Moving to Norway from South Africa
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from South Africa to Norway — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from South Africa to Norway, you would find that Norway is 2.3 times more expensive than South Africa overall. A ZAR1,223,538 salary in South Africa would need to be roughly NOK1,484,269 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 77°F in Pretoria, making it significantly cooler.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from South Africa to Norway.
What does your salary buy?
ZAR1,223,538 → NOK1,484,269
To maintain the same standard of living in Norway
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 2.9 times more
Groceries
pay 2.2 times more
Transportation
pay 79.9% more
Housing
pay 2.2 times more
Childcare
pay 95.9% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 3.2 times 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.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from South Africa to Norway, and how the trend has changed.
people moved from South Africa to Norway · OECD (latest data available)
Key Indicator Comparison
How South Africa and Norway stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Norway performs significantly better than South Africa across all safety metrics.
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
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Norway generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Africa leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
South Africa generally does better on environment, though Norway leads in air pollution deaths.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
Norway performs significantly better than South Africa 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
Norway performs significantly better than South Africa 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 South Africa leads in education spending.
Data: South African Revenue Service, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Pretoria | Oslo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 83°/64°F (28°/18°C) | 32°/22°F (0°/-6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 72°/48°F (22°/9°C) | 59°/43°F (15°/6°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 72°/47°F (22°/8°C) | 66°/51°F (19°/10°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 79°/60°F (26°/15°C) | 39°/30°F (4°/-1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Pretoria | Oslo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 84°/65°F (29.0°/18.1°C) | 29°/20°F (-1.8°/-6.8°C) |
| Feb | 84°/64°F (28.7°/18.0°C) | 30°/20°F (-0.9°/-6.8°C) |
| Mar | 81°/62°F (27.3°/16.6°C) | 38°/26°F (3.5°/-3.3°C) |
| Apr | 77°/56°F (24.8°/13.1°C) | 48°/33°F (9.1°/0.8°C) |
| May | 72°/48°F (22.4°/8.7°C) | 60°/44°F (15.8°/6.5°C) |
| Jun | 67°/41°F (19.6°/5.2°C) | 69°/51°F (20.4°/10.6°C) |
| Jul | 68°/42°F (19.8°/5.3°C) | 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.2°C) |
| Aug | 72°/47°F (22.3°/8.2°C) | 68°/52°F (20.1°/11.3°C) |
| Sep | 76°/53°F (24.4°/11.8°C) | 59°/46°F (15.1°/7.5°C) |
| Oct | 77°/57°F (25.2°/14.0°C) | 49°/39°F (9.3°/3.8°C) |
| Nov | 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.4°C) | 38°/29°F (3.2°/-1.5°C) |
| Dec | 82°/63°F (27.9°/17.0°C) | 31°/22°F (-0.5°/-5.6°C) |
Data:
South African Weather Service,
Norwegian Meteorological Institute
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between South Africa 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.
South Africa passport holder visiting Norway
Visa Required
Norway passport holder visiting South Africa
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 Norway than South Africa?
Day-to-day costs in Norway run about 108% higher than South Africa 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 ZAR1,223,538 comparable salary, that's around NOK371,067 in Norway for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, deposits, 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 South Africa and Norway.
Is Norway safe for expats?
Norway performs significantly better than South Africa across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Norway is 0.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 45.5 in South Africa.
How is healthcare in Norway compared to South Africa?
Norway generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Africa leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 51.7 doctors per 10,000 people in Norway, compared to 8.1 in South Africa. Norway scores 87 on the WHO universal health coverage index (South Africa: 71).
What's the weather like in Norway compared to South Africa?
The average high temperature in Oslo is 49°F, compared to 77°F in Pretoria. Oslo receives around 30.0 in of rainfall per year, while Pretoria gets 27.0 in.
What language do they speak in Norway?
The official languages in Norway are Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk and Sami. In South Africa, the official languages are Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu.
Compare further: South Africa vs. Norway
At a Glance
ZA
|
NO
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population | 57,516,665 | 5,553,840 |
| Currency | South African Rand (ZAR) | Norwegian Krone (NOK) |
| Languages | Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu | Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, Sami |
| Driving side | Left | Right |
| Calling code | +27 | +47 |
| Time zones | 1 | 1 |
| Emergency number | 10111 | 112 |