australia 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
Australia generally does better on family life, though Norway leads in infant mortality.
Data: Norwegian Tax Administration, 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 | Oslo | Canberra |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 32°/22°F (0°/-6°C) | 80°/54°F (26°/12°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 59°/43°F (15°/6°C) | 61°/39°F (16°/4°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 66°/51°F (19°/10°C) | 56°/35°F (13°/1°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 39°/30°F (4°/-1°C) | 73°/47°F (23°/9°C) |
View all months
| Month | Oslo | Canberra |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29°/20°F (-1.8°/-6.8°C) | 82°/55°F (27.7°/13.0°C) |
| Feb | 30°/20°F (-0.9°/-6.8°C) | 81°/55°F (27.0°/12.9°C) |
| Mar | 38°/26°F (3.5°/-3.3°C) | 76°/51°F (24.4°/10.7°C) |
| Apr | 48°/33°F (9.1°/0.8°C) | 68°/44°F (19.8°/6.6°C) |
| May | 60°/44°F (15.8°/6.5°C) | 60°/38°F (15.4°/3.1°C) |
| Jun | 69°/51°F (20.4°/10.6°C) | 54°/34°F (12.1°/0.9°C) |
| Jul | 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.2°C) | 52°/32°F (11.2°/-0.2°C) |
| Aug | 68°/52°F (20.1°/11.3°C) | 55°/34°F (12.9°/1.0°C) |
| Sep | 59°/46°F (15.1°/7.5°C) | 61°/38°F (16.0°/3.1°C) |
| Oct | 49°/39°F (9.3°/3.8°C) | 67°/43°F (19.2°/6.0°C) |
| Nov | 38°/29°F (3.2°/-1.5°C) | 72°/47°F (22.4°/8.5°C) |
| Dec | 31°/22°F (-0.5°/-5.6°C) | 79°/52°F (26.0°/11.2°C) |
Data:
Norwegian Meteorological Institute,
Bureau of Meteorology
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Norway and Australia. To live, work, or study long-term in Australia, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Australia's immigration authority.
Norway passport holder visiting Australia
Electronic Travel Authorisation
Australia passport holder visiting Norway
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 Australia than Norway?
Yes — Australia is on average about 10% cheaper than Norway. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to Australia?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly A$24,350 in Australia on a NOK733,695 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Australia?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Australia has 35.1 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 Australia safe for expats?
Norway performs better than Australia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Australia is 0.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.6 in Norway.
How is healthcare in Australia compared to Norway?
Norway generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Australia leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 39.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Australia, compared to 51.7 in Norway. Australia scores 87 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Norway: 87).
What's the weather like in Australia compared to Norway?
The average high temperature in Canberra is 67°F, compared to 49°F in Oslo. Canberra receives around 24.8 in of rainfall per year, while Oslo gets 30.0 in.
What language do they speak in Australia?
The official language in Australia is English. In Norway, the official languages are Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk and Sami.
