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: $2,426 in Norway versus $1,717 in Italy.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,692 in Norway versus $2,624 in Italy.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,958 in Norway versus $3,530 in Italy.

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

Both countries sit above the global median: Norway 81% above, Italy 28% above.

Norway ($1,960–$3,141) and Italy ($1,170–$2,508) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.03 NOK 223

$17.44 €15.00

37.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 NOK 937

$79.5 €68.4

26.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.05 NOK 140

$11.76 €10.11

27.98%

Cappuccino

$5.02 NOK 46.67

$2.00 €1.72

151.00%

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

$3.50 NOK 32.53

$3.00 €2.58

16.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 NOK 27.06

$1.35 €1.16

115.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.11 NOK 103

$5.94 €5.11

87.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.08 NOK 93.7

$5.36 €4.61

88.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 NOK 20.91

$1.64 €1.41

37.20%

White Bread (500g)

$3.40 NOK 31.62

$2.41 €2.07

41.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.29 NOK 30.53

$2.99 €2.58

10.03%

Eggs

$4.63 NOK 43.00

$3.96 €3.41

16.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.33 NOK 115

$16.84 €14.49

-26.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.32 NOK 142

$12.43 €10.69

23.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$29.66 NOK 276

$20.29 €17.46

46.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 NOK 31.38

$2.47 €2.13

36.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.53 NOK 23.48

$2.15 €1.85

17.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.21 NOK 29.86

$2.65 €2.28

21.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.69 NOK 43.60

$3.40 €2.92

37.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.37 NOK 22.00

$1.92 €1.65

23.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.63 NOK 24.41

$1.81 €1.56

45.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.79 NOK 25.93

$1.55 €1.33

80.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 NOK 21.30

$0.54 €0.46

324.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.91 NOK 148

$6.79 €5.84

134.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.10 NOK 168

$7.18 €6.18

152.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.49 NOK 32.43

$1.80 €1.55

93.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.28 NOK 39.79

$2.42 €2.08

76.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.36 NOK 40.52

$2.00 €1.72

118.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.0 NOK 725

$42.35 €36.43

84.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.03 NOK 112

$5.94 €5.11

102.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 NOK 14.00

$1.51 €1.30

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$54.5 NOK 506

$34.04 €29.28

60.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 NOK 20.80

$2.05 €1.76

9.27%

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

$37.3K NOK 346.9K

$32.8K €28.2K

13.71%

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

$40.1K NOK 372.7K

$33.7K €29.0K

19.11%

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

$251 NOK 2,330

$225 €194

11.26%

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

$39.72 NOK 369

$13.25 €11.40

199.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 NOK 569

$30.95 €26.62

98.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.86 NOK 463

$55.7 €47.95

-10.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.62 NOK 322

$25.15 €21.63

37.65%

Cinema Ticket

$15.88 NOK 147

$10.25 €8.82

54.93%

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

$303 NOK 2,817

$576 €495

-47.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,477 NOK 78.8K

$10.5K €8,998

-18.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.5 NOK 925

$91.8 €79.0

8.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.6 NOK 488

$40.72 €35.03

29.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 NOK 1,062

$98.0 €84.3

16.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$153 NOK 1,420

$131 €112

16.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 NOK 11.9K

$860 €740

49.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$969 NOK 9,005

$667 €573

45.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,002 NOK 18.6K

$1,475 €1,269

35.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,602 NOK 14.9K

$1,087 €935

47.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,868 NOK 63.8K

$3,850 €3,312

78.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,146 NOK 47.8K

$2,359 €2,029

118.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,118 NOK 38.3K

$1,933 €1,663

112.97%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Italy: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,199 in Norway, $743 in Italy. Capital cities: $1,671 in Oslo vs $1,325 in Rome.

National salary averages: $3,981 in Norway, $1,949 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 104% higher in Norway, giving Norway stronger purchasing power.

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 $1,839 per month in Italy and $2,551 in Norway, there's a 39% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Italy is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 beats 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 works in regional areas but 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.