Moving to Canada from Norway
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Norway to Canada — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Norway to Canada, you would find that Canada is 3.3% cheaper than Norway overall. A NOK723,540 salary in Norway would need to be roughly CA$92,496 in Canada to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English and French.
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 Norway to Canada.
What does your salary buy?
NOK723,540 → CA$92,496
To maintain the same standard of living in Canada
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 32.1% less
Groceries
pay 6.6% less
Transportation
pay 29.9% less
Housing
pay 2.0% more
Childcare
pay 94.9% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 26.5% 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 Canada cost about 14% less than cities in Norway.
Compare cities head-to-head
Get free moving quotes to Canada
We've teamed up with a vetted network of international movers to help MyLifeElsewhere readers plan their move with confidence. Tell us about your move and get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes in under 2 minutes.
- ✅ Up to 5 quotes from screened movers
- ✅ Licensed and insured providers only
- ✅ 100% free — you choose who contacts you
Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Norway to Canada, and how the trend has changed.
Who's moving to Canada?
Top countries of origin for Canada's foreign-born residents.
- 720,083
- 699,190
- 633,547
- 537,504
- 273,226
- 254,831
- · · ·
-
125.4,177
Norway
Key Indicator Comparison
How Norway and Canada 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 better than Canada 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 Canada 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 Canada 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 Canada 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 generally does better on employment & economy, though Canada 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 Canada leads in life expectancy.
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 | Ottawa |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 32°/22°F (0°/-6°C) | 27°/10°F (-3°/-12°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 59°/43°F (15°/6°C) | 64°/45°F (18°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 66°/51°F (19°/10°C) | 75°/55°F (24°/13°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 39°/30°F (4°/-1°C) | 41°/25°F (5°/-4°C) |
View all months
| Month | Oslo | Ottawa |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29°/20°F (-1.8°/-6.8°C) | 21°/4°F (-6.1°/-15.3°C) |
| Feb | 30°/20°F (-0.9°/-6.8°C) | 25°/8°F (-4.1°/-13.3°C) |
| Mar | 38°/26°F (3.5°/-3.3°C) | 36°/19°F (2.2°/-7.1°C) |
| Apr | 48°/33°F (9.1°/0.8°C) | 51°/33°F (10.8°/0.6°C) |
| May | 60°/44°F (15.8°/6.5°C) | 66°/46°F (19.1°/7.7°C) |
| Jun | 69°/51°F (20.4°/10.6°C) | 75°/55°F (23.8°/12.7°C) |
| Jul | 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.2°C) | 80°/60°F (26.5°/15.4°C) |
| Aug | 68°/52°F (20.1°/11.3°C) | 77°/57°F (24.9°/14.1°C) |
| Sep | 59°/46°F (15.1°/7.5°C) | 67°/48°F (19.5°/9.1°C) |
| Oct | 49°/39°F (9.3°/3.8°C) | 54°/37°F (12.5°/3.0°C) |
| Nov | 38°/29°F (3.2°/-1.5°C) | 41°/27°F (4.8°/-2.8°C) |
| Dec | 31°/22°F (-0.5°/-5.6°C) | 27°/12°F (-3.0°/-11.1°C) |
Data:
Norwegian Meteorological Institute,
Meteorological Service of Canada
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Norway and Canada. To live, work, or study long-term in Canada, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Canada's immigration authority.
Norway passport holder visiting Canada
Electronic Travel Authorisation
Canada 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 Canada than Norway?
Generally yes: Canada runs about 12% cheaper than Norway on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to Canada?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a NOK723,540 comparable salary, that's around CA$23,124 in Canada for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Canada?
With 42.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Canada can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Norway and Canada.
Is Canada safe for expats?
Norway performs better than Canada across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Canada is 2.3 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.6 in Norway.
How is healthcare in Canada compared to Norway?
Norway generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Canada leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 25.0 doctors per 10,000 people in Canada, compared to 51.7 in Norway. Canada scores 91 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Norway: 87).
What's the weather like in Canada compared to Norway?
The average high temperature in Ottawa is 52°F, compared to 49°F in Oslo. Ottawa receives around 37.1 in of rainfall per year, while Oslo gets 30.0 in.
What language do they speak in Canada?
The official languages in Canada are English and French. In Norway, the official languages are Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk and Sami.
