Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Norway and Germany

For one person, living is cheaper in Germany: $2,056 a month against $2,773 in Norway, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

🇳🇴 Norway
$2,773
/mo nomad
🇩🇪 Germany
$2,056
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Norway and in Germany

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 Germany actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,773 in Norway versus $2,056 in Germany.

  • Norway $2,773
  • Germany $2,056

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,153 in Norway versus $3,129 in Germany.

  • Norway $4,153
  • Germany $3,129

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,534 in Norway versus $4,202 in Germany.

  • Norway $5,534
  • Germany $4,202

Internal cost variation is higher in Norway: monthly costs span $1,487 to $3,427, compared to $1,329–$2,658 in Germany. City choice carries more weight in Norway.

Living in Norway is roughly 35% more expensive than in Germany on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Norway 105% above, Germany 52% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Norway
Germany
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.91 NOK 216
$16.62 €14.78
37.85%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$104 NOK 983
$72.6 €64.6
43.94%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$15.44 NOK 145
$12.24 €10.89
26.14%
Cappuccino
$5.51 NOK 51.8
$4.08 €3.63
35.05%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.18 NOK 39.31
$3.37 €3.00
24.04%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.11 NOK 29.28
$3.01 €2.67
3.32%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$11.49 NOK 108
$4.90 €4.36
134.49%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$11.21 NOK 106
$4.38 €3.90
155.94%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Norway
Germany
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.45 NOK 23.04
$1.32 €1.17
85.61%
White Bread (500g)
$3.75 NOK 35.34
$2.11 €1.88
77.73%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.73 NOK 35.08
$3.37 €3.00
10.68%
Eggs
$5.24 NOK 49.32
$3.91 €3.48
34.02%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.14 NOK 124
$14.23 €12.66
-7.66%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$16.13 NOK 152
$11.79 €10.49
36.81%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$31.22 NOK 294
$20.95 €18.64
49.02%
Apples (1kg)
$3.73 NOK 35.13
$3.18 €2.83
17.30%
Banana (1kg)
$2.74 NOK 25.82
$2.06 €1.83
33.01%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.55 NOK 33.46
$2.22 €1.98
59.91%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.29 NOK 49.83
$4.14 €3.68
27.78%
Potato (1kg)
$2.59 NOK 24.36
$1.46 €1.30
77.40%
Onion (1kg)
$3.04 NOK 28.65
$1.43 €1.27
112.59%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.99 NOK 28.15
$1.60 €1.42
86.88%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.35 NOK 22.10
$1.06 €0.95
121.70%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$17.61 NOK 166
$9.67 €8.60
82.11%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.60 NOK 166
$5.97 €5.31
194.81%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.57 NOK 33.58
$1.13 €1.01
215.93%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.36 NOK 41.05
$1.62 €1.44
169.14%
🚌 Getting Around
Norway
Germany
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.68 NOK 44.01
$3.90 €3.47
20.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$84.4 NOK 794
$70.8 €62.9
19.23%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$11.67 NOK 110
$5.38 €4.78
116.91%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.88 NOK 17.69
$2.81 €2.50
-33.10%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$68.7 NOK 647
$38.76 €34.48
77.30%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.33 NOK 21.92
$2.12 €1.88
9.91%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$48.5K NOK 456.3K
$32.9K €29.2K
47.39%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$42.8K NOK 403.1K
$37.7K €33.5K
13.72%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Norway
Germany
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$269 NOK 2,536
$338 €301
-20.37%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$38.55 NOK 363
$25.29 €22.49
52.43%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$72.9 NOK 686
$48.19 €42.86
51.21%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Norway
Germany
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$50.8 NOK 478
$40.85 €36.33
24.36%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$37.82 NOK 356
$27.91 €24.82
35.51%
Cinema Ticket
$18.31 NOK 172
$14.64 €13.02
25.07%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Norway
Germany
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$285 NOK 2,682
$564 €501
-49.48%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,834 NOK 73.7K
$17.4K €15.4K
-54.85%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Norway
Germany
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$110 NOK 1,031
$90.5 €80.5
21.03%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$56.3 NOK 530
$43.21 €38.43
30.25%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$121 NOK 1,142
$99.3 €88.3
22.23%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$164 NOK 1,545
$127 €113
29.22%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Norway
Germany
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,372 NOK 12.9K
$917 €816
49.56%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,070 NOK 10.1K
$696 €619
53.75%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,167 NOK 20.4K
$1,660 €1,476
30.58%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,705 NOK 16.0K
$1,310 €1,165
30.13%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,671 NOK 62.8K
$5,987 €5,325
11.43%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,982 NOK 46.9K
$4,049 €3,601
23.04%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Norway
Germany
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,111 NOK 38.7K
$3,321 €2,954
23.78%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.99
3.96
26.01%

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

Last update for Norway: October 12, 2026

Last update for Germany: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Norway
$1.1K
Germany
$696 35% $374
Groceries & Markets
Norway
$503
Germany
$333 33.8% $170
Eating Out
Norway
$405
Germany
$278 31.4% $127
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Norway
$381
Germany
$412 8.1% $31
Clothing & Footwear
Norway
$203
Germany
$162 20.2% $41
Getting Around
Norway
$124
Germany
$106 14.8% $18
Sport & Entertainment
Norway
$87
Germany
$70 19.8% $17

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,210 in Norway, $801 in Germany. Capital cities: $2,018 in Oslo vs $1,469 in Berlin.

National salary averages: $3,915 in Norway, $3,101 in Germany. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 51% higher in Norway.

Dining out costs 44% more in Norway.

Public transport is 15% more expensive in Norway.

Salaries are 26% higher in Norway.

Good to know
🇳🇴 Norway
🇩🇪 Germany
🕒 Local time
13:25 1:25 PM
13:25 1:25 PM
Same time as Norway
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
5,594,340
84,358,845
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to NOK – Norwegian Krone Converter

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).

Euro exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Norway Germany 840 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Norway
  • Germany

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 Germany: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which country is more expensive to live in: Germany or Norway?
At $2,056 per month in Germany and $2,773 in Norway, there's a 35% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Where are groceries and transport cheaper: Germany or Norway?
Day-to-day life is cheaper in Germany: 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.
How do rents compare between Germany and Norway?
Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $1,210 in Norway and $801 in Germany. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.
How far does $3,000 go in Germany compared to Norway?
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.
How do I choose between living in Germany and in Norway?
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.

Norway vs other spots: cost of living compared

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