Moving to France from Norway
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Norway to France — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Norway to France, you would find that France is 24.2% cheaper than Norway overall. A NOK710,000 salary in Norway would need to be roughly €50,800 in France to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in French. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Paris averages 60°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 ↓Is France cheaper than Norway?
Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 22.0% less
Groceries
pay 22.1% less
Transportation
pay 21.4% less
Housing
pay 37.1% less
Childcare
pay 2.2 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 30.8% 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.
What salary do you need in France?
What does your salary buy?
NOK710,000 → €50,800
To maintain the same standard of living in France
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 France cost about 15% less than cities in Norway.
Compare cities head-to-head
Get free moving quotes to France
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Norway to France, based on official data.
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Norway to France.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Norway performs better than France 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 France 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 generally does better on environment, though France leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
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 generally does better on infrastructure, though France leads in broadband per 100 people.
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 France 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
Norway performs better than France across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Norwegian Tax Administration (2017), Direction Générale des Finances Publiques (2016). How we calculate this
Weather in France vs Norway
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Oslo | Paris |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 32°/22°F (0°/-6°C) | 48°/38°F (9°/3°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 59°/43°F (15°/6°C) | 65°/50°F (18°/10°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 66°/51°F (19°/10°C) | 74°/58°F (23°/14°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 39°/30°F (4°/-1°C) | 52°/43°F (11°/6°C) |
View all months
| Month | Oslo | Paris |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29°/20°F (-1.8°/-6.8°C) | 44°/36°F (6.9°/2.5°C) |
| Feb | 30°/20°F (-0.9°/-6.8°C) | 47°/37°F (8.2°/2.8°C) |
| Mar | 38°/26°F (3.5°/-3.3°C) | 53°/41°F (11.8°/5.1°C) |
| Apr | 48°/33°F (9.1°/0.8°C) | 58°/44°F (14.7°/6.8°C) |
| May | 60°/44°F (15.8°/6.5°C) | 66°/51°F (19.0°/10.5°C) |
| Jun | 69°/51°F (20.4°/10.6°C) | 71°/56°F (21.8°/13.3°C) |
| Jul | 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.2°C) | 76°/60°F (24.4°/15.5°C) |
| Aug | 68°/52°F (20.1°/11.3°C) | 76°/60°F (24.6°/15.4°C) |
| Sep | 59°/46°F (15.1°/7.5°C) | 69°/54°F (20.8°/12.5°C) |
| Oct | 49°/39°F (9.3°/3.8°C) | 60°/49°F (15.8°/9.2°C) |
| Nov | 38°/29°F (3.2°/-1.5°C) | 51°/42°F (10.4°/5.3°C) |
| Dec | 31°/22°F (-0.5°/-5.6°C) | 46°/38°F (7.8°/3.6°C) |
Norwegian Meteorological Institute
Météo-FranceCan you move from Norway to France?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Norway and France. To live, work, or study long-term in France, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check France's immigration authority.
Norway passport holder visiting France
Visa Free
France 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 France than Norway?
Yes — France is on average about 24% cheaper than Norway. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to France?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly €12,700 in France on a NOK710,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from France?
Internet is rarely the blocker — France has 48.9 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 France safe for expats?
Norway performs better than France across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in France is 1.3 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.7 in Norway.
How is healthcare in France compared to Norway?
Norway generally does better on health & wellbeing, though France leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 32.8 doctors per 10,000 people in France, compared to 49.8 in Norway. France scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Norway: 87).
What's the weather like in France compared to Norway?
The average high temperature in Paris is 60°F, compared to 49°F in Oslo. Paris receives around 25.6 in of rainfall per year, while Oslo gets 30.0 in.
What language do they speak in France?
The official language in France is French. In Norway, the official languages are Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk and Sami.
