Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Norway and the United Kingdom

For one person, living is cheaper in the United Kingdom: $2,453 a month against $2,773 in Norway, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. The total is higher in Norway despite lower rent and utilities.

🇳🇴 Norway
$2,773
/mo nomad
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,453
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Norway and in the United Kingdom

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 the United Kingdom actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,773 per month in Norway vs $2,453 in the United Kingdom, rent included.

  • Norway $2,773
  • United Kingdom $2,453

A couple spends around $4,153 per month in Norway vs $3,548 in the United Kingdom, rent included.

  • Norway $4,153
  • United Kingdom $3,548

A family of three spends $5,534 per month in Norway vs $4,643 in the United Kingdom, rent included.

  • Norway $5,534
  • United Kingdom $4,643

The regional cost range is wider in the United Kingdom ($1,131–$3,986) than in Norway ($1,487–$3,427), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Norway is about 13% higher than in the United Kingdom on average.

Both Norway and the United Kingdom are pricier than the global median – Norway by 105%, the United Kingdom by 82%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Norway
United Kingdom
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.91 NOK 216
$20.82 £15.62
10.04%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$104 NOK 983
$86.3 £64.7
21.08%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$15.44 NOK 145
$10.76 £8.07
43.49%
Cappuccino
$5.51 NOK 51.8
$4.87 £3.65
13.14%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.18 NOK 39.31
$2.55 £1.91
63.92%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.11 NOK 29.28
$1.85 £1.39
68.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$11.49 NOK 108
$6.75 £5.06
70.22%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$11.21 NOK 106
$6.49 £4.87
72.73%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Norway
United Kingdom
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.45 NOK 23.04
$1.64 £1.23
49.39%
White Bread (500g)
$3.75 NOK 35.34
$1.66 £1.24
125.90%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.73 NOK 35.08
$2.17 £1.63
71.89%
Eggs
$5.24 NOK 49.32
$4.02 £3.01
30.35%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.14 NOK 124
$9.40 £7.05
39.79%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$16.13 NOK 152
$8.99 £6.74
79.42%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$31.22 NOK 294
$14.55 £10.92
114.57%
Apples (1kg)
$3.73 NOK 35.13
$2.90 £2.17
28.62%
Banana (1kg)
$2.74 NOK 25.82
$1.60 £1.20
71.25%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.55 NOK 33.46
$2.78 £2.08
27.70%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.29 NOK 49.83
$3.39 £2.54
56.05%
Potato (1kg)
$2.59 NOK 24.36
$1.78 £1.34
45.51%
Onion (1kg)
$3.04 NOK 28.65
$1.62 £1.21
87.65%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.99 NOK 28.15
$1.23 £0.92
143.09%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.35 NOK 22.10
$1.66 £1.24
41.57%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$17.61 NOK 166
$23.67 £17.76
-25.60%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.60 NOK 166
$10.67 £8.00
64.95%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.57 NOK 33.58
$3.06 £2.30
16.67%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.36 NOK 41.05
$3.33 £2.50
30.93%
🚌 Getting Around
Norway
United Kingdom
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.68 NOK 44.01
$3.34 £2.51
40.12%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$84.4 NOK 794
$103 £77.1
-17.86%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$11.67 NOK 110
$5.44 £4.08
114.52%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.88 NOK 17.69
$2.36 £1.77
-20.34%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$68.7 NOK 647
$26.17 £19.63
162.59%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.33 NOK 21.92
$1.95 £1.46
19.49%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$48.5K NOK 456.3K
$38.0K £28.5K
27.69%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$42.8K NOK 403.1K
$40.6K £30.5K
5.38%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Norway
United Kingdom
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$269 NOK 2,536
$315 £236
-14.39%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$38.55 NOK 363
$17.88 £13.41
115.60%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$72.9 NOK 686
$42.77 £32.09
70.38%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Norway
United Kingdom
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$50.8 NOK 478
$44.93 £33.70
13.06%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$37.82 NOK 356
$17.98 £13.49
110.34%
Cinema Ticket
$18.31 NOK 172
$13.06 £9.80
40.20%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Norway
United Kingdom
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$285 NOK 2,682
$1,753 £1,315
-83.75%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,834 NOK 73.7K
$22.5K £16.9K
-65.20%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Norway
United Kingdom
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$110 NOK 1,031
$90.4 £67.8
21.16%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$56.3 NOK 530
$45.49 £34.13
23.72%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$121 NOK 1,142
$101 £75.9
19.86%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$164 NOK 1,545
$102 £76.4
61.30%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Norway
United Kingdom
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,372 NOK 12.9K
$1,339 £1,005
2.46%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,070 NOK 10.1K
$1,096 £822
-2.41%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,167 NOK 20.4K
$2,152 £1,615
0.67%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,705 NOK 16.0K
$1,699 £1,275
0.34%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,671 NOK 62.8K
$5,551 £4,165
20.17%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,982 NOK 46.9K
$4,374 £3,282
13.88%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Norway
United Kingdom
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,111 NOK 38.7K
$3,324 £2,493
23.69%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.99
5.32
-6.20%

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

Last update for Norway: October 12, 2026

Last update for the United Kingdom: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Norway
$1.1K
United Kingdom
$1.1K 2.5% $26
Groceries & Markets
Norway
$503
United Kingdom
$303 39.7% $200
Eating Out
Norway
$405
United Kingdom
$322 20.5% $83
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Norway
$381
United Kingdom
$375 1.4% $5.5
Clothing & Footwear
Norway
$203
United Kingdom
$153 24.9% $51
Getting Around
Norway
$124
United Kingdom
$133 7.4% $9.2
Sport & Entertainment
Norway
$87
United Kingdom
$71 18.7% $16

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,210 in Norway vs $1,252 in the United Kingdom. For reference, capital cities sit at $2,018 in Oslo and $2,869 in London.

Average salary: $3,915 in Norway vs $3,228 in the United Kingdom. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Dining out costs 23% more in Norway.

Salaries are 21% higher in Norway.

Good to know
🇳🇴 Norway
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
🕒 Local time
10:06 10:06 AM
09:06 9:06 AM
1 h behind Norway
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
5,594,340
67,326,569
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD, EUR 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 = 10.6 NOK (100 NOK = 9.43 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.845 GBP (1 GBP = 1.18 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Norway United Kingdom 1,150 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Norway
  • United Kingdom

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 United Kingdom: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Norway more expensive than the United Kingdom?
The United Kingdom is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 13% lower on average.
Is everything cheaper in the United Kingdom?
Not necessarily. Overall, Norway costs about 13% more, but the gap varies by category, and some expenses can be lower in Norway. Compare the categories that matter most for your budget.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget in Norway or in the United Kingdom?
$2,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in the United Kingdom, but in Norway it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.
Should I move to Norway or to the United Kingdom?
The United Kingdom is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.

Norway vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar countries

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?