Moving to Singapore from Norway
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Norway to Singapore — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Norway to Singapore, you would find that Singapore is 22.1% more expensive than Norway overall. A NOK710,000 salary in Norway would need to be roughly SGD118,000 in Singapore to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Chinese, English, Malay and Tamil. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Singapore averages 89°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 ↓Is Singapore cheaper than Norway?
Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 48.7% less
Groceries
pay 8.3% less
Transportation
pay 42.2% more
Housing
pay 64.7% more
Childcare
pay 4.1 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 1.9% 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.
What salary do you need in Singapore?
What does your salary buy?
NOK710,000 → SGD118,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Singapore
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Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Norway to Singapore.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Norway generally does better on safety, though Singapore leads in homicide rate.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Singapore generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Norway leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Norway performs better than Singapore across all environment metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
Norway performs better than Singapore across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
Singapore performs significantly better than Norway across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
Norway generally does better on family life, though Singapore leads in life expectancy.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Norwegian Tax Administration (2017), Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (2016). How we calculate this
Weather in Singapore vs Norway
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Oslo | Singapore |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 32°/22°F (0°/-6°C) | 89°/76°F (31°/25°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 59°/43°F (15°/6°C) | 90°/78°F (32°/26°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 66°/51°F (19°/10°C) | 89°/78°F (31°/25°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 39°/30°F (4°/-1°C) | 88°/76°F (31°/25°C) |
View all months
| Month | Oslo | Singapore |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29°/20°F (-1.8°/-6.8°C) | 87°/76°F (30.6°/24.3°C) |
| Feb | 30°/20°F (-0.9°/-6.8°C) | 89°/76°F (31.5°/24.6°C) |
| Mar | 38°/26°F (3.5°/-3.3°C) | 90°/77°F (32.2°/24.9°C) |
| Apr | 48°/33°F (9.1°/0.8°C) | 90°/78°F (32.4°/25.3°C) |
| May | 60°/44°F (15.8°/6.5°C) | 90°/78°F (32.3°/25.7°C) |
| Jun | 69°/51°F (20.4°/10.6°C) | 89°/78°F (31.9°/25.7°C) |
| Jul | 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.2°C) | 89°/78°F (31.4°/25.4°C) |
| Aug | 68°/52°F (20.1°/11.3°C) | 89°/78°F (31.4°/25.3°C) |
| Sep | 59°/46°F (15.1°/7.5°C) | 89°/77°F (31.6°/25.2°C) |
| Oct | 49°/39°F (9.3°/3.8°C) | 89°/77°F (31.8°/25.0°C) |
| Nov | 38°/29°F (3.2°/-1.5°C) | 88°/76°F (31.2°/24.6°C) |
| Dec | 31°/22°F (-0.5°/-5.6°C) | 87°/76°F (30.5°/24.3°C) |
Data:
Norwegian Meteorological Institute,
Meteorological Service Singapore
Can you move from Norway to Singapore?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Norway and Singapore. To live, work, or study long-term in Singapore, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Singapore's immigration authority.
Norway passport holder visiting Singapore
Visa Free
Singapore 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 Singapore than Norway?
No — Singapore is on average about 22% more expensive than Norway. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Singapore?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly SGD29,500 in Singapore on a NOK710,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Singapore?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Singapore has 27.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
Is Singapore safe for expats?
Norway generally does better on safety, though Singapore leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in Singapore is 0.1 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.7 in Norway.
How is healthcare in Singapore compared to Norway?
Singapore generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Norway leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 28.3 doctors per 10,000 people in Singapore, compared to 49.8 in Norway. Singapore scores 89 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Norway: 87).
What's the weather like in Singapore compared to Norway?
The average high temperature in Singapore is 89°F, compared to 49°F in Oslo. Singapore receives around 83.2 in of rainfall per year, while Oslo gets 30.0 in.
What language do they speak in Singapore?
The official languages in Singapore are Chinese, English, Malay and Tamil. In Norway, the official languages are Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk and Sami.
