Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the United States and Norway

Name: Norway
Address: NO

For one person, living is cheaper in the United States: $2,734 a month against $2,917 in Norway, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. The total is higher in Norway despite lower rent and utilities.

131

Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index
139

Cost of Living Index in Norway
Learn more

Norway Living Index

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🇺🇸 United States

$2,734

/mo nomad

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,917

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the United States 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 States and in Norway actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,734 per month in the United States vs $2,917 in Norway, rent included.

United States $2,734
Norway $2,917

A couple spends around $3,985 per month in the United States vs $4,347 in Norway, rent included.

United States $3,985
Norway $4,347

A family of three spends $5,235 per month in the United States vs $5,776 in Norway, rent included.

United States $5,235
Norway $5,776

The regional cost range is wider in the United States ($979–$5,160) than in Norway ($1,521–$3,538), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in the United States is roughly 6% lower than in Norway on average.

Both the United States and Norway are pricier than the global median – the United States by 101%, Norway by 114%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.03 $20.03

$23.16 NOK 213

-13.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.0 $80.0

$106 NOK 976

-24.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.80 $11.80

$16.07 NOK 148

-26.57%

Cappuccino

$5.55 $5.55

$5.77 NOK 53.0

-3.81%

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

$2.66 $2.66

$4.15 NOK 38.11

-35.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$3.21 NOK 29.46

-32.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.12 $6.12

$11.76 NOK 108

-47.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.94 $7.94

$11.59 NOK 106

-31.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$2.43 NOK 22.34

-57.20%

White Bread (500g)

$3.59 $3.59

$3.89 NOK 35.74

-7.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$3.67 NOK 33.76

23.16%

Eggs

$4.28 $4.28

$5.38 NOK 49.45

-20.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.22 $13.22

$13.96 NOK 128

-5.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.60 $12.60

$16.77 NOK 154

-24.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.60 $17.60

$32.96 NOK 303

-46.60%

Apples (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.77 NOK 34.61

40.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 $1.69

$2.87 NOK 26.33

-41.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$3.65 NOK 33.57

21.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$5.36 NOK 49.22

-11.01%

Potato (1kg)

$2.97 $2.97

$2.74 NOK 25.16

8.39%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$3.13 NOK 28.73

0.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 $2.20

$2.94 NOK 27.01

-25.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.32 NOK 21.33

1.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.98 $10.98

$18.04 NOK 166

-39.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$18.09 NOK 166

-16.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$3.62 NOK 33.30

-43.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 $3.79

$4.49 NOK 41.24

-15.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 $1.94

$4.81 NOK 44.15

-59.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.4 $59.4

$84.1 NOK 772

-29.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 $3.58

$12.48 NOK 115

-71.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.86 NOK 17.12

1.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.84 $29.84

$72.9 NOK 670

-59.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$2.30 NOK 21.16

-55.65%

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

$28.8K $28.8K

$49.4K NOK 453.9K

-41.80%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$44.9K NOK 412.3K

-41.61%

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

$218 $218

$279 NOK 2,562

-21.85%

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

$62.5 $62.5

$39.68 NOK 365

57.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.5 $74.5

$74.2 NOK 681

0.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.86 $41.86

$50.9 NOK 468

-17.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.81 $22.81

$37.79 NOK 347

-39.64%

Cinema Ticket

$14.70 $14.70

$18.88 NOK 173

-22.14%

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

$1,489 $1,489

$297 NOK 2,732

400.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.3K $25.3K

$8,106 NOK 74.5K

211.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 $54.3

$111 NOK 1,017

-50.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.71 $42.71

$57.4 NOK 528

-25.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 $94.1

$125 NOK 1,150

-24.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$171 NOK 1,573

-33.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,659 $1,659

$1,491 NOK 13.7K

11.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,348 $1,348

$1,169 NOK 10.7K

15.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,682 $2,682

$2,330 NOK 21.4K

15.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,169 $2,169

$1,851 NOK 17.0K

17.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,283 $3,283

$7,127 NOK 65.5K

-53.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,482 $2,482

$5,279 NOK 48.5K

-52.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,296 $4,296

$4,273 NOK 39.3K

0.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

4.99

31.26%

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

Last update for the United States: October 25, 2026

Last update for Norway: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

United States

$1.3K 49.3%

Norway

$1.2K 40.1% 13.3% $179

Groceries & Markets

United States

$415 15.2%

Norway

$519 17.8% 24.9% $103

Monthly Utilities & Internet

United States

$355 13%

Norway

$393 13.5% 10.7% $38

Eating Out

United States

$328 12%

Norway

$414 14.2% 26.3% $86

Clothing & Footwear

United States

$137 5%

Norway

$209 7.2% 52.5% $72

Getting Around

United States

$80 2.9%

Norway

$125 4.3% 56.1% $45

Sport & Entertainment

United States

$71 2.6%

Norway

$89 3% 24.5% $17

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,620 in the United States vs $1,278 in Norway. For reference, capital cities sit at $2,768 in Washington, DC and $2,133 in Oslo.

Average salary: $4,549 in the United States vs $4,024 in Norway. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 27% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 41% more in Norway.

Public transport is 30% more expensive in Norway.

Salaries are 13% higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇺🇸 United States

🇳🇴 Norway

🕒 Local time

06:20 6:20 AM

12:20 12:20 PM

6 h ahead of the United States

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

340,110,988

5,594,340

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

100 NOK = 10.88 USD

100 NOK = 9.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NOK, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇳🇴 Norwegian Krone (kr)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 9.19 NOK (1 NOK = 0.109 USD). 1 EUR = 10.26 NOK (100 NOK = 9.75 EUR).

NOK to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

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

From you

United States
Norway

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 States vs Norway: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

The United States is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 6% lower on average.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in the United States – part of why living there is about 6% cheaper overall.

The United States is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.