Moving to Norway from Sweden
What to Expect
Considering a move from Sweden to Norway? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Sweden to Norway, you would find that Norway is 42.3% more expensive than Sweden overall. A SEK740,000 salary in Sweden would need to be roughly NOK1,000,000 in Norway to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk and Sami.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Norway cheaper than Sweden?
How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 52.5% more
Groceries
pay 31.3% more
Transportation
pay 24.1% more
Housing
pay 61.2% more
Childcare
pay 48.1% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 36.2% 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 Norway?
What does your salary buy?
SEK740,000 → NOK1,000,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Norway
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 Norway cost about 34% more than cities in Sweden.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Sweden to Norway.
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Norway compared to Sweden.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Norway performs significantly better than Sweden 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
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Norway generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Sweden 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
Sweden performs better than Norway 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 significantly better than Sweden 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
share of people below the poverty line
Norway performs significantly better than Sweden 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
Sweden performs better than Norway across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Skatteverket (2016), Norwegian Tax Administration (2017). How we calculate this
Weather in Norway vs Sweden
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Stockholm | Oslo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 36°/28°F (2°/-2°C) | 32°/22°F (0°/-6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 61°/45°F (16°/7°C) | 59°/43°F (15°/6°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 69°/56°F (21°/13°C) | 66°/51°F (19°/10°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 43°/36°F (6°/2°C) | 39°/30°F (4°/-1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Stockholm | Oslo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 34°/27°F (1.0°/-2.9°C) | 29°/20°F (-1.8°/-6.8°C) |
| Feb | 34°/26°F (1.2°/-3.2°C) | 30°/20°F (-0.9°/-6.8°C) |
| Mar | 40°/30°F (4.7°/-1.1°C) | 38°/26°F (3.5°/-3.3°C) |
| Apr | 51°/37°F (10.7°/2.6°C) | 48°/33°F (9.1°/0.8°C) |
| May | 62°/45°F (16.5°/7.1°C) | 60°/44°F (15.8°/6.5°C) |
| Jun | 69°/53°F (20.8°/11.6°C) | 69°/51°F (20.4°/10.6°C) |
| Jul | 74°/59°F (23.6°/14.8°C) | 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.2°C) |
| Aug | 72°/58°F (22.1°/14.2°C) | 68°/52°F (20.1°/11.3°C) |
| Sep | 62°/50°F (16.6°/10.2°C) | 59°/46°F (15.1°/7.5°C) |
| Oct | 50°/42°F (10.1°/5.5°C) | 49°/39°F (9.3°/3.8°C) |
| Nov | 42°/35°F (5.4°/1.9°C) | 38°/29°F (3.2°/-1.5°C) |
| Dec | 36°/30°F (2.5°/-1.2°C) | 31°/22°F (-0.5°/-5.6°C) |
Data:
Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI),
Norwegian Meteorological Institute
Can you move from Sweden to Norway?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Sweden 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.
Sweden passport holder visiting Norway
Visa Free
Norway passport holder visiting Sweden
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 Sweden?
On average Norway is around 42% pricier than Sweden, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Norway?
Budget about NOK250,000 for 3 months in Norway (based on a SEK740,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Norway?
Connectivity is usually fine (Norway: 45.2 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Norway offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Norway safe for expats?
Norway performs significantly better than Sweden across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Norway is 0.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.1 in Sweden.
How is healthcare in Norway compared to Sweden?
Norway generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Sweden leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 49.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Norway, compared to 44.1 in Sweden. Norway scores 87 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Sweden: 85).
What's the weather like in Norway compared to Sweden?
The average high temperature in Oslo is 49°F, compared to 52°F in Stockholm. Oslo receives around 30.0 in of rainfall per year, while Stockholm gets 21.5 in.
What language do they speak in Norway?
The official languages in Norway are Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk and Sami. In Sweden, the official language is Swedish.
