Moving to Massachusetts from Norway
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Norway to Massachusetts — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Norway to Massachusetts, you would find that Massachusetts is 62.1% more expensive than Norway overall. A NOK713,428 salary in Norway would need to be roughly $79,836 in Massachusetts to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Boston averages 59°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 Massachusetts.
What does your salary buy?
NOK713,428 → $79,836
To maintain the same standard of living in Massachusetts
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 14.6% less
Groceries
pay 14.1% more
Transportation
pay 24.9% less
Housing
pay 56.2% more
Childcare
pay 5.3 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 5.7% 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 Massachusetts cost about 25% more 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 Massachusetts, 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 Massachusetts.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Norway performs better than Massachusetts across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Norway performs better than Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts leads in poverty rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
Norway performs better than Massachusetts 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 | Boston |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 32°/22°F (0°/-6°C) | 40°/26°F (4°/-3°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 59°/43°F (15°/6°C) | 66°/50°F (19°/10°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 66°/51°F (19°/10°C) | 78°/62°F (25°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 39°/30°F (4°/-1°C) | 51°/38°F (11°/3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Oslo | Boston |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29°/20°F (-1.8°/-6.8°C) | 36°/22°F (2.1°/-5.4°C) |
| Feb | 30°/20°F (-0.9°/-6.8°C) | 39°/25°F (3.7°/-4.1°C) |
| Mar | 38°/26°F (3.5°/-3.3°C) | 45°/31°F (7.4°/-0.5°C) |
| Apr | 48°/33°F (9.1°/0.8°C) | 56°/41°F (13.1°/4.8°C) |
| May | 60°/44°F (15.8°/6.5°C) | 66°/50°F (18.9°/9.9°C) |
| Jun | 69°/51°F (20.4°/10.6°C) | 76°/60°F (24.4°/15.3°C) |
| Jul | 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.2°C) | 81°/65°F (27.4°/18.6°C) |
| Aug | 68°/52°F (20.1°/11.3°C) | 80°/65°F (26.4°/18.1°C) |
| Sep | 59°/46°F (15.1°/7.5°C) | 72°/57°F (22.4°/14.1°C) |
| Oct | 49°/39°F (9.3°/3.8°C) | 61°/47°F (16.3°/8.1°C) |
| Nov | 38°/29°F (3.2°/-1.5°C) | 51°/38°F (10.8°/3.3°C) |
| Dec | 31°/22°F (-0.5°/-5.6°C) | 41°/28°F (5.1°/-2.1°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 Massachusetts than Norway?
No — Massachusetts is on average about 6% more expensive than Norway. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Massachusetts?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $19,959 in Massachusetts on a NOK713,428 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Massachusetts?
Usually fine from major cities in Massachusetts. 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 Massachusetts compared to Norway?
Norway performs better than Massachusetts across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Massachusetts compared to Norway?
The average high temperature in Boston is 59°F, compared to 49°F in Oslo. Boston receives around 43.8 in of rainfall per year, while Oslo gets 30.0 in.
What language do they speak in Massachusetts?
The official language in Massachusetts is English. In Norway, the official languages are Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk and Sami.
