Moving to Norway from Switzerland
What to Expect
Considering a move from Switzerland to Norway? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Switzerland to Norway, you would find that Norway is 22.5% cheaper than Switzerland overall. A CHF62,000 salary in Switzerland would need to be roughly NOK543,000 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 Switzerland?
How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 23.4% less
Groceries
pay 1.5% less
Transportation
pay 10.3% less
Housing
pay 24.0% less
Childcare
pay 83.2% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 11.3% less
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?
CHF62,000 → NOK543,000
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 23% less than cities in Switzerland.
Compare cities head-to-head
Get free moving quotes to Norway
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Switzerland to Norway.
people moved from Switzerland to Norway · OECD (latest data available)
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Norway compared to Switzerland.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Switzerland generally does better on safety, though Norway leads in road traffic deaths.
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
Switzerland 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
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), Swiss Federal Tax Administration (2016), Norwegian Tax Administration (2017). How we calculate this
Weather in Norway vs Switzerland
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Zurich | Oslo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 41°/30°F (5°/-1°C) | 32°/22°F (0°/-6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) | 59°/43°F (15°/6°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 70°/53°F (21°/12°C) | 66°/51°F (19°/10°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 46°/36°F (8°/2°C) | 39°/30°F (4°/-1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Zurich | Oslo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36°/27°F (2.0°/-2.8°C) | 29°/20°F (-1.8°/-6.8°C) |
| Feb | 40°/29°F (4.2°/-1.9°C) | 30°/20°F (-0.9°/-6.8°C) |
| Mar | 47°/33°F (8.3°/0.6°C) | 38°/26°F (3.5°/-3.3°C) |
| Apr | 55°/39°F (12.6°/3.7°C) | 48°/33°F (9.1°/0.8°C) |
| May | 63°/46°F (17.3°/7.7°C) | 60°/44°F (15.8°/6.5°C) |
| Jun | 69°/51°F (20.5°/10.8°C) | 69°/51°F (20.4°/10.6°C) |
| Jul | 73°/55°F (23.0°/12.8°C) | 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.2°C) |
| Aug | 72°/54°F (22.0°/12.4°C) | 68°/52°F (20.1°/11.3°C) |
| Sep | 66°/50°F (18.8°/10.0°C) | 59°/46°F (15.1°/7.5°C) |
| Oct | 56°/43°F (13.3°/6.2°C) | 49°/39°F (9.3°/3.8°C) |
| Nov | 44°/35°F (6.9°/1.4°C) | 38°/29°F (3.2°/-1.5°C) |
| Dec | 37°/29°F (2.9°/-1.7°C) | 31°/22°F (-0.5°/-5.6°C) |
Data:
MeteoSwiss - Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology,
Norwegian Meteorological Institute
Can you move from Switzerland to Norway?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Switzerland 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.
Switzerland passport holder visiting Norway
Visa Free
Norway passport holder visiting Switzerland
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 Switzerland?
On average Norway is about 23% less expensive than Switzerland, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Norway?
Budget about NOK135,750 for 3 months in Norway (based on a CHF62,000 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?
Switzerland generally does better on safety, though Norway leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Norway is 0.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.6 in Switzerland.
How is healthcare in Norway compared to Switzerland?
Norway generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Switzerland leads in adult obesity rate. There are 49.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Norway, compared to 44.8 in Switzerland. Norway scores 87 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Switzerland: 86).
What's the weather like in Norway compared to Switzerland?
The average high temperature in Oslo is 49°F, compared to 55°F in Zurich. Oslo receives around 30.0 in of rainfall per year, while Zurich gets 42.8 in.
What language do they speak in Norway?
The official languages in Norway are Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk and Sami. In Switzerland, the official languages are French, Italian, Romansh and Swiss German.
