Written by Alex Bach
Norway is one of the most fascinating countries in the world: they convert their garbage into fuel and even import garbage from other countries.
In summer you can schedule a midnight tee-time since the sun does not set. Also the country is considered a kingdom and they’ve even knighted a penguin. And with an excellent cost of living, moving to Norway is one of the best decisions you can make for a quality expat experience.
Economy:
Norway has an excellent economy at the moment. It would have been even better had the financial collapse not decimated the country’s retirement fund, but they’re still very well off. Most jobs offer very competitive living wages…much more than their US equivalents. The country offers free healthcare and college tuition for their residents as well.
On top of that, the US dollar to Norwegian Krone is trading very favorably to the US; approximately $0.17 to 1 Krone. As such, the US dollar will help make up for the higher cost of living.
Rent:
Rent is very affordable in Norway. Even their most expensive 1-bedroom apartments in the city center are cheaper than in your average American city: approximately $1,600 a month, which would be hard to put you into a studio in Manhattan! And while the city can be a bit competitively priced to other American cities, the suburbs offer much cheaper solutions.
Transportation:
Norway’s public transportation system makes it very easy to get around the country. They have long-distance buses that can carry you from city to city, as well as the more traditional trains and planes. A local ticket will typically cost around $5.50 USD. Gas in Norway is about 14.74 Kroners per liter, or about $2.46 USD.
And if you want to bring your car with you, Schumacher can assist with that major move as well. Find out how we can ship your car to Norway.
Food:
Due to certain shipping restrictions, getting quality groceries in Norway is not always an easy or a cheap thing. US citizens accustomed to grocery stores like Trader Joes and Whole Foods will be in for a rough surprise. So while it might cost a bit more to find quality produce and foreign items (kiwis, tea, lemons), you can still get your staples like milk for fairly cheap.
