For one person, living is cheaper in the United Kingdom: $2,462 a month against $2,917 in Norway, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.
How much you'll spend in the United Kingdom and in Norway
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in the United Kingdom and in Norway actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
A single person spends $2,462 per month in the United Kingdom vs $2,917 in Norway, rent included.
United Kingdom $2,462
Norway $2,917
A couple spends around $3,600 per month in the United Kingdom vs $4,347 in Norway, rent included.
United Kingdom $3,600
Norway $4,347
A family of three spends $4,738 per month in the United Kingdom vs $5,776 in Norway, rent included.
United Kingdom $4,738
Norway $5,776
📏
The regional cost range is wider in the United Kingdom ($1,126–$4,646) than in Norway ($1,521–$3,538), so city choice matters more there.
🌍
The cost of living in the United Kingdom is roughly 16% lower than in Norway on average.
📊
Both the United Kingdom and Norway are pricier than the global median – the United Kingdom by 81%, Norway by 114%.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
United Kingdom
Norway
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$21.48£16.04
$23.16NOK 213
-7.25%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$85.7£64.0
$106NOK 976
-19.29%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$10.61£7.92
$16.07NOK 148
-33.98%
Cappuccino
$4.91£3.67
$5.77NOK 53.0
-14.90%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.66£1.99
$4.15NOK 38.11
-35.90%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.87£1.39
$3.21NOK 29.46
-41.74%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$6.63£4.95
$11.76NOK 108
-43.62%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$6.84£5.11
$11.59NOK 106
-40.98%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
United Kingdom
Norway
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.68£1.25
$2.43NOK 22.34
-30.86%
White Bread(500g)
$1.72£1.28
$3.89NOK 35.74
-55.78%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.17£1.62
$3.67NOK 33.76
-40.87%
Eggs
$4.00£2.99
$5.38NOK 49.45
-25.65%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$9.42£7.03
$13.96NOK 128
-32.52%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$9.19£6.86
$16.77NOK 154
-45.20%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$14.77£11.03
$32.96NOK 303
-55.19%
Apples(1kg)
$2.97£2.21
$3.77NOK 34.61
-21.22%
Banana(1kg)
$1.62£1.21
$2.87NOK 26.33
-43.55%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.85£2.13
$3.65NOK 33.57
-21.92%
Tomato(1kg)
$3.52£2.63
$5.36NOK 49.22
-34.33%
Potato(1kg)
$1.83£1.37
$2.74NOK 25.16
-33.21%
Onion(1kg)
$1.61£1.20
$3.13NOK 28.73
-48.56%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.25£0.93
$2.94NOK 27.01
-57.48%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.66£1.24
$2.32NOK 21.33
-28.45%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$23.65£17.66
$18.04NOK 166
31.10%
Wine(Bottle)
$10.50£7.84
$18.09NOK 166
-41.96%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.98£2.23
$3.62NOK 33.30
-17.68%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.51£2.62
$4.49NOK 41.24
-21.83%
🚌 Getting Around
United Kingdom
Norway
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$3.98£2.97
$4.81NOK 44.15
-17.26%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$107£80.2
$84.1NOK 772
27.79%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$5.18£3.87
$12.48NOK 115
-58.49%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$2.35£1.75
$1.86NOK 17.12
26.34%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$26.84£20.04
$72.9NOK 670
-63.18%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.99£1.48
$2.30NOK 21.16
-13.48%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$39.4K£29.5K
$49.4KNOK 453.9K
-20.15%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.5K£30.2K
$44.9KNOK 412.3K
-9.79%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
United Kingdom
Norway
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$327£244
$279NOK 2,562
17.32%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.21£13.60
$39.68NOK 365
-54.11%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$43.60£32.56
$74.2NOK 681
-41.20%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
United Kingdom
Norway
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$42.36£31.63
$50.9NOK 468
-16.84%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.22£13.60
$37.79NOK 347
-51.79%
Cinema Ticket
$13.85£10.34
$18.88NOK 173
-26.64%
🧸 Childcare & Education
United Kingdom
Norway
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$1,868£1,395
$297NOK 2,732
528.27%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$22.6K£16.9K
$8,106NOK 74.5K
179.19%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
United Kingdom
Norway
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$92.9£69.4
$111NOK 1,017
-16.04%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.92£34.29
$57.4NOK 528
-20.04%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$102£75.9
$125NOK 1,150
-18.80%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$102£76.3
$171NOK 1,573
-40.30%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
United Kingdom
Norway
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,342£1,002
$1,491NOK 13.7K
-9.95%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,073£801
$1,169NOK 10.7K
-8.17%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,231£1,666
$2,330NOK 21.4K
-4.23%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,742£1,301
$1,851NOK 17.0K
-5.89%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$5,601£4,182
$7,127NOK 65.5K
-21.41%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$4,265£3,185
$5,279NOK 48.5K
-19.21%
💵 Salaries & Financials
United Kingdom
Norway
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$3,349£2,501
$4,273NOK 39.3K
-21.62%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
5.32
4.99
6.61%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for the United Kingdom: October 26, 2026
Last update for Norway: October 24, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
United Kingdom
$1.1K 43.6%
Norway
$1.2K 40.1% ↑ 8.9%$96
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
United Kingdom
$389 15.8%
Norway
$393 13.5% ↑ 1%$3.7
🍽Eating Out
United Kingdom
$328 13.3%
Norway
$414 14.2% ↑ 26.4%$87
🛒Groceries & Markets
United Kingdom
$307 12.5%
Norway
$519 17.8% ↑ 68.8%$212
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
United Kingdom
$154 6.3%
Norway
$209 7.2% ↑ 35.5%$55
🚌Getting Around
United Kingdom
$140 5.7%
Norway
$125 4.3% ↓ 10.8%$15
🎉Sport & Entertainment
United Kingdom
$70 2.9%
Norway
$89 3% ↑ 26.6%$19
🏠Accommodation & Living
United Kingdom
$1.7K 36.8%
Norway
$1.9K 32% ↑ 6.3%$109
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
United Kingdom
$407 8.6%
Norway
$432 7.5% ↑ 6.2%$25
🍽Eating Out
United Kingdom
$1.1K 23.1%
Norway
$1.4K 23.4% ↑ 23.5%$257
🛒Groceries & Markets
United Kingdom
$705 14.9%
Norway
$1.2K 20.8% ↑ 70.4%$496
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
United Kingdom
$343 7.2%
Norway
$465 8% ↑ 35.5%$122
🚌Getting Around
United Kingdom
$288 6.1%
Norway
$260 4.5% ↓ 9.9%$29
🎉Sport & Entertainment
United Kingdom
$158 3.3%
Norway
$215 3.7% ↑ 35.9%$57
Cost Breakdown
🏠Average rent: $1,287 in the United Kingdom vs $1,278 in Norway. For reference, capital cities sit at $2,811 in London and $2,133 in Oslo.
💰Average salary: $3,251 in the United Kingdom vs $4,024 in Norway. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.
Cost Highlights
⭐Dining out costs 28% more in Norway.
⭐Public transport is 23% more expensive in the 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
United Kingdom vs Norway: 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 16% lower on average.
Is everything cheaper in the United Kingdom?
Not necessarily. Overall, Norway costs about 19% more, but the gap varies by category, and some expenses can be lower in Norway. Compare the categories that matter most for your budget.
Should I move to Norway or to the United Kingdom?
The United Kingdom is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.
United Kingdom vs other spots: cost of living compared