Moving to Estonia from Norway

moving to

What to Expect

Considering a move from Norway to Estonia? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.

If you moved from Norway to Estonia, you would find that Estonia is 44.6% cheaper than Norway overall. A NOK710,000 salary in Norway would need to be roughly €37,100 in Estonia to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Estonian.

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Is Estonia cheaper than Norway?

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 33.3% less

Groceries

pay 50.6% less

Transportation

pay 42.6% less

Housing

pay 55.2% less

Childcare

pay 16.3% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 38.8% less

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 NOK = 0.0944 EUR (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 Estonia?

What does your salary buy?

NOK710,000 → €37,100

To maintain the same standard of living in Estonia

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 Estonia cost about 36% less than cities in Norway.

Norway

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

Estonia

Narva 40%

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 Estonia.

Moved in 2023
44 ↑ 42% vs 2022

people moved from Norway to Estonia · OECD (latest data available)

Who's moving to Estonia?

Top countries of origin for Estonia's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

The numbers behind daily life in Estonia compared to Norway.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

NO
0.7
EE
1.5
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

NO
1.5
EE
4.4

Norway performs better than Estonia across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

NO
$9,523
EE
$3,741
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2023

affects wait times and access to care

NO
49.8
EE
34.7

Norway generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Estonia leads in healthcare spending per person.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

NO
8.0
EE
13.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

NO
7.2t
EE
7.8t

Norway performs better than Estonia across all environment metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

NO
45.2
EE
35.4
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

NO
2.0%
EE
13.1%

Norway performs better than Estonia across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

NO
4.6%
EE
8.3%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

NO
$94,594
EE
$34,418

Norway generally does better on employment & economy, though Estonia leads in top income tax rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

NO
83.2 yrs
EE
79.3 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

NO
2.0
EE
1.5

Norway generally does better on family life, though Estonia leads in infant mortality.

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

Weather in Estonia vs Norway

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

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

Avg. annual high / low

Tallinn Rain: 27.3 in/yr (693 mm)
48° / 36°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Oslo Tallinn
Jan–Mar 32°/22°F (0°/-6°C) 31°/21°F (0°/-6°C)
Apr–Jun 59°/43°F (15°/6°C) 57°/41°F (14°/5°C)
Jul–Sep 66°/51°F (19°/10°C) 65°/51°F (19°/10°C)
Oct–Dec 39°/30°F (4°/-1°C) 40°/31°F (4°/-1°C)
View all months
Month Oslo Tallinn
Jan 29°/20°F (-1.8°/-6.8°C) 29°/20°F (-1.4°/-6.6°C)
Feb 30°/20°F (-0.9°/-6.8°C) 29°/18°F (-1.8°/-7.5°C)
Mar 38°/26°F (3.5°/-3.3°C) 36°/24°F (2.0°/-4.3°C)
Apr 48°/33°F (9.1°/0.8°C) 47°/32°F (8.2°/0.1°C)
May 60°/44°F (15.8°/6.5°C) 59°/41°F (14.9°/5.0°C)
Jun 69°/51°F (20.4°/10.6°C) 66°/49°F (19.1°/9.7°C)
Jul 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.2°C) 70°/54°F (21.2°/12.1°C)
Aug 68°/52°F (20.1°/11.3°C) 68°/53°F (19.9°/11.6°C)
Sep 59°/46°F (15.1°/7.5°C) 58°/45°F (14.5°/7.2°C)
Oct 49°/39°F (9.3°/3.8°C) 48°/38°F (9.1°/3.3°C)
Nov 38°/29°F (3.2°/-1.5°C) 38°/30°F (3.3°/-1.2°C)
Dec 31°/22°F (-0.5°/-5.6°C) 33°/24°F (0.3°/-4.6°C)

Data: Norwegian Meteorological Institute Norwegian Meteorological Institute, Estonian Meteorological and Hydrological Institute Estonian Meteorological and Hydrological Institute

Can you move from Norway to Estonia?

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Norway and Estonia. To live, work, or study long-term in Estonia, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Estonia's immigration authority.

Norway passport

Norway passport holder visiting Estonia

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

Estonia passport holder visiting Norway

Visa Free
Estonia passport holders can enter Norway 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 Estonia than Norway?

On average Estonia is about 45% less expensive than Norway, with major cities narrowing the gap.

How much money do I need to move to Estonia?

Budget about €9,275 for 3 months in Estonia (based on a NOK710,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Estonia?

Connectivity is usually fine (Estonia: 35.4 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Estonia offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?

Is Estonia safe for expats?

Norway performs better than Estonia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Estonia is 1.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.7 in Norway.

How is healthcare in Estonia compared to Norway?

Norway generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Estonia leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 34.7 doctors per 10,000 people in Estonia, compared to 49.8 in Norway. Estonia scores 79 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Norway: 87).

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

The average high temperature in Tallinn is 48°F, compared to 49°F in Oslo. Tallinn receives around 27.3 in of rainfall per year, while Oslo gets 30.0 in.

What language do they speak in Estonia?

The official language in Estonia is Estonian. In Norway, the official languages are Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk and Sami.

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At a Glance

NO EE
Population 5,610,870 1,366,475
Currency Norwegian Krone (NOK) Euro (€)
Languages Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, Sami Estonian
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +47 +372
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 112