Cost of Living Comparison Between Norway and Italy Cost of Living Comparison Between Norway and Italy

Name: Italy
Address: IT

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,428 in Norway versus $1,718 in Italy.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,683 in Norway versus $2,621 in Italy.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,938 in Norway versus $3,524 in Italy.

Living in Norway is roughly 41% more expensive than in Italy on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Norway 82% above, Italy 29% above.

Norway ($1,992–$3,203) and Italy ($1,176–$2,467) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.51 NOK 236

$17.58 €15.36

39.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$103 NOK 987

$82.5 €72.0

24.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.07 NOK 145

$11.72 €10.24

28.58%

Cappuccino

$5.20 NOK 50.1

$1.92 €1.68

170.83%

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

$3.52 NOK 33.87

$2.99 €2.61

17.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 NOK 28.02

$1.36 €1.19

113.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.05 NOK 106

$5.76 €5.03

91.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.97 NOK 96.0

$5.22 €4.56

91.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.37 NOK 22.78

$1.69 €1.48

40.24%

White Bread (500g)

$3.47 NOK 33.42

$2.33 €2.04

48.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.36 NOK 32.35

$3.05 €2.67

10.16%

Eggs

$4.48 NOK 43.16

$3.99 €3.49

12.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.32 NOK 119

$16.68 €14.57

-26.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.30 NOK 147

$12.57 €10.98

21.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$30.10 NOK 290

$20.53 €17.94

46.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.51 NOK 33.82

$2.56 €2.23

37.11%

Banana (1kg)

$2.57 NOK 24.72

$2.20 €1.93

16.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.34 NOK 32.19

$2.68 €2.34

24.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.72 NOK 45.42

$3.37 €2.95

40.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.49 NOK 23.99

$2.04 €1.78

22.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.67 NOK 25.73

$1.88 €1.64

42.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.72 NOK 26.23

$1.47 €1.29

85.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 NOK 21.68

$0.54 €0.47

316.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.25 NOK 157

$7.00 €6.11

132.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 NOK 169

$7.09 €6.19

146.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.40 NOK 32.75

$1.80 €1.57

88.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 NOK 41.44

$2.51 €2.19

71.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.33 NOK 41.69

$1.96 €1.71

120.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.7 NOK 767

$41.58 €36.33

91.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$11.99 NOK 115

$5.80 €5.07

106.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 NOK 14.82

$1.60 €1.39

-3.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$54.8 NOK 527

$35.07 €30.64

56.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 NOK 20.47

$2.13 €1.86

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

$36.8K NOK 354.8K

$32.6K €28.5K

13.10%

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

$40.0K NOK 385.5K

$33.8K €29.5K

18.45%

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

$251 NOK 2,418

$225 €197

11.57%

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

$40.24 NOK 388

$13.14 €11.48

206.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.9 NOK 596

$31.19 €27.25

98.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.3 NOK 484

$57.2 €49.94

-12.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.15 NOK 329

$25.85 €22.58

32.11%

Cinema Ticket

$16.05 NOK 155

$10.34 €9.03

55.22%

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

$302 NOK 2,910

$564 €493

-46.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,441 NOK 81.3K

$10.3K €9,035

-18.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 NOK 982

$91.9 €80.3

10.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.3 NOK 494

$40.54 €35.42

26.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 NOK 1,119

$98.2 €85.8

18.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$155 NOK 1,495

$132 €115

17.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,300 NOK 12.5K

$855 €747

52.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$988 NOK 9,517

$663 €580

48.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,997 NOK 19.2K

$1,522 €1,330

31.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,607 NOK 15.5K

$1,089 €951

47.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,635 NOK 63.9K

$3,747 €3,274

77.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,956 NOK 47.7K

$2,299 €2,009

115.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,020 NOK 38.7K

$1,897 €1,657

111.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

4.41

2.95%

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

Last update for Norway: July 11, 2026

Last update for Italy: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,195 in Norway, $742 in Italy. Capital cities: $1,700 in Oslo vs $1,328 in Rome.

National salary averages: $3,808 in Norway, $1,912 in Italy. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 61% higher in Norway.

Dining out costs 32% more in Norway.

Public transport is 66% more expensive in Norway.

Salaries are 99% 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 Italy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,822 per month in Italy and $2,598 in Norway, there's a 43% 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 Italy: 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 Italy across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Italy, $2,500 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: Italy wins on affordability; Norway may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.