Cost of living in Norway – 2015

Here in Trondheim based on our experience here are the idea:

>accomodation:
If renting a cellar/basement that is 35 to 50 sq.m. price ranges from 7000-9000 kroner per  month (varies how close it is to the center) with 2-3 months deposit

if renting in a building or portion of a house also similar to 40-65sq.m. usually it ranges from 9000-20000 kroner per month.

If renting a room that is in a common house shared by students/foreign renters price can be as 
low as 3000 kroner

NOTE: During this months you may be able to haggle with the prices as it was reported that this is the  "renter's season" because there are less renters this past months but high availability of apartments.
                                         
Also take note that this range and examples that I gave are average looking apartments and
not the luxury types, this more on the affordable ideal prices. These are unfurnished but has
refrigerator, warm water, and some may include oven and dish washing machine


                           
> public transportation fares:

Bus/tram- if it's by card/mobile a 1 1/2 hour valid ticket costs 38 kroner, if cash it is 50 kroner

Further prices are here Rates
With a cab since it is by their meter counter an example is when we traveled 8-10 km we
paid roughly 250 or 300 kroner if i remember it well

> food prices:     
Our monthly food budget costs around 5000 to 7000 a month for 2-3 persons we buy the average brands ( not the cheapest and not the most expensive) so im sure others can get this lower. And this budget includes weekends with 3pcs 1.5L sodas, beers, wine, chips, chocolates.

> energy prices:
For our water and electricity we pay 1000 to 2000 kroner a month and this is with 2 refrigerator that's 24 hours open, causual use of oven, 24 hours floor heater, almost 24 hours 2-3 computers open, and twice a month use of micro home brewing equipment that should be open for 8-10 hours, 1 electric fan.

> common bills 
Internet is provided by the apartment and my husband phone bill with data by the company although I have a prepaid mobile i spend 200 kroner on mine which lasts 3-4 months for me( i'm not a heavy texter, i don't call much, and i dont use data a lot).

> price for a good menu in a traditional restaurant:   
For this we spend about 600-2000 in a taste-worth it restaurant, we haven't tried the super fancy ones so i can't give you a quote on that


> price for a coffee or a drink:
For coffee and smoothies around here you can have it for 30-100 kroner average sized and great tastes.

> price for cinema tickets  120-145 kroner ( varies if regular or 3D)

This details are based on our personal household, so the expenses that I did not provide means I don't have it to give

Hi stephy25,

WOW ! thank you a lot for these information. 

It is very much appreciated !

Priscilla

Glad to share helpful information and I hope it helps

stephy25 gave a great detailed list!
I live in Bergen and the cost are pretty much the same compared to Oslo. Even accommodation prices are in the same range.

Living in Asker, Shop in Gronland and Oslo on weekends.
As per Jan 2015

How much does it cost to live in Norway?

> accommodation prices
12000-17000 NOK for rental in Asker for 2 bedroom apartment

> public transportation fares (tube, bus etc.)
30NOk for single ticket, single zone. 50NOk for double zone.
Asker to Oslo is 22minute train( costs 50NOK)

> food prices (your monthly budget)
only 2 meals out, rest self cooking for 2 ppl. Monthly around 2000NOK
Fresh chicken whole 50-60 NOK
Frozen chicken whole 40-50NOK
Milk 1Ltr 13-16 NOK
Bread Loaf 24-36 NOK

> health prices (for those who need medical insurance) NA

> education prices (if you need to pay) NA

> energy prices (oil, electricity)
Electricity, 2bedroom apartment, 1500NOK per month.

> common bills (Internet, television, telephone, mobile phone)
Internet, TV basic and mobile phone(1400 NOK per month)

> price for a good menu in a traditional restaurant
Nothing less than 150NOK per person. Can find 100NOK but have to go far east or fastfood type.

> price for a coffee or a drink
35 NOK, 10 nok subsidised in Reema1000

> price for cinema tickets
130NOK per ticket.

I live by Eidsvoll (45min drive north of Oslo, 25min via train).   As of Feb 2015:

> accommodation prices
I own my own house (bought for 2 million NOK) and pay around 10k NOK / month for my mortgage.

> public transportation fares (tube, bus etc.)
I travel to and from Oslo for work every workday.  It costs me 1750 NOK / month for my rail card, which covers unlimited use of all buses, trams and trains within the Oslo/Akershus area (4 zone rail card).

> food prices (your monthly budget)
Me, fiancé and a baby, all of our 'food shopping' including everything from washing stuff to food costs around 4-6000 NOK / month.

> health prices (for those who need medical insurance)
A visit to the doctor costs 180 NOK per visit. 

> education prices (if you need to pay)
Education is free in Norway (unless doing it privately).

> energy prices (oil, electricity)
A full tank of petrol (2014 Pergeot 308) costs around 700 NOK.  Electricity costs us around 700-1000 NOK / month (much cheaper in summer).  We pay 1400 NOK every 3 months for kommunale avgifter, which also covers water.

> common bills (Internet, television, telephone, mobile phone)
Internet costs us about 400 / month, fiber would cost more.  Brand new Samsung Galaxy S5 cost 5000 NOK, monthly cost would be around 200-300 NOK depending on use and type of contract or whatever.

> price for a good menu in a traditional restaurant
Simplest could set you back 130 NOK, a steak will cost around 300 NOK, eating pizza in a restaurant can cost 170-240 depending on size and type.  You need to go to a pretty nice restaurant to find anything priced higher than 350.

> price for a coffee or a drink
A bottle of coke will cost you 20 NOK.  Coffee about the same.  Most drinks range from 20-25 or so.

> price for cinema tickets
A cinema ticket will cost you about 180 NOK per person.

Hope this helps someone
Gary

I live in the countryside just south of Bergen - where all the Kroner Billionaires live.


> accommodation prices
We are buying our own house  and pay around 10k NOK / month for our mortgage. Renting prices vary but start around  6000 per month for a 3 bed cabin.

> public transportation fares (tube, bus etc.)

Buses are a rare event here. We use private transport within our commune and to get to the nearest public transport hub. Ferries cost 150 NOK to the mainland - but that fare is a heavily discounted one so long as you have discount card. Unfortunately, it costs 3000 NOK to fill it up after paying another 200 NOK for the privilege of owning one. A Fast ferry is available to the centre of Bergen 300 NOK return. We sometimes use the light railway in Bergen but we have discount cards for that too.

> food prices (your monthly budget)
For the two of us, all of our 'food shopping' including everything from washing stuff to food costs around 4-6000 NOK / month. We tend to entertain a lot.

> health prices (for those who need medical insurance)
A visit to the doctor costs 180 NOK per visit.  Plus more for specific treatments and market value for prescription drugs. Up to a ceiling of 3000 NOK when everything becomes free - depending on illness.

> education prices (if you need to pay)
Education is free in Norway (unless doing it privately).
On arrival in Norway, it is best to go to "opplæring skule" to learn Norwegian - about 1000 NOK per month

> energy prices (oil, electricity)
A full tank of petrol  costs around 850 NOK ( P406 estate). About 14 NOK per litre  Electricity costs us around 700-1000 NOK / month (much cheaper in summer).  We pay 1000 NOK every 2 months for kommunale avgifter. Water and sewage another 400 NOK per month

> common bills (Internet, television, telephone, mobile phone)
Internet costs us about 500 / month, 50Mb/50Mb fibre. TV via Satellite is 200NOK per month. NRK1, NRK 2 and NRK 3 are the only free to air channels. TV license paid 6 monthly - about 1500 each time

> price for a good menu in a traditional restaurant

Simplest meal is about 1200 NOK for 4 plus ferry fare and petrol plus time ( on outskirts of Bergen). Two restaurants on the island are at ends of spectrum. The cheap one serves fish and chips for 150 NOK ( ex frozen fish not fresh) and the expensive one I've not been in!

> price for a coffee or a drink
A bottle of coke will cost you 20 NOK.  Coffee about the same.  Most drinks range from 20-25 or so. Includes a 1 NOK returnable deposit per bottle (2.5 NOK on 1.5 litre bottles)

> price for cinema tickets
A cinema ticket will cost you about 100 NOK per person. but that's once a month and one showing only. Island life is completely different to Oslo.

Hi,

I appreciate if anyone can tell me the cost of living in Bergen, how it is living in that city and if 62 000/65 000 NOK per month are sufficient to live there.

Thank you.

Regards,

Miguel

Aka Papillon wrote:

Hi,

I appreciate if anyone can tell me the cost of living in Bergen, how it is living in that city and if 62 000/65 000 NOK per month are sufficient to live there.

Thank you.

Regards,

Miguel

Hi Miguel,
that salary makes me envious!!!!
I assume this is before tax, right?  Because of your high salary, your tax deductions will be higher (ca. 47 %), but it will leave you still with ca. 38 000 net income. Please note that these are just my tax assumptions and can change depending other factors. It is best to ask you employer of the tax office (skatteetaten)  for more accurate information.

Of course, everything depends on your lifestyle and your personal situation (married, kids, partner working, etc. ), but as a single person this should be more than enough!

Dear no_clue,

I don't know if it is before taxes, I have to ask. I just know that the annual salary is about 700 000 NOK. I am single, no kids, no girlfriend (at this moment), I don't drink any alcohol, no coffe, no beer, don't smoke, etc. However, I love to pilot planes when I have time! Well, like my mom say "you have to find a woman son", but marry nowadays it is not for me (divorce it is not for me). I need to know housing costs, food, etc. I appreciate if you could help me!

I forget to tell you that I want also, with time because I am young, to create a company (technological company) and/or an import/export company. How are taxes in Bergen for that also?

Regards,

Miguel

Hi Miguel,

I'm sure the 700 000 NOK is before taxes if you work at the university as professor.  You will be able to live VERY comfortably on that salary by yourself.  My partner fed a family of three for a while on that (we live close to the center of Bergen an pay ca 12 000 for an 85 sq.m. apartment). We also like to go out for meals and spend a lot on food items (fresh meat and fish from higher end supermarkets).

stephy25 and kumarentran  listed above individual cost items for Trondheim and Oslo. They are comparable to Bergen (housing and food being the biggest expense).

Unfortunately, I can't help you with the business tax information.  Maybe someone else can shed some light on that...

no_clue wrote:

Hi Miguel,

I'm sure the 700 000 NOK is before taxes if you work at the university as professor.  You will be able to live VERY comfortably on that salary by yourself.  My partner fed a family of three for a while on that (we live close to the center of Bergen an pay ca 12 000 for an 85 sq.m. apartment). We also like to go out for meals and spend a lot on food items (fresh meat and fish from higher end supermarkets).

stephy25 and kumarentran  listed above individual cost items for Trondheim and Oslo. They are comparable to Bergen (housing and food being the biggest expense).

Unfortunately, I can't help you with the business tax information.  Maybe someone else can shed some light on that...

Yes, you are right, it is for University Professor (Full Professor). Are you telling me that 700 000 NOK is suficient for a person like me? In reality it is a little more than 700 000 NOK.

I try to send some messages to people from this website, specially persons (womens) from my country to ask this but they never answer me. Well, that behavior just give me more reasons to be single all my life

Thank you very much for your help.

Regards.

This is great. I'm going back to Oslo next week and hope to have some job leads, this is really helpful. Are there any threads on English speaking expats in Oslo? Would be great to talk to people who have moved there.

Hello Kaleesiii,

You are most welcome to create a new thread in the Oslo forum and look for English speaking expats.

Regards,
Marjorie

Some information about  Bergen 2015

All in Norwegian Kroner

Accommodation
_____________

Rent for average apartment 50 sq, 8000 to 10000  can be higher with furniture, it also depends on location. Houses are more expensive 14000 to 25000

A room may cost from 4000 to 6000, also depends on location.

Transportation:

Bus: 50 if you pay in cash, 35 if you pay by card or machine
you can use the ticket for 1 hour and half since you pay for it, you can take more than one bus, or even take the same bus 2 ways if it was within the time tolerance

fuel: fuel price comes up and down, based on oil daily prices, weather condition and several other factors, but avreage price is 14-15 NOK, per liter benzine 95 , Diesel is 1 or 2 Nok cheaper

Octan 98 is 1 or 2 NOK higher

Cars: new cars are a bit expensive, while used cars have a reasonable price ( watch out of maintenance cost), most of the main roads have toll cameras that charges you average of 25 NOK per a drive passing the camera, you have also to pay annual toll which depends on your car model but it varies between 2900 to 4500

insurance is mandatory. and if your driving license is not approved in Norway , you must attend driving school will cost you average of 35000 - 45000 NOK, to get mandatory classes, even if you can drive it does not matter, you must attend all classes if your driving license is not approved.


Taxi: Taxi is a bit expensive, if you take it from a station point it starts with 40, 50 NOK, but if you call , the value will be added to during the pick up, I am not sure how much per Kilometer, it varies morning and late night, also sunday is more expensive, but in average a distance of 25 km takes about 35-45 minutes based on traffic costs about 600 NOK.

Food:
Restaurants are expensive to eat a decent meal at a restaurant you are talking average per person 300 to 400 NOK, this may include a starter, main course and a drink.

shopping for food is ok, it depends on what you are looking for, 3000 - 4000 NOK can be a basic average for 1 person.  you do not need to double for 2 persons because you will have some shared value.

the most expensive food can be fresh vegetables or fruit out of the season, when it is imported from some where, also high quality meat and fish.


Internet & TV:

All TV services are (pre-paid) services, you can get a combination of internet and TV with a reasonable price, if you are renting you have to ensure if it is included in your rent or not.

it varies from company to another but internet of 20 MB plus basic TV costs you about 750 a month, ( it can be cheaper to 500 if you pay in a group, like building or block contract for all residents which is common some times for those who live in apartments).

300 - 400 a month is average price for 20 MB internet connection.

Health care:

you usually will have a free health care, ( not actually free you pay small fees), but there is always a waiting list to see a specialist, then you pay 300-400 NOK, if you see a private specialist, for a basic check you pay about 1400 NOK.

Hi,

A friend and her family are moving to Oslo in September / October.

Her salary is around 57,000 NOKs per month before tax. As an expat, she has been told that for the first two years, she would taxed at around 33% and would be left with around 38,000 NOKs cash per month.

For a family of three, based on the information here, I believe the following costs of living would apply:

Rent: 15,000 (2 bedroom apartment or house)
Transport: 3000 (Buses / Train)
Grocery: 7000 (1 year baby + 2 adults)
Utilities, TV and Internet: 3000
Minor expenses: 2000

The above amount to around 30,000 per month. The norwegian classes would be sponsored by the company. They dont plan to buy a car for a while so no fuel or lease cost.

Quick questions.

1. Is the above make sense for the latest costs in Oslo?

2. Am I missing something important out which I have not taken into account?

Thank you for the help.

How much does it cost to live in Norway?

> accommodation prices in Drammen/Oslo:
kr. 10.000 - 12.000 for one or two bedroom apartment in the city. 10 km outside the price is about kr. 8000 - but then you need a car.

> public transportation fares (tube, bus etc.)
about kr. 800,- for monthly card

> food prices (your monthly budget)
kr. 3000 for simple cooking at home, without alcohol for one person.
kr. 120 bottle of wine
kr. 28 for 0,5 litre beer
kr. 100 for 20 sigarettes

> health prices (for those who need medical insurance)
?
> education prices (if you need to pay)
?
> energy prices (oil, electricity)
heat and hot water is included in the apartment in most cases in the city, so expect kr. 300 pr. month. If not included about kr. 1000,- but then the accomodation is lower priced. This is for one/two persons.
?
> common bills (Internet, television, telephone, mobile phone)
kr. 300 internet 25/25
kr. 200 mobile phone
Television is in most cases included in the rent (- but yearly tax is about kr. 2000,- if you buy a new TV.)

> price for a good menu in a traditional restaurant
> price for a coffee or a drink
> price for cinema tickets

Eat, drink outside your home is expensive.
Meat, cheeze, alcohol and sigarettes are expensive.
Taxi and own a car is expensive.

What is not expensive is electronic like waching machines, television, furniture, kitchen things etc. and some parts of "tryed" food like spagetti, potato crisp, sugar etc.

Bad habits like two beers at the pub and a packet of sigarettes a day is close to kr. 10.000 pr. month. So everything worth living is expensive so you better love to stay at home.

New Auris, Golf from kr. 250.000
Taxi 10 km at night, about kr. 500
Be aware of toll road and insurance.
Service and car repair is expensive.

Internet and Tv is no problem in the city but a fast line outside city center can be tricky. Always check this before moving into a flat or house. In most cases you can use your mobile phone limited to 15 GB pr. month for kr. 500,-. TV channels included is mostly Norwegians channels.

zeast wrote:

How much does it cost to live in Norway?

> accommodation prices in Drammen/Oslo:
kr. 10.000 - 12.000 for one or two bedroom apartment in the city. 10 km outside the price is about kr. 8000 - but then you need a car.

IMO it should be clarified that Drammen is NOT Oslo (30 min outside by train), and that getting a two bedroom apt in central Oslo for 10-12k is not an easy task. In Drammen it's definitely doable though.