Cost of Living Comparison Between Norway and China Cost of Living Comparison Between Norway and China

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,427 in Norway versus $711 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,693 in Norway versus $1,131 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,958 in Norway versus $1,550 in China.

Living in Norway is roughly 241% more expensive than China on average.

Norway (81% above) and China (47% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Norway: monthly costs span $2,022 to $3,182, compared to $525–$1,220 in China. City choice carries more weight in Norway.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.56 NOK 229

$2.75 ¥18.83

793.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$100 NOK 934

$24.03 ¥165

316.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.21 NOK 142

$4.96 ¥33.95

206.65%

Cappuccino

$5.05 NOK 47.05

$3.12 ¥21.37

61.86%

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

$3.45 NOK 32.17

$0.48 ¥3.26

618.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 NOK 26.52

$0.27 ¥1.84

955.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.30 NOK 105

$0.98 ¥6.73

1053.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.22 NOK 95.2

$2.15 ¥14.69

375.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.27 NOK 21.12

$1.83 ¥12.53

24.04%

White Bread (500g)

$3.54 NOK 32.98

$1.68 ¥11.54

110.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.28 NOK 30.53

$0.91 ¥6.21

260.44%

Eggs

$4.47 NOK 41.70

$1.56 ¥10.66

186.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.19 NOK 114

$12.97 ¥88.9

-6.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.33 NOK 143

$3.25 ¥22.23

371.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$29.41 NOK 274

$10.51 ¥72.0

179.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.45 NOK 32.13

$1.81 ¥12.41

90.61%

Banana (1kg)

$2.58 NOK 24.04

$1.30 ¥8.90

98.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.40 NOK 31.70

$1.50 ¥10.26

126.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 NOK 44.99

$1.15 ¥7.87

320.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.48 NOK 23.10

$0.76 ¥5.20

226.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.68 NOK 24.98

$0.89 ¥6.07

201.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.86 NOK 26.68

$0.58 ¥3.97

393.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 NOK 20.68

$0.58 ¥3.95

282.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.86 NOK 148

$3.50 ¥23.95

353.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.96 NOK 167

$11.55 ¥79.1

55.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.55 NOK 33.04

$0.78 ¥5.31

355.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 NOK 41.36

$1.61 ¥11.03

175.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.46 NOK 41.54

$0.44 ¥3.01

913.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.9 NOK 745

$21.15 ¥145

277.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.05 NOK 112

$1.36 ¥9.35

786.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 NOK 14.68

$0.36 ¥2.44

338.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$54.2 NOK 505

$6.61 ¥45.28

720.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 NOK 20.66

$1.13 ¥7.74

96.46%

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

$37.5K NOK 349.1K

$19.7K ¥135.2K

89.70%

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

$40.3K NOK 375.7K

$17.1K ¥117.0K

135.95%

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

$248 NOK 2,315

$50.9 ¥349

387.90%

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

$40.43 NOK 377

$10.03 ¥68.7

303.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.5 NOK 564

$11.33 ¥77.6

434.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.3 NOK 469

$40.13 ¥275

25.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.93 NOK 326

$14.97 ¥103

133.33%

Cinema Ticket

$16.28 NOK 152

$6.09 ¥41.74

167.32%

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

$300 NOK 2,800

$418 ¥2,860

-28.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,517 NOK 79.4K

$17.3K ¥118.2K

-50.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 NOK 949

$46.40 ¥318

119.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.0 NOK 485

$32.92 ¥226

58.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 NOK 1,083

$71.1 ¥487

63.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$152 NOK 1,418

$72.9 ¥499

108.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,296 NOK 12.1K

$438 ¥3,003

195.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$984 NOK 9,172

$259 ¥1,775

279.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,010 NOK 18.7K

$926 ¥6,341

117.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,592 NOK 14.8K

$548 ¥3,754

190.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,699 NOK 71.8K

$5,047 ¥34.6K

52.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,414 NOK 50.5K

$2,666 ¥18.3K

103.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,168 NOK 38.8K

$1,074 ¥7,357

288.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

4.06

11.82%

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

Last update for Norway: April 28, 2026

Last update for China: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,195 in Norway, $286 in China. Capital cities: $1,738 in Oslo vs $886 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $3,986 in Norway, $834 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 318% higher in Norway.

Dining out costs 362% more in Norway.

Public transport is 306% more expensive in Norway.

Salaries are 378% higher in Norway, giving Norway stronger purchasing power.

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 $873 per month in China and $2,602 in Norway, there's a 198% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

China is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 beats China across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In China, $2,000 covers most cities easily. In Norway, it works in regional areas but 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.