Moving to Montana from Norway
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Norway to Montana — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Norway to Montana, you would find that Montana is 8.5% cheaper than Norway overall. A NOK720,000 salary in Norway would need to be roughly $68,900 in Montana to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Norway to Montana.
What does your salary buy?
NOK720,000 → $68,900
To maintain the same standard of living in Montana
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 18.3% less
Groceries
pay 17.6% less
Transportation
pay 43.6% less
Housing
pay 12.0% more
Childcare
pay 3.3 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 22.8% 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.
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 Montana cost about 5% less than cities in Norway.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Norway to Montana, and how the trend has changed.
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
How Norway and Montana stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Norway performs better than Montana across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Norway performs better than Montana 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
Montana 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 Montana across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), World Health Organization (2024), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024), OECD Regional Demography (2020). 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 | Helena |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 32°/22°F (0°/-6°C) | 40°/18°F (4°/-8°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 59°/43°F (15°/6°C) | 67°/41°F (19°/5°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 66°/51°F (19°/10°C) | 81°/50°F (27°/10°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 39°/30°F (4°/-1°C) | 45°/22°F (7°/-6°C) |
View all months
| Month | Oslo | Helena |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29°/20°F (-1.8°/-6.8°C) | 33°/13°F (0.7°/-10.6°C) |
| Feb | 30°/20°F (-0.9°/-6.8°C) | 39°/17°F (3.7°/-8.4°C) |
| Mar | 38°/26°F (3.5°/-3.3°C) | 48°/24°F (9.0°/-4.3°C) |
| Apr | 48°/33°F (9.1°/0.8°C) | 58°/32°F (14.3°/0.1°C) |
| May | 60°/44°F (15.8°/6.5°C) | 67°/41°F (19.5°/4.9°C) |
| Jun | 69°/51°F (20.4°/10.6°C) | 76°/49°F (24.3°/9.2°C) |
| Jul | 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.2°C) | 86°/54°F (29.8°/12.4°C) |
| Aug | 68°/52°F (20.1°/11.3°C) | 85°/52°F (29.2°/11.2°C) |
| Sep | 59°/46°F (15.1°/7.5°C) | 73°/43°F (22.6°/6.2°C) |
| Oct | 49°/39°F (9.3°/3.8°C) | 59°/33°F (14.8°/0.3°C) |
| Nov | 38°/29°F (3.2°/-1.5°C) | 43°/22°F (6.2°/-5.6°C) |
| Dec | 31°/22°F (-0.5°/-5.6°C) | 32°/12°F (-0.2°/-11.2°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 Montana than Norway?
Generally yes: Montana runs about 8% cheaper than Norway on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to Montana?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a NOK720,000 comparable salary, that's around $17,225 in Montana for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Montana?
Working remotely from Montana's major cities is generally feasible. The legal layer matters more — visa category, employer policy on overseas employees, and tax residency in Norway and Montana.
How is healthcare in Montana compared to Norway?
Norway performs better than Montana across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Montana compared to Norway?
The average high temperature in Helena is 58°F, compared to 49°F in Oslo. Helena receives around 11.2 in of rainfall per year, while Oslo gets 30.0 in.
What language do they speak in Montana?
The official language in Montana is English. In Norway, the official languages are Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk and Sami.
