Moving to Iowa from Norway
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Norway to Iowa — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Norway to Iowa, you would find that Iowa is 12.7% more expensive than Norway overall. A NOK738,075 salary in Norway would need to be roughly $57,378 in Iowa to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Des Moines 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 ↓How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Norway to Iowa.
What does your salary buy?
NOK738,075 → $57,378
To maintain the same standard of living in Iowa
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 27.5% less
Groceries
pay 7.9% less
Transportation
pay 41.5% less
Housing
pay 3.0% less
Childcare
pay 3.1 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 16.1% 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 Iowa cost about 15% less than cities in Norway.
Compare cities head-to-head
Get free moving quotes to Iowa
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?
How many people actually move from Norway to Iowa, 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 Iowa.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Norway performs better than Iowa across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Norway performs better than Iowa 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
Iowa generally does better on employment & economy, though Norway leads in gdp per capita.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
Norway performs better than Iowa 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 | Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 32°/22°F (0°/-6°C) | 39°/21°F (4°/-6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 59°/43°F (15°/6°C) | 72°/52°F (22°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 66°/51°F (19°/10°C) | 82°/62°F (28°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 39°/30°F (4°/-1°C) | 48°/31°F (9°/-1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Oslo | Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29°/20°F (-1.8°/-6.8°C) | 31°/14°F (-0.6°/-9.8°C) |
| Feb | 30°/20°F (-0.9°/-6.8°C) | 36°/19°F (2.3°/-7.3°C) |
| Mar | 38°/26°F (3.5°/-3.3°C) | 49°/30°F (9.4°/-1.3°C) |
| Apr | 48°/33°F (9.1°/0.8°C) | 62°/41°F (16.8°/5.1°C) |
| May | 60°/44°F (15.8°/6.5°C) | 72°/52°F (22.4°/11.2°C) |
| Jun | 69°/51°F (20.4°/10.6°C) | 82°/62°F (27.6°/16.7°C) |
| Jul | 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.2°C) | 86°/67°F (29.8°/19.3°C) |
| Aug | 68°/52°F (20.1°/11.3°C) | 84°/65°F (28.8°/18.2°C) |
| Sep | 59°/46°F (15.1°/7.5°C) | 76°/55°F (24.5°/12.9°C) |
| Oct | 49°/39°F (9.3°/3.8°C) | 63°/43°F (17.3°/6.1°C) |
| Nov | 38°/29°F (3.2°/-1.5°C) | 48°/31°F (8.8°/-0.8°C) |
| Dec | 31°/22°F (-0.5°/-5.6°C) | 34°/18°F (1.1°/-7.8°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 Iowa than Norway?
Yes — Iowa is on average about 23% cheaper than Norway. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to Iowa?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $14,344 in Iowa on a NOK738,075 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Iowa?
Usually fine from major cities in Iowa. 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 Iowa compared to Norway?
Norway performs better than Iowa across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Iowa compared to Norway?
The average high temperature in Des Moines is 60°F, compared to 49°F in Oslo. Des Moines receives around 36.0 in of rainfall per year, while Oslo gets 30.0 in.
What language do they speak in Iowa?
The official language in Iowa is English. In Norway, the official languages are Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk and Sami.
