Moving to Somalia from Norway

moving to

What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Norway to Somalia — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Norway to Somalia, and you’d need to navigate life in Arabic and Somali. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Mogadishu averages 86°F vs 49°F in Oslo, making it significantly warmer.

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Key Indicator Comparison

How Norway and Somalia stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

NO
1.5
SO
20.2

Norway performs better than Somalia across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

NO
$9,523
SO
$52
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

affects wait times and access to care

NO
51.7
SO
0.2

Norway generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Somalia leads in healthcare spending per person.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

NO
8.0
SO
64.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

NO
7.2t
SO
0.0t

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

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

NO
45.9
SO
0.7
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

NO
2.0%
SO
24.5%

Norway performs better than Somalia across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

NO
3.6%
SO
19.0%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

NO
$90,500
SO
$1,500

Norway performs better than Somalia across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

NO
82.5 yrs
SO
55.7 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

NO
2.3
SO
86.5

Norway performs better than Somalia across all family life metrics.

Data: The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

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

Mogadishu Rain: 18.7 in/yr (474 mm)
86° / 75°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Oslo Mogadishu
Jan–Mar 32°/22°F (0°/-6°C) 86°/74°F (30°/24°C)
Apr–Jun 59°/43°F (15°/6°C) 88°/76°F (31°/25°C)
Jul–Sep 66°/51°F (19°/10°C) 84°/73°F (29°/23°C)
Oct–Dec 39°/30°F (4°/-1°C) 87°/75°F (30°/24°C)
View all months
Month Oslo Mogadishu
Jan 29°/20°F (-1.8°/-6.8°C) 86°/73°F (30.1°/23.0°C)
Feb 30°/20°F (-0.9°/-6.8°C) 86°/74°F (30.1°/23.2°C)
Mar 38°/26°F (3.5°/-3.3°C) 87°/76°F (30.7°/24.7°C)
Apr 48°/33°F (9.1°/0.8°C) 90°/78°F (32.0°/25.5°C)
May 60°/44°F (15.8°/6.5°C) 88°/76°F (31.1°/24.7°C)
Jun 69°/51°F (20.4°/10.6°C) 85°/74°F (29.5°/23.6°C)
Jul 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.2°C) 83°/73°F (28.5°/23.0°C)
Aug 68°/52°F (20.1°/11.3°C) 83°/73°F (28.5°/23.0°C)
Sep 59°/46°F (15.1°/7.5°C) 85°/74°F (29.2°/23.2°C)
Oct 49°/39°F (9.3°/3.8°C) 86°/76°F (30.1°/24.2°C)
Nov 38°/29°F (3.2°/-1.5°C) 87°/75°F (30.5°/24.1°C)
Dec 31°/22°F (-0.5°/-5.6°C) 87°/74°F (30.6°/23.5°C)

Data: Norwegian Meteorological Institute Norwegian Meteorological Institute

Visitor Visa Requirements

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

Norway passport

Norway passport holder visiting Somalia

Visa Online (e-Visa)
Norway passport holders need to apply for an e-Visa before travelling to Somalia.
Somalia passport

Somalia passport holder visiting Norway

Visa Required
Somalia passport holders need a visa to enter Norway.

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

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I work remotely from Somalia?

With 0.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Somalia can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Norway and Somalia.

Is Somalia safe for expats?

Norway performs better than Somalia across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Somalia compared to Norway?

Norway generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Somalia leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 0.2 doctors per 10,000 people in Somalia, compared to 51.7 in Norway. Somalia scores 27 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Norway: 87).

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

The average high temperature in Mogadishu is 86°F, compared to 49°F in Oslo. Mogadishu receives around 18.7 in of rainfall per year, while Oslo gets 30.0 in.

What language do they speak in Somalia?

The official languages in Somalia are Arabic and Somali. In Norway, the official languages are Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk and Sami.

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At a Glance

NO SO
Population 5,553,840 12,386,248
Currency Norwegian Krone (NOK) Somali Shilling (SOS)
Languages Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, Sami Arabic, Somali
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +47 +252
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112