Moving to Switzerland from Norway
What to Expect
Considering a move from Norway to Switzerland? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Norway to Switzerland, you would find that Switzerland is 29.1% more expensive than Norway overall. A NOK700,000 salary in Norway would need to be roughly CHF80,000 in Switzerland to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in French, Italian, Romansh and Swiss German.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Switzerland cheaper than Norway?
How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 30.6% more
Groceries
pay 1.6% more
Transportation
pay 11.5% more
Housing
pay 31.6% more
Childcare
pay 5.9 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 12.7% more
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 Switzerland?
What does your salary buy?
NOK700,000 → CHF80,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Switzerland
Calculate with your salary →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 Switzerland cost about 30% more than cities in Norway.
Compare cities head-to-head
Get free moving quotes to Switzerland
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Norway to Switzerland.
people moved from Norway to Switzerland · OECD (latest data available)
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Switzerland compared to Norway.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Norway generally does better on safety, though Switzerland 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
Norway generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Switzerland leads in adult obesity rate.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Norway generally does better on environment, though Switzerland leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
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 generally does better on infrastructure, though Switzerland leads in broadband per 100 people.
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
share of people below the poverty line
Norway generally does better on employment & economy, though Switzerland leads in gdp per capita.
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 Switzerland leads in life expectancy.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Norwegian Tax Administration (2017), Swiss Federal Tax Administration (2016). How we calculate this
Weather in Switzerland vs Norway
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Oslo | Zurich |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 32°/22°F (0°/-6°C) | 41°/30°F (5°/-1°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 59°/43°F (15°/6°C) | 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 66°/51°F (19°/10°C) | 70°/53°F (21°/12°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 39°/30°F (4°/-1°C) | 46°/36°F (8°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Oslo | Zurich |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29°/20°F (-1.8°/-6.8°C) | 36°/27°F (2.0°/-2.8°C) |
| Feb | 30°/20°F (-0.9°/-6.8°C) | 40°/29°F (4.2°/-1.9°C) |
| Mar | 38°/26°F (3.5°/-3.3°C) | 47°/33°F (8.3°/0.6°C) |
| Apr | 48°/33°F (9.1°/0.8°C) | 55°/39°F (12.6°/3.7°C) |
| May | 60°/44°F (15.8°/6.5°C) | 63°/46°F (17.3°/7.7°C) |
| Jun | 69°/51°F (20.4°/10.6°C) | 69°/51°F (20.5°/10.8°C) |
| Jul | 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.2°C) | 73°/55°F (23.0°/12.8°C) |
| Aug | 68°/52°F (20.1°/11.3°C) | 72°/54°F (22.0°/12.4°C) |
| Sep | 59°/46°F (15.1°/7.5°C) | 66°/50°F (18.8°/10.0°C) |
| Oct | 49°/39°F (9.3°/3.8°C) | 56°/43°F (13.3°/6.2°C) |
| Nov | 38°/29°F (3.2°/-1.5°C) | 44°/35°F (6.9°/1.4°C) |
| Dec | 31°/22°F (-0.5°/-5.6°C) | 37°/29°F (2.9°/-1.7°C) |
Data:
Norwegian Meteorological Institute,
MeteoSwiss - Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology
Can you move from Norway to Switzerland?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Norway and Switzerland. To live, work, or study long-term in Switzerland, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Switzerland's immigration authority.
Norway passport holder visiting Switzerland
Visa Free
Switzerland 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 Switzerland than Norway?
On average Switzerland is around 29% pricier than Norway, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Switzerland?
Budget about CHF20,000 for 3 months in Switzerland (based on a NOK700,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Switzerland?
Connectivity is usually fine (Switzerland: 47.0 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Switzerland offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Switzerland safe for expats?
Norway generally does better on safety, though Switzerland leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in Switzerland is 0.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.7 in Norway.
How is healthcare in Switzerland compared to Norway?
Norway generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Switzerland leads in adult obesity rate. There are 44.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Switzerland, compared to 49.8 in Norway. Switzerland scores 86 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Norway: 87).
What's the weather like in Switzerland compared to Norway?
The average high temperature in Zurich is 55°F, compared to 49°F in Oslo. Zurich receives around 42.8 in of rainfall per year, while Oslo gets 30.0 in.
What language do they speak in Switzerland?
The official languages in Switzerland are French, Italian, Romansh and Swiss German. In Norway, the official languages are Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk and Sami.
