Measurement units Temperature, distance and clock format
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.
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
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Norway
Germany
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.91NOK 216
$16.62€14.78
37.85%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$104NOK 983
$72.6€64.6
43.94%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$15.44NOK 145
$12.24€10.89
26.14%
Cappuccino
$5.51NOK 51.8
$4.08€3.63
35.05%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$4.18NOK 39.31
$3.37€3.00
24.04%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.11NOK 29.28
$3.01€2.67
3.32%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$11.49NOK 108
$4.90€4.36
134.49%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$11.21NOK 106
$4.38€3.90
155.94%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Norway
Germany
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$2.45NOK 23.04
$1.32€1.17
85.61%
White Bread(500g)
$3.75NOK 35.34
$2.11€1.88
77.73%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$3.73NOK 35.08
$3.37€3.00
10.68%
Eggs
$5.24NOK 49.32
$3.91€3.48
34.02%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$13.14NOK 124
$14.23€12.66
-7.66%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$16.13NOK 152
$11.79€10.49
36.81%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$31.22NOK 294
$20.95€18.64
49.02%
Apples(1kg)
$3.73NOK 35.13
$3.18€2.83
17.30%
Banana(1kg)
$2.74NOK 25.82
$2.06€1.83
33.01%
Oranges(1kg)
$3.55NOK 33.46
$2.22€1.98
59.91%
Tomato(1kg)
$5.29NOK 49.83
$4.14€3.68
27.78%
Potato(1kg)
$2.59NOK 24.36
$1.46€1.30
77.40%
Onion(1kg)
$3.04NOK 28.65
$1.43€1.27
112.59%
Lettuce(1 head)
$2.99NOK 28.15
$1.60€1.42
86.88%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$2.35NOK 22.10
$1.06€0.95
121.70%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$17.61NOK 166
$9.67€8.60
82.11%
Wine(Bottle)
$17.60NOK 166
$5.97€5.31
194.81%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$3.57NOK 33.58
$1.13€1.01
215.93%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$4.36NOK 41.05
$1.62€1.44
169.14%
🚌 Getting Around
Norway
Germany
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$4.68NOK 44.01
$3.90€3.47
20.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$84.4NOK 794
$70.8€62.9
19.23%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$11.67NOK 110
$5.38€4.78
116.91%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.88NOK 17.69
$2.81€2.50
-33.10%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$68.7NOK 647
$38.76€34.48
77.30%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$2.33NOK 21.92
$2.12€1.88
9.91%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$48.5KNOK 456.3K
$32.9K€29.2K
47.39%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$42.8KNOK 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)
$269NOK 2,536
$338€301
-20.37%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$38.55NOK 363
$25.29€22.49
52.43%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$72.9NOK 686
$48.19€42.86
51.21%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Norway
Germany
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$50.8NOK 478
$40.85€36.33
24.36%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$37.82NOK 356
$27.91€24.82
35.51%
Cinema Ticket
$18.31NOK 172
$14.64€13.02
25.07%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Norway
Germany
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$285NOK 2,682
$564€501
-49.48%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$7,834NOK 73.7K
$17.4K€15.4K
-54.85%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Norway
Germany
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$110NOK 1,031
$90.5€80.5
21.03%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$56.3NOK 530
$43.21€38.43
30.25%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$121NOK 1,142
$99.3€88.3
22.23%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$164NOK 1,545
$127€113
29.22%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Norway
Germany
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,372NOK 12.9K
$917€816
49.56%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,070NOK 10.1K
$696€619
53.75%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,167NOK 20.4K
$1,660€1,476
30.58%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,705NOK 16.0K
$1,310€1,165
30.13%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$6,671NOK 62.8K
$5,987€5,325
11.43%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$4,982NOK 46.9K
$4,049€3,601
23.04%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Norway
Germany
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$4,111NOK 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.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Norway
$1.1K 38.6%
Germany
$696 33.8% ↓ 35%$374
🛒Groceries & Markets
Norway
$503 18.1%
Germany
$333 16.2% ↓ 33.8%$170
🍽Eating Out
Norway
$405 14.6%
Germany
$278 13.5% ↓ 31.4%$127
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Norway
$381 13.7%
Germany
$412 20% ↑ 8.1%$31
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Norway
$203 7.3%
Germany
$162 7.9% ↓ 20.2%$41
🚌Getting Around
Norway
$124 4.5%
Germany
$106 5.2% ↓ 14.8%$18
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Norway
$87 3.2%
Germany
$70 3.4% ↓ 19.8%$17
🏠Accommodation & Living
Norway
$1.7K 30.8%
Germany
$1.3K 31.2% ↓ 23.2%$395
🛒Groceries & Markets
Norway
$1.2K 21%
Germany
$791 18.8% ↓ 32%$372
🍽Eating Out
Norway
$1.3K 23.9%
Germany
$916 21.8% ↓ 30.8%$408
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Norway
$419 7.6%
Germany
$437 10.4% ↑ 4.2%$18
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Norway
$451 8.2%
Germany
$360 8.6% ↓ 20.2%$91
🚌Getting Around
Norway
$258 4.7%
Germany
$219 5.2% ↓ 14.9%$38
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Norway
$213 3.8%
Germany
$168 4% ↓ 20.9%$45
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.
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.