Moving to Norway from Turkey

moving to

What to Expect

Everything you need to know before relocating from Turkey to Norway — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.

If you moved from Turkey to Norway, you would find that Norway is 2.4 times more expensive than Turkey overall. A TRY3,700,000 salary in Turkey would need to be roughly NOK1,690,000 in Norway to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk and Sami. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Oslo averages 49°F vs 65°F in Istanbul, making it significantly cooler.

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Is Norway cheaper than Turkey?

Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day

Restaurants

pay 2.7 times more

Groceries

pay 3.0 times more

Transportation

pay 71.8% more

Housing

pay 3.1 times more

Childcare

pay 44.9% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 2.3 times more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 TRY = 0.1904 NOK (October 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.

What salary do you need in Norway?

What does your salary buy?

TRY3,700,000 → NOK1,690,000

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 51% more than cities in Turkey.

Turkey

Fethiye 59%
Istanbul 53%
Antalya 43%
Izmir 42%

Norway

Oslo ★ 78%
Arendal 69%
Drammen 69%
Sandnes 68%
Haugesund 68%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

How many people actually move from Turkey to Norway, based on official data.

Moved in 2023
690 ↑ 15% vs 2022

people moved from Turkey 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

Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Turkey to Norway.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

TR
3.2
NO
0.7
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

TR
6.5
NO
1.5

Norway performs significantly better than Turkey across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

TR
$1,769
NO
$9,523
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2023

affects wait times and access to care

TR
22.4
NO
49.8

Norway generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Turkey leads in healthcare spending per person.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

TR
39.0
NO
8.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

TR
5.4t
NO
7.2t

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

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

TR
23.4
NO
45.2
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

TR
47.9%
NO
2.0%

Norway performs significantly better than Turkey across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

TR
8.5%
NO
4.6%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

TR
$18,599
NO
$94,594

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

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

TR
77.4 yrs
NO
83.2 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

TR
8.0
NO
2.0

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

Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Revenue Administration, Government of Turkey (2016), Norwegian Tax Administration (2017). How we calculate this

Weather in Norway vs Turkey

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Istanbul Rain: 26.7 in/yr (678 mm)
65° / 51°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Istanbul Oslo
Jan–Mar 49°/38°F (10°/3°C) 32°/22°F (0°/-6°C)
Apr–Jun 71°/54°F (21°/12°C) 59°/43°F (15°/6°C)
Jul–Sep 81°/64°F (27°/18°C) 66°/51°F (19°/10°C)
Oct–Dec 60°/48°F (16°/9°C) 39°/30°F (4°/-1°C)
View all months
Month Istanbul Oslo
Jan 48°/37°F (8.7°/2.9°C) 29°/20°F (-1.8°/-6.8°C)
Feb 48°/37°F (9.1°/2.8°C) 30°/20°F (-0.9°/-6.8°C)
Mar 52°/39°F (11.2°/3.9°C) 38°/26°F (3.5°/-3.3°C)
Apr 62°/46°F (16.5°/7.7°C) 48°/33°F (9.1°/0.8°C)
May 71°/54°F (21.4°/12.0°C) 60°/44°F (15.8°/6.5°C)
Jun 79°/61°F (26.0°/16.0°C) 69°/51°F (20.4°/10.6°C)
Jul 83°/65°F (28.4°/18.5°C) 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.2°C)
Aug 83°/66°F (28.5°/18.7°C) 68°/52°F (20.1°/11.3°C)
Sep 77°/60°F (25.0°/15.5°C) 59°/46°F (15.1°/7.5°C)
Oct 68°/54°F (20.1°/12.0°C) 49°/39°F (9.3°/3.8°C)
Nov 60°/47°F (15.3°/8.5°C) 38°/29°F (3.2°/-1.5°C)
Dec 52°/42°F (11.1°/5.3°C) 31°/22°F (-0.5°/-5.6°C)

Data: Turkish State Meteorological Service Turkish State Meteorological Service, Norwegian Meteorological Institute Norwegian Meteorological Institute

Can you move from Turkey to Norway?

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Turkey 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.

Turkey passport

Turkey passport holder visiting Norway

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

Norway passport holder visiting Turkey

Visa Free
Norway passport holders can enter Turkey without a visa.

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 Turkey?

No — Norway is on average about 140% more expensive than Turkey. City-level variation matters.

How much money do I need to move to Norway?

Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly NOK422,500 in Norway on a TRY3,700,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).

Can I work remotely from Norway?

Internet is rarely the blocker — Norway has 45.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.

Is Norway safe for expats?

Norway performs significantly better than Turkey across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Norway is 0.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 3.2 in Turkey.

How is healthcare in Norway compared to Turkey?

Norway generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Turkey leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 49.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Norway, compared to 22.4 in Turkey. Norway scores 87 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Turkey: 76).

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

The average high temperature in Oslo is 49°F, compared to 65°F in Istanbul. Oslo receives around 30.0 in of rainfall per year, while Istanbul gets 26.7 in.

What language do they speak in Norway?

The official languages in Norway are Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk and Sami. In Turkey, the official language is Turkish.

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At a Glance

TR NO
Population 85,878,556 5,610,870
Currency Turkish Lira (TRY) Norwegian Krone (NOK)
Languages Turkish Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, Sami
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +90 +47
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 112