Cost of Living Comparison Between Germany and Norway Cost of Living Comparison Between Germany and Norway

Name: Norway
Address: NO

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,017 in Germany versus $2,428 in Norway.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,048 in Germany versus $3,683 in Norway.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,078 in Germany versus $4,938 in Norway.

Living in Germany costs about 17% less than in Norway on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Germany 51% above, Norway 82% above.

Germany ($1,340–$2,866) and Norway ($1,992–$3,203) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.10 €14.94

$24.51 NOK 236

-30.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.0 €66.4

$103 NOK 987

-25.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.77 €10.29

$15.07 NOK 145

-21.90%

Cappuccino

$3.96 €3.46

$5.20 NOK 50.1

-23.85%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.96

$3.52 NOK 33.87

-3.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 €2.66

$2.91 NOK 28.02

4.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.27 €4.60

$11.05 NOK 106

-52.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.64 €4.06

$9.97 NOK 96.0

-53.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.13

$2.37 NOK 22.78

-45.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 €1.91

$3.47 NOK 33.42

-36.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.47 €3.04

$3.36 NOK 32.35

3.27%

Eggs

$3.91 €3.42

$4.48 NOK 43.16

-12.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.03 €13.13

$12.32 NOK 119

22.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.89 €12.13

$15.30 NOK 147

-9.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.12 €17.58

$30.10 NOK 290

-33.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 €2.74

$3.51 NOK 33.82

-10.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 €1.65

$2.57 NOK 24.72

-26.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 €2.04

$3.34 NOK 32.19

-29.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.74 €4.15

$4.72 NOK 45.42

0.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.61 €1.40

$2.49 NOK 23.99

-35.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.57 €1.37

$2.67 NOK 25.73

-41.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.90 €1.66

$2.72 NOK 26.23

-30.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 €0.97

$2.25 NOK 21.68

-50.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.89 €8.64

$16.25 NOK 157

-39.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.82 €5.08

$17.51 NOK 169

-66.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.93

$3.40 NOK 32.75

-68.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 €1.47

$4.30 NOK 41.44

-60.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.80 €3.32

$4.33 NOK 41.69

-12.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.7 €58.3

$79.7 NOK 767

-16.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.73 €5.01

$11.99 NOK 115

-52.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.31 €2.02

$1.54 NOK 14.82

50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.07 €33.26

$54.8 NOK 527

-30.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 €1.70

$2.13 NOK 20.47

-8.45%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$30.9K €27.0K

$36.8K NOK 354.8K

-16.15%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$37.6K €32.8K

$40.0K NOK 385.5K

-6.16%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$349 €305

$251 NOK 2,418

38.95%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$27.86 €24.34

$40.24 NOK 388

-30.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.0 €44.58

$61.9 NOK 596

-17.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.21 €36.01

$50.3 NOK 484

-18.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.50 €21.40

$34.15 NOK 329

-28.26%

Cinema Ticket

$13.86 €12.11

$16.05 NOK 155

-13.64%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$472 €412

$302 NOK 2,910

56.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.1K

$8,441 NOK 81.3K

77.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.9 €81.1

$102 NOK 982

-8.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.33 €37.86

$51.3 NOK 494

-15.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €90.5

$116 NOK 1,119

-10.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 €115

$155 NOK 1,495

-15.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,037 €906

$1,300 NOK 12.5K

-20.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$762 €665

$988 NOK 9,517

-22.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,928 €1,685

$1,997 NOK 19.2K

-3.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,437 €1,256

$1,607 NOK 15.5K

-10.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,101 €5,331

$6,635 NOK 63.9K

-8.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,120 €3,599

$4,956 NOK 47.7K

-16.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,351 €2,928

$4,020 NOK 38.7K

-16.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.98

4.54

-12.33%

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

Last update for Germany: July 12, 2026

Last update for Norway: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $846 in Germany, $1,195 in Norway. Capital cities: $1,439 in Berlin vs $1,700 in Oslo.

National salary averages: $3,150 in Germany, $3,808 in Norway. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 41% higher in Norway.

Dining out costs 36% more in Norway.

Public transport is 18% more expensive in Norway.

Salaries are 21% higher in Norway.

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

Germany vs Norway: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $2,103 per month in Germany and $2,598 in Norway, there's a 24% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Germany: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Norway is consistently higher than in Germany across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Germany, $3,000 covers most cities easily; in Norway it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: Germany wins on affordability; Norway may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.