Country Guide

Living in Norway: the practical guide

Norway combines high salaries, universal healthcare, English-speaking workplaces and outstanding nature with one of the world’s highest costs of living and a strict but predictable tax system. This guide covers everything internationals need to know before and after the move.

What life costs in Norway (2026 reference)

Norway is consistently among the 5 most expensive countries in Europe. Most expats accept the cost in exchange for high net salaries, free healthcare and free public education.

Item	Oslo	Bergen / Trondheim	Stavanger	Smaller cities
2-bedroom rent / month	NOK 18,000 to 28,000	NOK 13,000 to 20,000	NOK 14,000 to 22,000	NOK 9,000 to 15,000
Family-of-4 weekly groceries	NOK 3,500 to 4,500	NOK 3,000 to 4,200	NOK 3,200 to 4,400	NOK 2,800 to 3,800
Public transport monthly	NOK 850	NOK 700 to 800	NOK 700	NOK 500 to 700
Restaurant meal (mid-range, 2 ppl)	NOK 900 to 1,400	NOK 800 to 1,300	NOK 850 to 1,300	NOK 600 to 1,000
Barnehage (subsidised childcare)	NOK 2,000 to 3,500	NOK 2,000 to 3,500	NOK 2,000 to 3,500	NOK 2,000 to 3,500

Figures are indicative ranges and vary by neighbourhood, family size and season. Always confirm current market prices before committing.

Helfo, GP system and Helsekort

Norway operates a universal public healthcare system funded through taxation, with the GP as the gateway to specialist care.

How it works

As soon as you have a fødselsnummer you can register with a fastlege via Helsenorge.no

Patient co-payments (egenandel) until annual cap (~NOK 3,165)

Free care for children under 16

Before fødselsnummer

EHIC for EEA citizens, covers necessary care

Private bridging insurance for non-EEA arrivals for the first 3 months

Dental: largely private after age 18

Prescription drugs: partial subsidy via blue prescription scheme

Free public schooling, world-class universities

Barnehage (Pre-school)

State-subsidised childcare for ages 1 to 5. Maximum parental fee currently NOK ~3,000/month per child, with multi-child discounts. Available year-round.

Grunnskole (Primary and Lower-Secondary)

Free, compulsory, 1st through 10th grade (ages 6 to 16). Includes free morning Norwegian instruction for non-Norwegian-speaking new arrivals.

Videregående (Upper-Secondary)

Free, voluntary, 11th through 13th grade. Academic (studieforberedende) or vocational (yrkesfag) tracks. Required for university entry.

Universities (Public)

UiO, NTNU, UiB, UiT, NMBU. Free for EEA citizens; non-EEA students pay tuition from autumn 2023. English-medium master’s programmes widely available.

BI Norwegian Business School

Private, top-tier business school in Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim, Stavanger. Bachelor and MBA programmes in English. Tuition for everyone.

International Schools

Oslo International School, Bergen International School, British International School Stavanger. IB curriculum, English-medium, preferred by mobile families.

How Norwegian tax works for new arrivals

Norway runs a strict but predictable tax system. Knowing the residency rules and the setup steps avoids surprises.

Tax residency and rates

Tax resident after 183 days in any 12-month window (or 270 days over 36 months)

Progressive marginal income tax: roughly 22% base + step-tax brackets to ~47%

Step-tax (trinnskatt): 1.7% / 4.0% / 13.7% / 16.7% / 17.7% on bracket-by-bracket basis

National insurance contribution (trygdeavgift): 7.7% on income

Setup on arrival

Apply for fødselsnummer or D-nummer at Skatteetaten

Skattekort (tax card) issued automatically from employer notification

Annual tax return (skattemelding) pre-filled, due 30 April

Possible source-tax for new arrivals on simplified flat-rate (kildeskatt for new arrivals)

BankID, Vipps and how to bank in Norway

Opening a Norwegian bank account

Most banks (DNB, SpareBank 1, Sbanken, Nordea, Handelsbanken) require fødselsnummer or D-nummer, address registration, employment contract, and proof of identity. Account opening takes 3 to 14 days.

Bring passport, residence permit, employment contract
Some banks offer pre-arrival appointments
Initial deposit usually not required

BankID, the universal digital ID

Issued by your Norwegian bank. Enables access to public services (Altinn, Helsenorge, Skatteetaten), most private apps, document signing, and banking. Almost everything in Norway runs through BankID.

Set up when opening your bank account
Used to log into 5,000+ services
Mobile BankID via app

Where internationals settle in Norway

Oslo and Akershus

Capital region. Most international corporate HQs (Telenor, DNB, Equinor offices, Statkraft). Largest international school network. Best rail access. Most diverse expat community.

Bergen (Vestland)

Norway’s second-largest city. Maritime, energy and seafood industries. Beautiful but rainy. Strong research universities (UiB, NHH). Active international community.

Trondheim

Home of NTNU, Norway’s leading technical university. Tech and research hub. High international student population. Cold winters, lovely summers.

Stavanger

Oil and gas capital. Equinor headquartered here. Strong British and American expat community due to oil sector. Petroleum-engineering hub.

Tromsø

Arctic Norway. UiT The Arctic University. Polar research, marine biology, healthcare. Northern lights, polar night, midnight sun. Smaller but tight expat community.

Smaller cities

Drammen, Kristiansand, Sandnes, Fredrikstad, Ålesund. Cheaper living, slower pace and more limited English-speaking environments, but possible for the right job or family situation.

What to actually expect

Climate and culture shape daily life in Norway as much as cost and paperwork do.

Climate

Oslo winters: -10°C to +2°C, dry snow, daylight 5 to 7 h in December

Bergen: mild but very wet, 200+ rain days/year

Stavanger: mild, windy, moderate rain

Tromsø: arctic winters (-15°C), polar night November to January, midnight sun May to July

Summers: pleasant 18 to 25°C across most of southern Norway

Culture and social code

Egalitarian, low power-distance workplaces; call your boss by first name

Punctuality and direct communication valued

Strong work-life balance; 7.5-hour workdays standard, 5 weeks vacation

Cabin culture (hytte): countryside cabins core to Norwegian life

Friluftsliv, the outdoor lifestyle: there is no bad weather, only bad clothing

English fluency near-universal in professional and urban settings

Planning your move to Norway?

This guide is the orientation. We handle the execution: visas, registrations, housing, schools, BankID and beyond.

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