Moving to Germany from Norway
What to Expect
Considering a move from Norway to Germany? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Norway to Germany, you would find that Germany is 23.1% cheaper than Norway overall. A NOK720,000 salary in Norway would need to be roughly €51,700 in Germany to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in German.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Norway and Germany.
What does your salary buy?
NOK720,000 → €51,700
To maintain the same standard of living in Germany
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 21.8% less
Groceries
pay 31.8% less
Transportation
pay 15.8% less
Housing
pay 29.1% less
Childcare
pay 89.5% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 34.4% 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 Germany cost about 17% less 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 Germany.
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Germany compared to Norway.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Norway performs better than Germany 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
Germany generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Norway leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
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 Germany 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 Germany 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 generally does better on employment & economy, though Germany leads in unemployment 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 performs better than Germany across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Norwegian Tax Administration (2017), Federal Central Tax Office (BZSt) (2016). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Oslo | Berlin |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 32°/22°F (0°/-6°C) | 41°/31°F (5°/-1°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 59°/43°F (15°/6°C) | 64°/47°F (18°/8°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 66°/51°F (19°/10°C) | 72°/55°F (22°/13°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 39°/30°F (4°/-1°C) | 47°/37°F (8°/3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Oslo | Berlin |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29°/20°F (-1.8°/-6.8°C) | 37°/29°F (2.9°/-1.9°C) |
| Feb | 30°/20°F (-0.9°/-6.8°C) | 40°/29°F (4.2°/-1.5°C) |
| Mar | 38°/26°F (3.5°/-3.3°C) | 47°/34°F (8.5°/1.3°C) |
| Apr | 48°/33°F (9.1°/0.8°C) | 56°/40°F (13.2°/4.2°C) |
| May | 60°/44°F (15.8°/6.5°C) | 66°/48°F (18.9°/9.0°C) |
| Jun | 69°/51°F (20.4°/10.6°C) | 71°/54°F (21.6°/12.3°C) |
| Jul | 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.2°C) | 75°/58°F (23.7°/14.3°C) |
| Aug | 68°/52°F (20.1°/11.3°C) | 74°/57°F (23.6°/14.1°C) |
| Sep | 59°/46°F (15.1°/7.5°C) | 66°/51°F (18.8°/10.6°C) |
| Oct | 49°/39°F (9.3°/3.8°C) | 56°/44°F (13.4°/6.4°C) |
| Nov | 38°/29°F (3.2°/-1.5°C) | 45°/36°F (7.1°/2.2°C) |
| Dec | 31°/22°F (-0.5°/-5.6°C) | 40°/31°F (4.4°/-0.4°C) |
Data:
Norwegian Meteorological Institute,
Deutscher Wetterdienst
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Norway and Germany. To live, work, or study long-term in Germany, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Germany's immigration authority.
Norway passport holder visiting Germany
Visa Free
Germany 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 Germany than Norway?
On average Germany is about 23% less expensive than Norway, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Germany?
Budget about €12,925 for 3 months in Germany (based on a NOK720,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Germany?
Connectivity is usually fine (Germany: 45.6 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Germany offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Germany safe for expats?
Norway performs better than Germany across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Germany is 0.9 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.7 in Norway.
How is healthcare in Germany compared to Norway?
Germany generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Norway leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 45.3 doctors per 10,000 people in Germany, compared to 49.8 in Norway. Germany scores 88 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Norway: 87).
What's the weather like in Germany compared to Norway?
The average high temperature in Berlin is 56°F, compared to 49°F in Oslo. Berlin receives around 22.5 in of rainfall per year, while Oslo gets 30.0 in.
What language do they speak in Germany?
The official language in Germany is German. In Norway, the official languages are Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk and Sami.
