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: $2,630 in Norway versus $718 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,978 in Norway versus $1,146 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,326 in Norway versus $1,574 in China.

Living in Norway is roughly 266% more expensive than in China on average.

Norway (92% above) and China (48% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Norway: monthly costs span $1,483 to $3,457, compared to $466–$1,226 in China. City choice carries more weight in Norway.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.23 NOK 217

$2.93 ¥19.65

692.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$107 NOK 999

$21.85 ¥147

389.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.78 NOK 147

$5.04 ¥33.83

213.10%

Cappuccino

$5.62 NOK 52.5

$3.02 ¥20.28

86.09%

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

$4.11 NOK 38.39

$0.47 ¥3.18

774.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 NOK 29.63

$0.28 ¥1.85

1032.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.76 NOK 110

$1.07 ¥7.17

999.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.33 NOK 106

$2.27 ¥15.25

399.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.51 NOK 23.46

$1.80 ¥12.10

39.44%

White Bread (500g)

$3.63 NOK 33.87

$1.70 ¥11.41

113.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.77 NOK 35.25

$0.97 ¥6.48

288.66%

Eggs

$5.08 NOK 47.43

$1.61 ¥10.81

215.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.46 NOK 126

$13.00 ¥87.3

3.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.59 NOK 155

$3.39 ¥22.77

389.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$31.41 NOK 293

$11.32 ¥76.0

177.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.65 NOK 34.08

$1.78 ¥11.97

105.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.76 NOK 25.81

$1.25 ¥8.37

120.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.75 NOK 35.03

$1.47 ¥9.89

155.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.38 NOK 50.2

$1.29 ¥8.69

317.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 NOK 24.52

$0.79 ¥5.28

232.91%

Onion (1kg)

$3.06 NOK 28.54

$0.86 ¥5.79

255.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.91 NOK 27.18

$0.64 ¥4.32

354.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 NOK 22.53

$0.59 ¥3.95

308.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.47 NOK 163

$3.80 ¥25.50

359.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.36 NOK 171

$11.90 ¥79.9

54.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.59 NOK 33.54

$0.85 ¥5.69

322.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 NOK 42.30

$1.70 ¥11.42

166.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.81 NOK 44.92

$0.29 ¥1.93

1558.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.2 NOK 814

$22.27 ¥150

291.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.00 NOK 112

$1.47 ¥9.86

716.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 NOK 17.00

$0.37 ¥2.50

391.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$69.3 NOK 647

$7.02 ¥47.12

887.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 NOK 21.00

$1.26 ¥8.47

78.57%

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

$49.6K NOK 463.4K

$19.0K ¥127.5K

161.38%

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

$44.1K NOK 411.9K

$17.0K ¥114.3K

159.28%

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

$275 NOK 2,572

$55.3 ¥371

398.28%

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

$38.69 NOK 361

$8.77 ¥58.9

341.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.2 NOK 674

$10.78 ¥72.4

569.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 NOK 485

$39.49 ¥265

31.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.93 NOK 364

$14.61 ¥98.1

166.46%

Cinema Ticket

$18.35 NOK 171

$6.72 ¥45.15

173.07%

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

$294 NOK 2,742

$447 ¥3,002

-34.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,715 NOK 72.0K

$19.7K ¥132.4K

-60.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 NOK 1,038

$43.69 ¥293

154.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.5 NOK 527

$34.93 ¥235

61.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 NOK 1,172

$77.0 ¥517

62.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$173 NOK 1,616

$77.2 ¥518

124.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,368 NOK 12.8K

$384 ¥2,579

256.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 NOK 9,930

$231 ¥1,549

360.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,175 NOK 20.3K

$824 ¥5,534

163.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,743 NOK 16.3K

$472 ¥3,169

269.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,950 NOK 64.9K

$4,687 ¥31.5K

48.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,234 NOK 48.9K

$2,343 ¥15.7K

123.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,232 NOK 39.5K

$1,082 ¥7,269

291.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.01

3.47

44.38%

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

Last update for Norway: August 16, 2026

Last update for China: August 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,234 in Norway, $290 in China. Capital cities: $1,975 in Oslo vs $953 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $3,969 in Norway, $857 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 326% higher in Norway.

Dining out costs 395% more in Norway.

Public transport is 371% more expensive in Norway.

Salaries are 363% higher in Norway, and purchasing power comes out stronger 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

Norway vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $846 per month in China and $2,470 in Norway, there's a 192% 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 China: 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 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 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.