Moving to California from Norway
What to Expect
Considering a move from Norway to California? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Norway to California, you would find that California is 54.7% more expensive than Norway overall. A NOK738,075 salary in Norway would need to be roughly $81,802 in California to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Sacramento averages 74°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?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Norway and California.
What does your salary buy?
NOK738,075 → $81,802
To maintain the same standard of living in California
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 11.8% less
Groceries
pay 16.7% more
Transportation
pay 19.9% less
Housing
pay 64.5% more
Childcare
pay 4.6 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 3.1% 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.
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 California cost about 30% more than cities in Norway.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Norway to California.
people moved from Norway to United States · OECD (latest data available)
Who's moving to United States?
Top countries of origin for United States's foreign-born residents.
- 10,853,105
- 2,723,764
- 2,184,110
- 2,061,178
- 1,829,251
- 1,410,659
- · · ·
-
133.18,055
Norway
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in California compared to Norway.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Norway performs better than California across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Norway performs better than California across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
share of people below the poverty line
Norway generally does better on employment & economy, though California leads in poverty rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
Norway performs better than California across all family life metrics.
Data: The World Factbook
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Oslo | Sacramento |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 32°/22°F (0°/-6°C) | 60°/41°F (15°/5°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 59°/43°F (15°/6°C) | 79°/51°F (26°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 66°/51°F (19°/10°C) | 90°/57°F (32°/14°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 39°/30°F (4°/-1°C) | 65°/44°F (18°/7°C) |
View all months
| Month | Oslo | Sacramento |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29°/20°F (-1.8°/-6.8°C) | 54°/39°F (12.1°/3.8°C) |
| Feb | 30°/20°F (-0.9°/-6.8°C) | 60°/41°F (15.7°/5.2°C) |
| Mar | 38°/26°F (3.5°/-3.3°C) | 65°/44°F (18.4°/6.7°C) |
| Apr | 48°/33°F (9.1°/0.8°C) | 71°/46°F (21.7°/7.9°C) |
| May | 60°/44°F (15.8°/6.5°C) | 80°/51°F (26.6°/10.6°C) |
| Jun | 69°/51°F (20.4°/10.6°C) | 87°/56°F (30.6°/13.2°C) |
| Jul | 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.2°C) | 92°/58°F (33.4°/14.7°C) |
| Aug | 68°/52°F (20.1°/11.3°C) | 91°/58°F (32.9°/14.4°C) |
| Sep | 59°/46°F (15.1°/7.5°C) | 87°/56°F (30.7°/13.2°C) |
| Oct | 49°/39°F (9.3°/3.8°C) | 78°/50°F (25.3°/10.1°C) |
| Nov | 38°/29°F (3.2°/-1.5°C) | 64°/43°F (17.7°/6.0°C) |
| Dec | 31°/22°F (-0.5°/-5.6°C) | 54°/38°F (12.2°/3.6°C) |
Data:
Norwegian Meteorological Institute,
National Weather Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Norway and United States. To live, work, or study long-term in United States, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check United States's immigration authority.
Norway passport holder visiting United States
Electronic Travel Authorisation
United States 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 California than Norway?
On average California is around 9% pricier than Norway, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to California?
Budget about $20,450 for 3 months in California (based on a NOK738,075 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from California?
From major California cities the network usually holds up. Visa rules, your employer's stance on overseas employees, and tax residency in Norway and California are what actually decide it long-term.
How is healthcare in California compared to Norway?
Norway performs better than California across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in California compared to Norway?
The average high temperature in Sacramento is 74°F, compared to 49°F in Oslo. Sacramento receives around 18.5 in of rainfall per year, while Oslo gets 30.0 in.
What language do they speak in California?
The official language in California is English. In Norway, the official languages are Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk and Sami.
