Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Norway and the United States

Name: United States
Address: US

For one person, living costs are similar in Norway and in the United States: $2,773 and $2,701 a month, rent and utilities included.

135

Cost of Living Index in Norway
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Norway Living Index
133

Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index

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🇳🇴 Norway

$2,773

/mo nomad

🇺🇸 United States

$2,701

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 States actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,773 per month in Norway vs $2,701 in the United States, rent included.

Norway $2,773
United States $2,701

A couple spends around $4,153 per month in Norway vs $3,980 in the United States, rent included.

Norway $4,153
United States $3,980

A family of three spends $5,534 per month in Norway vs $5,258 in the United States, rent included.

Norway $5,534
United States $5,258

The regional cost range is wider in the United States ($980–$5,162) than in Norway ($1,487–$3,427), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Norway is about 3% higher than in the United States on average.

Both Norway and the United States are pricier than the global median – Norway by 105%, the United States by 100%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.91 NOK 216

$19.92 $19.92

15.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$104 NOK 983

$81.0 $81.0

28.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.44 NOK 145

$12.07 $12.07

27.92%

Cappuccino

$5.51 NOK 51.8

$5.55 $5.55

-0.72%

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

$4.18 NOK 39.31

$2.67 $2.67

56.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 NOK 29.28

$2.09 $2.09

48.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.49 NOK 108

$5.96 $5.96

92.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.21 NOK 106

$7.76 $7.76

44.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.45 NOK 23.04

$1.05 $1.05

133.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 NOK 35.34

$3.55 $3.55

5.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.73 NOK 35.08

$4.64 $4.64

-19.61%

Eggs

$5.24 NOK 49.32

$4.18 $4.18

25.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.14 NOK 124

$12.76 $12.76

2.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.13 NOK 152

$12.63 $12.63

27.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$31.22 NOK 294

$17.22 $17.22

81.30%

Apples (1kg)

$3.73 NOK 35.13

$5.15 $5.15

-27.57%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 NOK 25.82

$1.64 $1.64

67.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.55 NOK 33.46

$4.46 $4.46

-20.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.29 NOK 49.83

$4.98 $4.98

6.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.59 NOK 24.36

$2.84 $2.84

-8.80%

Onion (1kg)

$3.04 NOK 28.65

$3.09 $3.09

-1.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.99 NOK 28.15

$2.19 $2.19

36.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 NOK 22.10

$2.27 $2.27

3.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.61 NOK 166

$10.61 $10.61

65.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.60 NOK 166

$14.71 $14.71

19.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.57 NOK 33.58

$2.10 $2.10

70.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 NOK 41.05

$3.82 $3.82

14.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.68 NOK 44.01

$2.35 $2.35

99.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.4 NOK 794

$64.1 $64.1

31.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$11.67 NOK 110

$3.57 $3.57

226.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 NOK 17.69

$1.85 $1.85

1.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$68.7 NOK 647

$30.19 $30.19

127.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.33 NOK 21.92

$1.07 $1.07

117.76%

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

$48.5K NOK 456.3K

$35.3K $35.3K

37.36%

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

$42.8K NOK 403.1K

$25.9K $25.9K

65.32%

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

$269 NOK 2,536

$217 $217

24.37%

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

$38.55 NOK 363

$61.4 $61.4

-37.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.9 NOK 686

$74.4 $74.4

-2.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.8 NOK 478

$45.08 $45.08

12.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.82 NOK 356

$23.07 $23.07

63.94%

Cinema Ticket

$18.31 NOK 172

$14.79 $14.79

23.80%

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

$285 NOK 2,682

$1,480 $1,480

-80.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,834 NOK 73.7K

$25.5K $25.5K

-69.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$110 NOK 1,031

$53.0 $53.0

106.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.3 NOK 530

$42.75 $42.75

31.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 NOK 1,142

$94.3 $94.3

28.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 NOK 1,545

$115 $115

42.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,372 NOK 12.9K

$1,678 $1,678

-18.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,070 NOK 10.1K

$1,313 $1,313

-18.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,167 NOK 20.4K

$2,649 $2,649

-18.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,705 NOK 16.0K

$2,183 $2,183

-21.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,671 NOK 62.8K

$3,374 $3,374

97.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,982 NOK 46.9K

$2,661 $2,661

87.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,111 NOK 38.7K

$4,404 $4,404

-6.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.99

6.55

-23.82%

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 States: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Norway

$1.1K 38.6%

United States

$1.3K 48.6% 22.7% $243

Groceries & Markets

Norway

$503 18.1%

United States

$411 15.2% 18.3% $92

Eating Out

Norway

$405 14.6%

United States

$327 12.1% 19.3% $78

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Norway

$381 13.7%

United States

$352 13% 7.5% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Norway

$203 7.3%

United States

$137 5.1% 32.3% $66

Getting Around

Norway

$124 4.5%

United States

$86 3.2% 30.5% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Norway

$87 3.2%

United States

$75 2.8% 14.6% $13

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,210 in Norway vs $1,609 in the United States. For reference, capital cities sit at $2,018 in Oslo and $2,730 in Washington, DC.

Average salary: $3,915 in Norway vs $4,533 in the United States. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 33% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 36% more in Norway.

Public transport is 181% more expensive in Norway.

Salaries are 16% higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇳🇴 Norway

🇺🇸 United States

🕒 Local time

09:05 9:05 AM

03:05 3:05 AM

6 h behind Norway

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,594,340

340,110,988

💱 Currency

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 NOK = 10.62 USD

100 NOK = 9.43 EUR

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to NOK – Norwegian Krone Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇴 Norwegian Krone (kr)

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).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.13 USD (1 USD = 0.888 EUR).

USD to NOK in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Norway United States 7,040 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Norway
United States

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 States: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

The United States is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 3% lower on average.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in the United States, adding to the overall 3% price gap.

$4,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in the United States, but in Norway it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

The United States 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.