Moving to Illinois from Norway
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Norway to Illinois — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Norway to Illinois, you would find that Illinois is 31.7% more expensive than Norway overall. A NOK713,428 salary in Norway would need to be roughly $64,429 in Illinois to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Springfield averages 63°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?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Norway to Illinois.
What does your salary buy?
NOK713,428 → $64,429
To maintain the same standard of living in Illinois
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 25.9% less
Groceries
pay 0.3% more
Transportation
pay 24.9% less
Housing
pay 15.6% more
Childcare
pay 3.9 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 17.2% 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 Illinois cost about 5% less than cities in Norway.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Norway to Illinois, based on official data.
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
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Norway to Illinois.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Norway performs better than Illinois across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Norway performs better than Illinois 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 Illinois leads in poverty rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
Norway performs better than Illinois 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 | Springfield |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 32°/22°F (0°/-6°C) | 42°/25°F (6°/-4°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 59°/43°F (15°/6°C) | 74°/52°F (23°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 66°/51°F (19°/10°C) | 83°/61°F (29°/16°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 39°/30°F (4°/-1°C) | 52°/33°F (11°/1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Oslo | Springfield |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29°/20°F (-1.8°/-6.8°C) | 35°/19°F (1.6°/-7.4°C) |
| Feb | 30°/20°F (-0.9°/-6.8°C) | 40°/23°F (4.4°/-5.2°C) |
| Mar | 38°/26°F (3.5°/-3.3°C) | 52°/32°F (11.2°/0.1°C) |
| Apr | 48°/33°F (9.1°/0.8°C) | 65°/42°F (18.1°/5.8°C) |
| May | 60°/44°F (15.8°/6.5°C) | 75°/53°F (23.8°/11.4°C) |
| Jun | 69°/51°F (20.4°/10.6°C) | 83°/62°F (28.4°/16.6°C) |
| Jul | 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.2°C) | 86°/65°F (30.1°/18.6°C) |
| Aug | 68°/52°F (20.1°/11.3°C) | 85°/64°F (29.4°/17.6°C) |
| Sep | 59°/46°F (15.1°/7.5°C) | 79°/55°F (26.1°/12.6°C) |
| Oct | 49°/39°F (9.3°/3.8°C) | 66°/44°F (19.1°/6.6°C) |
| Nov | 38°/29°F (3.2°/-1.5°C) | 52°/34°F (11.3°/1.1°C) |
| Dec | 31°/22°F (-0.5°/-5.6°C) | 38°/22°F (3.5°/-5.3°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 Illinois than Norway?
Yes — Illinois is on average about 14% cheaper than Norway. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to Illinois?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $16,107 in Illinois on a NOK713,428 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Illinois?
Usually fine from major cities in Illinois. The harder questions are legal — digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
How is healthcare in Illinois compared to Norway?
Norway performs better than Illinois across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Illinois compared to Norway?
The average high temperature in Springfield is 63°F, compared to 49°F in Oslo. Springfield receives around 37.4 in of rainfall per year, while Oslo gets 30.0 in.
What language do they speak in Illinois?
The official language in Illinois is English. In Norway, the official languages are Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk and Sami.
