Moving to Norway from Pakistan

moving to

What to Expect

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

If you moved from Pakistan to Norway, you would find that Norway is 6.4 times more expensive than Pakistan overall. A PKR20,869,801 salary in Pakistan would need to be roughly NOK2,801,003 in Norway to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk and Sami. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Oslo averages 49°F vs 84°F in Islamabad, making it significantly cooler.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Pakistan to Norway.

What does your salary buy?

PKR20,869,801 NOK2,801,003

To maintain the same standard of living in Norway

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 8.8 times more

Groceries

pay 4.7 times more

Transportation

pay 5.2 times more

Housing

pay 9.4 times more

Childcare

pay 7.9 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 4.9 times more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 PKR = 0.0352 NOK (July 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 Norway cost about 244% more than cities in Pakistan.

Pakistan

Karachi 18%
Lahore 18%

Norway

Oslo 73%
Haugesund 64%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from Pakistan to Norway, and how the trend has changed.

Moved in 2023
980 ↓ 7% vs 2022

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

Who's moving to Norway?

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

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

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

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

per 100,000 people per year

PK
4.2
NO
0.6
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

PK
11.9
NO
1.5

Norway performs significantly better than Pakistan across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

PK
$152
NO
$9,523
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

affects wait times and access to care

PK
10.8
NO
51.7

Pakistan 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

PK
105.0
NO
8.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

PK
0.8t
NO
7.2t

Pakistan generally does better on environment, though Norway leads in air pollution deaths.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

PK
1.3
NO
45.9
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

PK
162.1%
NO
2.0%

Norway performs significantly better than Pakistan across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

PK
5.5%
NO
3.6%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

PK
$5,600
NO
$90,500

Norway generally does better on employment & economy, though Pakistan leads in top income tax rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

PK
69.7 yrs
NO
82.5 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

PK
54.0
NO
2.3

Norway performs significantly better than Pakistan across all family life metrics.

Data: Federal Board of Revenue, Government of Pakistan, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Islamabad Rain: 49.1 in/yr (1247 mm)
84° / 58°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Islamabad Oslo
Jan–Mar 69°/44°F (21°/7°C) 32°/22°F (0°/-6°C)
Apr–Jun 95°/68°F (35°/20°C) 59°/43°F (15°/6°C)
Jul–Sep 94°/74°F (34°/23°C) 66°/51°F (19°/10°C)
Oct–Dec 78°/48°F (26°/9°C) 39°/30°F (4°/-1°C)
View all months
Month Islamabad Oslo
Jan 64°/38°F (17.9°/3.2°C) 29°/20°F (-1.8°/-6.8°C)
Feb 68°/43°F (19.8°/6.0°C) 30°/20°F (-0.9°/-6.8°C)
Mar 76°/51°F (24.5°/10.7°C) 38°/26°F (3.5°/-3.3°C)
Apr 87°/60°F (30.5°/15.8°C) 48°/33°F (9.1°/0.8°C)
May 97°/69°F (36.0°/20.7°C) 60°/44°F (15.8°/6.5°C)
Jun 101°/75°F (38.4°/23.8°C) 69°/51°F (20.4°/10.6°C)
Jul 96°/76°F (35.3°/24.4°C) 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.2°C)
Aug 93°/75°F (33.7°/23.8°C) 68°/52°F (20.1°/11.3°C)
Sep 93°/70°F (33.7°/21.1°C) 59°/46°F (15.1°/7.5°C)
Oct 88°/58°F (30.9°/14.5°C) 49°/39°F (9.3°/3.8°C)
Nov 79°/47°F (25.9°/8.3°C) 38°/29°F (3.2°/-1.5°C)
Dec 68°/40°F (20.2°/4.3°C) 31°/22°F (-0.5°/-5.6°C)

Data: Norwegian Meteorological Institute Norwegian Meteorological Institute

Visitor Visa Requirements

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

Pakistan passport

Pakistan passport holder visiting Norway

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

Norway passport holder visiting Pakistan

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

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 Norway than Pakistan?

Day-to-day costs in Norway run about 282% higher than Pakistan on average; specific cities can swing further.

How much money do I need to move to Norway?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a PKR20,869,801 comparable salary, that's around NOK700,251 in Norway for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Norway?

With 45.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Norway can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Pakistan and Norway.

Is Norway safe for expats?

Norway performs significantly better than Pakistan across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Norway is 0.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 4.2 in Pakistan.

How is healthcare in Norway compared to Pakistan?

Pakistan generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Norway leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 51.7 doctors per 10,000 people in Norway, compared to 10.8 in Pakistan. Norway scores 87 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Pakistan: 45).

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

The average high temperature in Oslo is 49°F, compared to 84°F in Islamabad. Oslo receives around 30.0 in of rainfall per year, while Islamabad gets 49.1 in.

What language do they speak in Norway?

The official languages in Norway are Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk and Sami. In Pakistan, the official languages are English and Urdu.

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At a Glance

PK NO
Population 242,923,845 5,553,840
Currency Pakistani Rupee (PKR) Norwegian Krone (NOK)
Languages English, Urdu Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, Sami
Driving side Left Right
Calling code +92 +47
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 15 112