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: $2,428 in Norway versus $712 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,692 in Norway versus $1,133 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,955 in Norway versus $1,553 in China.

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

Norway (82% above) and China (47% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Norway: monthly costs span $1,984 to $3,103, compared to $521–$1,202 in China. City choice carries more weight in Norway.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.02 NOK 228

$2.71 ¥18.31

786.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 NOK 959

$23.22 ¥157

336.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.93 NOK 141

$5.00 ¥33.78

198.60%

Cappuccino

$5.12 NOK 48.51

$3.08 ¥20.84

66.23%

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

$3.43 NOK 32.53

$0.48 ¥3.24

614.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 NOK 28.04

$0.29 ¥1.97

920.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.98 NOK 104

$1.00 ¥6.73

998.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.01 NOK 94.8

$2.10 ¥14.21

376.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.35 NOK 22.25

$1.75 ¥11.80

34.29%

White Bread (500g)

$3.46 NOK 32.77

$1.67 ¥11.25

107.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.28 NOK 31.06

$0.99 ¥6.67

231.31%

Eggs

$4.56 NOK 43.17

$1.57 ¥10.60

190.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.37 NOK 117

$13.06 ¥88.3

-5.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.45 NOK 146

$3.31 ¥22.38

366.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$30.13 NOK 285

$10.82 ¥73.1

178.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 NOK 32.04

$1.78 ¥12.01

89.89%

Banana (1kg)

$2.53 NOK 23.95

$1.24 ¥8.39

104.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.36 NOK 31.81

$1.50 ¥10.17

124.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.87 NOK 46.08

$1.20 ¥8.11

305.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.46 NOK 23.28

$0.76 ¥5.16

223.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.73 NOK 25.90

$0.92 ¥6.20

196.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.72 NOK 25.77

$0.58 ¥3.89

368.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 NOK 21.37

$0.53 ¥3.59

326.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.04 NOK 152

$3.45 ¥23.28

364.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.86 NOK 169

$11.95 ¥80.7

49.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.42 NOK 32.35

$0.82 ¥5.57

317.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 NOK 41.26

$1.65 ¥11.15

164.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.33 NOK 40.97

$0.43 ¥2.91

906.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 NOK 733

$20.78 ¥140

272.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.35 NOK 117

$1.38 ¥9.32

794.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 NOK 15.09

$0.33 ¥2.22

381.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$54.6 NOK 517

$6.74 ¥45.50

710.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 NOK 20.21

$1.13 ¥7.64

88.50%

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

$36.7K NOK 347.9K

$19.6K ¥132.5K

87.27%

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

$39.5K NOK 374.0K

$16.8K ¥113.5K

135.07%

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

$251 NOK 2,379

$50.7 ¥343

395.42%

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

$39.59 NOK 375

$10.12 ¥68.4

291.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.9 NOK 577

$11.42 ¥77.2

433.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.99 NOK 474

$40.33 ¥272

23.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.79 NOK 330

$14.57 ¥98.5

138.78%

Cinema Ticket

$16.51 NOK 156

$6.40 ¥43.26

157.97%

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

$299 NOK 2,834

$417 ¥2,817

-28.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,559 NOK 81.1K

$17.2K ¥116.5K

-50.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 NOK 953

$45.55 ¥308

120.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.3 NOK 495

$32.26 ¥218

62.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 NOK 1,103

$72.9 ¥493

59.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$150 NOK 1,420

$73.6 ¥497

103.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 NOK 12.2K

$433 ¥2,925

198.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$990 NOK 9,374

$261 ¥1,765

278.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,988 NOK 18.8K

$905 ¥6,115

119.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,560 NOK 14.8K

$533 ¥3,599

192.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,781 NOK 64.2K

$4,965 ¥33.5K

36.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,947 NOK 46.9K

$2,518 ¥17.0K

96.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,021 NOK 38.1K

$1,063 ¥7,181

278.32%

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: June 16, 2026

Last update for China: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,195 in Norway, $287 in China. Capital cities: $1,677 in Oslo vs $886 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $3,853 in Norway, $862 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 316% higher in Norway.

Dining out costs 367% more in Norway.

Public transport is 306% more expensive in Norway.

Salaries are 347% 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 $862 per month in China and $2,544 in Norway, there's a 195% 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.