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: $2,690 in Norway versus $1,782 in Italy.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,039 in Norway versus $2,722 in Italy.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,388 in Norway versus $3,662 in Italy.

Living in Norway is roughly 51% more expensive than in Italy on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Norway 97% above, Italy 30% above.

Norway ($1,504–$3,393) and Italy ($1,169–$2,657) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.04 NOK 225

$21.07 €18.26

14.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$108 NOK 1,005

$81.0 €70.2

32.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.14 NOK 151

$11.50 €9.96

40.35%

Cappuccino

$5.78 NOK 54.0

$2.10 €1.82

175.24%

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

$4.22 NOK 39.45

$3.07 €2.66

37.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 NOK 29.88

$1.44 €1.25

122.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.74 NOK 110

$5.86 €5.08

100.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.04 NOK 103

$5.72 €4.96

93.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.53 NOK 23.62

$1.59 €1.38

59.12%

White Bread (500g)

$3.82 NOK 35.71

$2.41 €2.09

58.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.84 NOK 35.89

$2.99 €2.60

28.43%

Eggs

$5.23 NOK 48.93

$4.34 €3.76

20.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.81 NOK 129

$17.62 €15.27

-21.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.49 NOK 154

$12.69 €10.99

29.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$31.78 NOK 297

$20.80 €18.02

52.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.87 NOK 36.13

$2.61 €2.26

48.28%

Banana (1kg)

$2.80 NOK 26.16

$2.14 €1.86

30.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.64 NOK 33.98

$2.79 €2.42

30.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.25 NOK 49.03

$3.37 €2.92

55.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 NOK 25.11

$2.04 €1.77

31.86%

Onion (1kg)

$3.13 NOK 29.21

$1.96 €1.70

59.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.07 NOK 28.66

$1.56 €1.35

96.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.32 NOK 21.68

$0.53 €0.46

337.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.02 NOK 168

$6.84 €5.93

163.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 NOK 171

$7.71 €6.68

137.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.71 NOK 34.68

$1.86 €1.61

99.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 NOK 40.89

$2.49 €2.16

75.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.69 NOK 43.81

$1.91 €1.66

145.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.2 NOK 787

$44.16 €38.27

90.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.18 NOK 114

$5.87 €5.09

107.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.93 NOK 18.04

$1.70 €1.48

13.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$70.1 NOK 656

$35.16 €30.47

99.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.30 NOK 21.45

$2.11 €1.83

9.00%

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

$50.2K NOK 469.5K

$36.9K €32.0K

36.01%

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

$45.3K NOK 423.0K

$36.5K €31.6K

24.13%

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

$282 NOK 2,638

$229 €199

22.97%

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

$38.97 NOK 364

$12.09 €10.48

222.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.9 NOK 690

$31.57 €27.36

133.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 NOK 494

$54.1 €46.90

-2.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.70 NOK 352

$24.51 €21.24

53.81%

Cinema Ticket

$18.51 NOK 173

$10.78 €9.34

71.71%

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

$301 NOK 2,817

$562 €487

-46.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,088 NOK 75.6K

$12.2K €10.6K

-33.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 NOK 1,019

$94.3 €81.7

15.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.4 NOK 546

$40.72 €35.29

43.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 NOK 1,152

$104 €90.2

18.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$170 NOK 1,586

$136 €118

24.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,404 NOK 13.1K

$832 €721

68.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,109 NOK 10.4K

$646 €560

71.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,198 NOK 20.5K

$1,450 €1,256

51.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,735 NOK 16.2K

$1,081 €937

60.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,816 NOK 63.7K

$3,816 €3,307

78.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,059 NOK 47.3K

$2,312 €2,003

118.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,228 NOK 39.5K

$1,954 €1,693

116.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.01

3.57

40.34%

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

Last update for Norway: September 13, 2026

Last update for Italy: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,246 in Norway, $748 in Italy. Capital cities: $2,026 in Oslo vs $1,238 in Rome.

National salary averages: $4,014 in Norway, $1,958 in Italy. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 67% higher in Norway.

Dining out costs 40% more in Norway.

Public transport is 88% more expensive in Norway.

Salaries are 105% 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 $1,913 per month in Italy and $2,449 in Norway, there's a 28% 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.