Moving to Netherlands from Norway

moving to

What to Expect

Considering a move from Norway to Netherlands? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.

If you moved from Norway to Netherlands, you would find that Netherlands is 2.9% cheaper than Norway overall. A NOK720,000 salary in Norway would need to be roughly €65,300 in Netherlands to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Dutch.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Norway and Netherlands.

What does your salary buy?

NOK720,000 → €65,300

To maintain the same standard of living in Netherlands

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 5.5% less

Groceries

pay 26.3% less

Transportation

pay 3.7% more

Housing

pay 5.6% more

Childcare

pay 2.8 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 26.0% less

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 NOK = 0.0934 EUR (October 2026)

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 Netherlands cost about 3% less than cities in Norway.

Norway

Oslo ★ 78%
Arendal 69%
Drammen 69%
Sandnes 68%
Haugesund 68%

Netherlands

Rotterdam 68%
Arnhem 63%

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 Netherlands.

Moved in 2023
615 ↓ 1% vs 2022

people moved from Norway to Netherlands · OECD (latest data available)

Who's moving to Netherlands?

Top countries of origin for Netherlands's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

The numbers behind daily life in Netherlands compared to Norway.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

NO
0.7
NL
0.7
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

NO
1.5
NL
3.4

Norway generally does better on safety, though Netherlands leads in homicide rate.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

NO
$9,523
NL
$8,195
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2023

affects wait times and access to care

NO
49.8
NL
38.8

Netherlands generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Norway leads in doctors per 10,000 people.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

NO
8.0
NL
13.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

NO
7.2t
NL
6.6t

Norway generally does better on environment, though Netherlands leads in co₂ emissions per capita.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

NO
45.2
NL
43.0
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

NO
2.0%
NL
16.7%

Norway performs better than Netherlands across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

NO
4.6%
NL
3.9%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

NO
$94,594
NL
$73,684

Norway generally does better on employment & economy, though Netherlands leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

NO
83.2 yrs
NL
82.0 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

NO
2.0
NL
3.4

Norway performs better than Netherlands across all family life metrics.

Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Norwegian Tax Administration (2017), Tax and Customs Administration - Belastingdienst (2016). How we calculate this

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Oslo Rain: 30.0 in/yr (763 mm)
49° / 36°F

Avg. annual high / low

Amsterdam Rain: 30.7 in/yr (780 mm)
56° / 43°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Oslo Amsterdam
Jan–Mar 32°/22°F (0°/-6°C) 45°/34°F (7°/1°C)
Apr–Jun 59°/43°F (15°/6°C) 61°/45°F (16°/7°C)
Jul–Sep 66°/51°F (19°/10°C) 69°/53°F (21°/12°C)
Oct–Dec 39°/30°F (4°/-1°C) 50°/40°F (10°/4°C)
View all months
Month Oslo Amsterdam
Jan 29°/20°F (-1.8°/-6.8°C) 42°/33°F (5.4°/0.5°C)
Feb 30°/20°F (-0.9°/-6.8°C) 43°/32°F (6.0°/0.2°C)
Mar 38°/26°F (3.5°/-3.3°C) 49°/36°F (9.2°/2.4°C)
Apr 48°/33°F (9.1°/0.8°C) 54°/39°F (12.4°/4.0°C)
May 60°/44°F (15.8°/6.5°C) 63°/46°F (17.1°/7.8°C)
Jun 69°/51°F (20.4°/10.6°C) 67°/51°F (19.2°/10.4°C)
Jul 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.2°C) 71°/54°F (21.4°/12.5°C)
Aug 68°/52°F (20.1°/11.3°C) 71°/54°F (21.8°/12.3°C)
Sep 59°/46°F (15.1°/7.5°C) 65°/50°F (18.4°/10.2°C)
Oct 49°/39°F (9.3°/3.8°C) 57°/45°F (14.1°/7.0°C)
Nov 38°/29°F (3.2°/-1.5°C) 49°/39°F (9.2°/3.9°C)
Dec 31°/22°F (-0.5°/-5.6°C) 44°/35°F (6.5°/1.9°C)

Data: Norwegian Meteorological Institute Norwegian Meteorological Institute, Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Norway and Netherlands. To live, work, or study long-term in Netherlands, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Netherlands's immigration authority.

Norway passport

Norway passport holder visiting Netherlands

Visa Free
Norway passport holders can enter Netherlands without a visa.
Netherlands passport

Netherlands passport holder visiting Norway

Visa Free
Netherlands passport holders can enter Norway without a visa.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Netherlands than Norway?

On average Netherlands is about 3% less expensive than Norway, with major cities narrowing the gap.

How much money do I need to move to Netherlands?

Budget about €16,325 for 3 months in Netherlands (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 Netherlands?

Connectivity is usually fine (Netherlands: 43.0 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Netherlands offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?

Is Netherlands safe for expats?

Norway generally does better on safety, though Netherlands leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in Netherlands is 0.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.7 in Norway.

How is healthcare in Netherlands compared to Norway?

Netherlands generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Norway leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 38.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Netherlands, compared to 49.8 in Norway. Netherlands scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Norway: 87).

What's the weather like in Netherlands compared to Norway?

The average high temperature in Amsterdam is 56°F, compared to 49°F in Oslo. Amsterdam receives around 30.7 in of rainfall per year, while Oslo gets 30.0 in.

What language do they speak in Netherlands?

The official language in Netherlands is Dutch. In Norway, the official languages are Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk and Sami.

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At a Glance

NO NL
Population 5,610,870 18,087,633
Currency Norwegian Krone (NOK) Euro (€)
Languages Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, Sami Dutch
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +47 +31
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 112