Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Norway

For one person, living is cheaper in Australia: $2,626 a month against $2,917 in Norway, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. The total is higher in Norway despite lower rent and utilities.

Australia
Norway
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,626
/mo nomad
🇳🇴 Norway
$2,917
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Australia and in Norway

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Australia and in Norway actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,626 per month in Australia vs $2,917 in Norway, rent included.

  • Australia $2,626
  • Norway $2,917

A couple spends around $3,810 per month in Australia vs $4,347 in Norway, rent included.

  • Australia $3,810
  • Norway $4,347

A family of three spends $4,994 per month in Australia vs $5,776 in Norway, rent included.

  • Australia $4,994
  • Norway $5,776

Cost ranges are similar: Australia spans $1,068–$3,303, Norway $1,521–$3,538. City choice affects budget similarly in either country.

The cost of living in Australia is roughly 10% lower than in Norway on average.

Both Australia and Norway are pricier than the global median – Australia by 93%, Norway by 114%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Australia
Norway
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.65 A$25.08
$23.16 NOK 213
-23.79%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$85.2 A$121
$106 NOK 976
-19.79%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.09 A$15.76
$16.07 NOK 148
-30.99%
Cappuccino
$3.90 A$5.54
$5.77 NOK 53.0
-32.41%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.85 A$4.05
$4.15 NOK 38.11
-31.33%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.31 A$3.29
$3.21 NOK 29.46
-28.04%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.53 A$10.70
$11.76 NOK 108
-35.97%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.59 A$12.20
$11.59 NOK 106
-25.88%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Australia
Norway
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.76 A$2.50
$2.43 NOK 22.34
-27.57%
White Bread (500g)
$2.81 A$3.99
$3.89 NOK 35.74
-27.76%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.24 A$3.19
$3.67 NOK 33.76
-38.96%
Eggs
$5.02 A$7.14
$5.38 NOK 49.45
-6.69%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.87 A$14.02
$13.96 NOK 128
-29.30%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.32 A$13.24
$16.77 NOK 154
-44.42%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.86 A$21.13
$32.96 NOK 303
-54.92%
Apples (1kg)
$3.82 A$5.42
$3.77 NOK 34.61
1.33%
Banana (1kg)
$2.92 A$4.16
$2.87 NOK 26.33
1.74%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.13 A$4.46
$3.65 NOK 33.57
-14.25%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.81 A$6.83
$5.36 NOK 49.22
-10.26%
Potato (1kg)
$2.80 A$3.98
$2.74 NOK 25.16
2.19%
Onion (1kg)
$2.38 A$3.38
$3.13 NOK 28.73
-23.96%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.37 A$3.37
$2.94 NOK 27.01
-19.39%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.65 A$2.35
$2.32 NOK 21.33
-28.88%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$39.13 A$55.6
$18.04 NOK 166
116.91%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.93 A$19.80
$18.09 NOK 166
-23.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.96 A$7.05
$3.62 NOK 33.30
37.02%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.17 A$7.35
$4.49 NOK 41.24
15.14%
🚌 Getting Around
Australia
Norway
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.42 A$3.44
$4.81 NOK 44.15
-49.69%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$94.6 A$134
$84.1 NOK 772
12.55%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.49 A$4.97
$12.48 NOK 115
-72.04%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.60 A$2.27
$1.86 NOK 17.12
-13.98%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$39.84 A$56.6
$72.9 NOK 670
-45.35%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.39 A$1.97
$2.30 NOK 21.16
-39.57%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.0K A$42.7K
$49.4K NOK 453.9K
-39.27%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.8K A$36.6K
$44.9K NOK 412.3K
-42.62%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Australia
Norway
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$205 A$291
$279 NOK 2,562
-26.48%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$28.33 A$40.27
$39.68 NOK 365
-28.60%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$58.8 A$83.5
$74.2 NOK 681
-20.74%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Australia
Norway
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$55.7 A$79.1
$50.9 NOK 468
9.25%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.57 A$27.82
$37.79 NOK 347
-48.21%
Cinema Ticket
$15.38 A$21.86
$18.88 NOK 173
-18.54%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Australia
Norway
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,145 A$3,049
$297 NOK 2,732
621.55%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.3K A$26.1K
$8,106 NOK 74.5K
126.38%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Australia
Norway
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$78.3 A$111
$111 NOK 1,017
-29.25%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$56.3 A$80.0
$57.4 NOK 528
-2.02%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$115 A$164
$125 NOK 1,150
-8.06%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$123 A$175
$171 NOK 1,573
-28.09%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Australia
Norway
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,591 A$2,261
$1,491 NOK 13.7K
6.73%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,293 A$1,837
$1,169 NOK 10.7K
10.59%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,524 A$3,588
$2,330 NOK 21.4K
8.34%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,005 A$2,850
$1,851 NOK 17.0K
8.34%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$8,751 A$12.4K
$7,127 NOK 65.5K
22.78%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,260 A$8,898
$5,279 NOK 48.5K
18.58%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Australia
Norway
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,984 A$5,663
$4,273 NOK 39.3K
-6.77%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.93
4.99
18.84%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Australia: October 27, 2026

Last update for Norway: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Australia
$1.3K
Norway
$1.2K 9.6% $124
Groceries & Markets
Australia
$374
Norway
$519 38.7% $145
Eating Out
Australia
$297
Norway
$414 39.6% $117
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Australia
$292
Norway
$393 34.4% $101
Clothing & Footwear
Australia
$168
Norway
$209 24.6% $41
Getting Around
Australia
$116
Norway
$125 8.1% $9.3
Sport & Entertainment
Australia
$86
Norway
$89 2.7% $2.3

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,383 in Australia vs $1,278 in Norway. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,749 in Canberra and $2,133 in Oslo.

Average salary: $3,874 in Australia vs $4,024 in Norway. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 8% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 26% more in Norway.

Good to know
🇦🇺 Australia
🇳🇴 Norway
🕒 Local time
10:59 10:59 AM
00:59 12:59 AM
10 h behind Australia
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
26,473,055
5,594,340
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

NOK, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.704 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 AUD (1 AUD = 0.63 EUR).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 9.19 NOK (1 NOK = 0.109 USD). 1 EUR = 10.26 NOK (100 NOK = 9.75 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Australia Norway 15,980 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Australia
  • Norway

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Australia vs Norway: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Australia more expensive than Norway?
Australia is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 10% lower on average.
Is everything cheaper in Australia?
Not necessarily. Overall, Norway costs about 11% more, but the gap varies by category, and some expenses can be lower in Norway. Compare the categories that matter most for your budget.
Should I move to Australia or to Norway?
Australia is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.

Australia vs other spots: cost of living compared

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