Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Norway and China

Name: China
Address: CN

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $793 a month against $2,773 in Norway, rent and utilities included – about $23,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

135

Cost of Living Index in Norway
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Norway Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in China
Learn more

China Living Index

Jump to prices

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,773

/mo nomad

🇨🇳 China

$793

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Norway and in China

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,773 in Norway versus $793 in China.

Norway $2,773
China $793

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,153 in Norway versus $1,261 in China.

Norway $4,153
China $1,261

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,534 in Norway versus $1,730 in China.

Norway $5,534
China $1,730

Internal cost variation is higher in Norway: monthly costs span $1,487 to $3,427, compared to $466–$1,244 in China. City choice carries more weight in Norway.

Living in Norway is roughly 250% more expensive than in China on average.

Norway (105% above) and China (41% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.91 NOK 216

$2.96 ¥19.76

673.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$104 NOK 983

$22.74 ¥152

359.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.44 NOK 145

$5.34 ¥35.70

189.14%

Cappuccino

$5.51 NOK 51.8

$3.04 ¥20.35

81.25%

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

$4.18 NOK 39.31

$0.48 ¥3.22

770.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 NOK 29.28

$0.28 ¥1.85

1010.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.49 NOK 108

$1.03 ¥6.92

1015.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.21 NOK 106

$2.27 ¥15.16

393.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.45 NOK 23.04

$1.80 ¥12.02

36.11%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 NOK 35.34

$1.69 ¥11.28

121.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.73 NOK 35.08

$1.00 ¥6.69

273.00%

Eggs

$5.24 NOK 49.32

$1.56 ¥10.42

235.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.14 NOK 124

$13.44 ¥89.8

-2.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.13 NOK 152

$3.48 ¥23.28

363.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$31.22 NOK 294

$11.49 ¥76.8

171.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.73 NOK 35.13

$1.79 ¥12.00

108.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 NOK 25.82

$1.26 ¥8.41

117.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.55 NOK 33.46

$1.48 ¥9.92

139.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.29 NOK 49.83

$1.31 ¥8.76

303.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.59 NOK 24.36

$0.72 ¥4.84

259.72%

Onion (1kg)

$3.04 NOK 28.65

$0.93 ¥6.24

226.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.99 NOK 28.15

$0.61 ¥4.11

390.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 NOK 22.10

$0.58 ¥3.89

305.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.61 NOK 166

$3.84 ¥25.65

358.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.60 NOK 166

$11.87 ¥79.4

48.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.57 NOK 33.58

$0.86 ¥5.72

315.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 NOK 41.05

$1.69 ¥11.33

157.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.68 NOK 44.01

$0.31 ¥2.07

1409.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.4 NOK 794

$22.36 ¥150

277.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$11.67 NOK 110

$1.47 ¥9.82

693.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 NOK 17.69

$0.38 ¥2.53

394.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$68.7 NOK 647

$7.03 ¥47.04

877.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.33 NOK 21.92

$1.24 ¥8.32

87.90%

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

$48.5K NOK 456.3K

$19.2K ¥128.5K

152.12%

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

$42.8K NOK 403.1K

$17.3K ¥115.6K

147.58%

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

$269 NOK 2,536

$54.3 ¥363

396.17%

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

$38.55 NOK 363

$8.34 ¥55.7

362.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.9 NOK 686

$10.77 ¥72.0

576.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.8 NOK 478

$40.39 ¥270

25.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.82 NOK 356

$14.77 ¥98.8

156.06%

Cinema Ticket

$18.31 NOK 172

$6.89 ¥46.08

165.75%

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

$285 NOK 2,682

$457 ¥3,057

-37.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,834 NOK 73.7K

$20.1K ¥134.2K

-60.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$110 NOK 1,031

$45.10 ¥302

142.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.3 NOK 530

$35.65 ¥238

57.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 NOK 1,142

$77.9 ¥521

55.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 NOK 1,545

$78.0 ¥522

110.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,372 NOK 12.9K

$391 ¥2,615

250.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,070 NOK 10.1K

$232 ¥1,549

361.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,167 NOK 20.4K

$816 ¥5,457

165.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,705 NOK 16.0K

$459 ¥3,070

271.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,671 NOK 62.8K

$4,585 ¥30.7K

45.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,982 NOK 46.9K

$2,309 ¥15.4K

115.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,111 NOK 38.7K

$1,084 ¥7,247

279.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.99

3.46

44.22%

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

Last update for Norway: October 12, 2026

Last update for China: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Norway

$1.1K 38.6%

China

$232 29.2% 78.3% $838

Groceries & Markets

Norway

$503 18.1%

China

$211 26.6% 58% $292

Eating Out

Norway

$405 14.6%

China

$89 11.2% 78% $316

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Norway

$381 13.7%

China

$73 9.3% 80.7% $307

Clothing & Footwear

Norway

$203 7.3%

China

$107 13.4% 47.6% $97

Getting Around

Norway

$124 4.5%

China

$27 3.4% 78.3% $97

Sport & Entertainment

Norway

$87 3.2%

China

$54 6.8% 38% $33

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,210 in Norway, $298 in China. Capital cities: $2,018 in Oslo vs $940 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $3,915 in Norway, $871 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 306% higher in Norway.

Dining out costs 386% more in Norway.

Public transport is 347% more expensive in Norway.

Salaries are 349% higher in Norway, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Norway.

Good to know

🇳🇴 Norway

🇨🇳 China

🕒 Local time

14:34 2:34 PM

20:34 8:34 PM

6 h ahead of Norway

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,594,340

1,442,965,000

💱 Currency

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100 NOK = 10.62 USD

100 NOK = 9.45 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to NOK – Norwegian Krone Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇴 Norwegian Krone (kr)

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 9.41 NOK (1 NOK = 0.106 USD). 1 EUR = 10.58 NOK (100 NOK = 9.45 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to NOK in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Norway China 7,020 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Norway
China

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

Norway vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $793 per month in China and $2,773 in Norway, there's a 250% 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 cheaper in China: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $1,210 in Norway and $298 in China. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In China, $2,000 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: China wins on affordability; Norway may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.