18 responses so far ↓

• 1 Diane Scott // Jul 27, 2008 at 9:56 am

  Wow, sort of puts living here in the U.S. in perspective doesn’t it! Yikes!

• 2 RennyBA // Jul 27, 2008 at 5:40 pm

  A very interesting subject and I think you have done quite well so far. Sorry I was late getting back to you but I hope you find my reply mail useful.

  It’s important to state that we are not talking about cost of tourism. The price level might seem very high for people in other parts of the world. Talking about cost of living you have to take income level, tax, and public services like health care - meaning what you can buy for your nett salary into consideration.

  I am not trying to paint a false picture, the prices are definitely high in Norway. But the living standard despite this, and partially because of this, is very high.

  Not to make this another post, let me give some personal examples from public health care and the education system:
  My wife from the US recieved a hip replacement 2 years after she came to Norway, with rehabilitation for 6 months without it costing us anything. Now she is almost finished with her Masters Degree, she has taken her whole college education here, at no cost to us. In fact students here get a scholarship to help pay for their living and book costs. We did take a loan but that has paid for living expenses.

• 3 DianeCA // Jul 27, 2008 at 6:10 pm

  Part of the reason it is difficult to find an answer to your question is that it takes a short economy & political lesson to understand how things fit together. You really have to see the big picture, which took me a few years to find out. What you have to compare is as Renny says what standard of living you get for your earnings. To give an example my 19 year old son took a year ‘free’ before college and worked in a preschool at a relatively low level job. His income for the year was 220,000 kr or just over 40,000 dollars. Much of the inflated prices on luxury goods like cars, alcohol, and eating out go to taxes which pay for services for the entire society, like free higher education, health care, 5 weeks vacation, one year maternity leave - shared by both parents. As well as many other things. If you want a longer answer send me an email and I will do my best. (Mrs Renny)

• 4 Kristie // Jul 28, 2008 at 10:29 pm

  @RennyBA: Of course those types of benifits are wonderful…if you use them. Then there is the person like me who is not going to school, and have not had the need for any medical care at all. And personally with the taxes being so high and the cost of everything so high, I am having a lower standard of living than I did in the US. Anyways, I know if I was to have a baby I would want to be in Norway with the ridiculous amout of maternity leave they get (with such a high percentage of pay) but I am unfortunately unable to use that wonderful service of Norway too :) Of course it is different for everyone!

• 5 Curtis // Jul 30, 2008 at 3:00 pm

  In terms of the cost of food, Norwegians spend just over 10% of their salary on such purchases. That is considerably lower than most of their European counterparts. Another example is that after one hour of work, the average Norwegian can purchase more petrol than the average Spanish, Portuguese or French worker. What I am trying to point out is that cost of living is in-line with salaries. The average Norwegian earns nearly 10′000 USD per year more than the average American, while working about one month less per year! Salaries are high, cost of living is high: it goes hand-in-hand. It is not a perfect system, but in general the cost of living is no problem for those living in Norway, unlike the large numbers of truly poor in my home country, the United States.

• 6 Ole // Jul 31, 2008 at 10:48 pm

  You have to keep in mind that the people making and serving you the world’s most expensive beer probably makes about as much money as you do. $25-30/hour is normal wage for unskilled jobs.

  Gasoline is $10/gallon, but like cars, alcohol and tobacco most of the price is taxes going back to you in terms of free health care, 1 year sick pay, free higher education, pensions etc.

  Overall I would say that the average Norwegian and the average American has about the same standard of living.

• 7 Michael Adebayo // Aug 29, 2008 at 8:12 am

  I need unskilled job in Norway, or with the Norwegian Farmer’s Union or Norwegian Small holders Farmers Union.

  Thank you

• 8 Buchner // Sep 13, 2008 at 8:44 pm

  I am looking for Truck driver job, i have working exprience , 11 years in europe and 3 years in USA. and i have 8 years as fuck lift driver also. age 42, i am a German.contact me if any person have a job for me.

• 9 Esther // Sep 13, 2008 at 8:49 pm

  I am married woman, a German, age 39,we want to move to Norway, to live and work there, if any body have a job for me pls contact me.
  I have work in production,company for over 5 years, and cleaning job for 7 years. I speak perfect English and German.

• 10 fowmy // Sep 24, 2008 at 3:50 am

  i wanna know how much taxes wil i have to pay when i di a unskilled job in norway

• 11 stromme // Sep 28, 2008 at 8:24 am

  woman are beter looking in Norway ,

• 12 AJ // Oct 14, 2008 at 4:56 am

  Speaking as a Norwegian expat (the opposite of Kristie), it’s important to know *why* prices are so high in Norway. Some things like cars, gasoline, and alcohol are primarily due to special taxes above the norm, but mostly prices are dictated by purchasing power. I.e., prices are high in Norway because Norwegians can afford them. Norwegians love to point out the lower prices in continental Europe, especially places like Spain, but they never point out the lower wages and fewer government services there at the same time.

  Rather than translate Norwegian prices into U.S. dollars or whatever else you’re familiar with, I’d rather spend my time figuring out what lifestyle I can afford if relocated to Norway.

  P.S. One interesting side-benefit of this situation is that vacations abroad are generally far more affordable than for other nationalities.

• 13 Kristie // Oct 16, 2008 at 5:13 pm

  @AJ: I agree that its better to spend your time figuring out what lifestyle you can afford in Norway is the best way to think about it. I know all Norwegians say that because of the salaries and government support that you can afford these more expensive prices - so in theory it evens out. But I have to say that I STRONGLY disagree. Even with the higher salaries here and government support, here in Norway I will NEVER be able to get my nails done like I did when I lived in LA. I am unable to go out to eat or for drinks whenever I want here because it is SO expensive it has to be planned. Where in the US I ate out every day and when I wanted to go out for drinks I never had to worry about how many I had (because of how expensive it was). And as far as drinks in Norway, not only are they incomparably expensive in bars and restaurants (to the US) but there is almost NO alcohol in them. You have to have like three or four to even feel a tiny buzz…where as in the US two is more than enough for me usually.
  So I am sorry to say, because I know Norwegians defend it with their lives…. but I do not think that the higher salaries and government support make MY quality of life any better here in Norway than it was in the US.

• 14 AJ // Oct 16, 2008 at 8:34 pm

  Kristie,

  You are, of course, completely correct. Even when you adjust for higher salaries and more government benefits, there are things that are far more expensive in Norway than the U.S. Alcohol and tobacco are heavily taxed. Combined with a relatively much higher salary for low-end jobs, restaurant visits quickly become an expensive affair, as do getting your nails done. The flip side is of course you can make ends meet working in a restaurant, which is much harder to do in the U.S.

  Whether that makes for better living, well that’s a rather subjective topic.

• 15 moni // Oct 17, 2008 at 3:53 am

  Kristie,
  how old are you?? I agree with the nails and restaurants and so forth, but in a long run what is about retirement?? health care>>> if you are fired you don’t get anything, also I already worked 23 years of my life in this country and you can lose everything, there is 5 million people losing their homes. Do you know that??? for young people is fun but for mid 30 and 40 and 50 unless you are getting a retirement from the state or federal govermment, for example i used to work 10 years for the state which i will have a pension now at the present time i work for a private company health care is high and not affordable. also if i am fired i have to start all over again and you only get 250 per week as unemployment working at least 1 year to qualify in Florida state, do you know the cost of university here only on loans, my kids will benefit better education maybe 3 different languages and the cons are horrible weather, no restaurants and no nails no beer but i can live without that because for the last 5 years we couldn’t go anywhere as a family trip because there is recession and we only focus paying a private school for my kids, why because we want a better and achieving careers for our children. Not just that in norway they can benefit with a broad opinion and they are europeans and also americans then we will have to be able to travel as family in europe and not just wait for them to grow up and then be in debt and not be able to travel at least to know what is going on in other part of the world, i have my own experiences in Erurope the weather is horrible but regardless that i am american i am also peruvian born and before i came to US, I lived in Europe in Germany and I have to tell you the proper experience, educated people and their culture was very similar to the spanish tradition, which is called culture, traditions, clothing and relating to your ancestors.

• 16 Tom // Oct 19, 2008 at 7:26 am

  Norwegians are being raped by their own government, yet they can’t see that. The nationalistic brainwash does the job. What fools are they. We have free healthcare and schools, hi, hi, hi, you morons, no you pay with your taxes for your “freebies”. And alcohol? Look at those fools getting hammered on weekends with booze being hauled from Sweden. Pathetic. And in general prices should reflect manufacturing cost plus profit. “we pay because we can afford” …and sun shines because it can too,,, Jesus!

• 17 Kristie // Oct 24, 2008 at 4:25 pm

  @moni: Moni - I totally understand all that you say. And I know its bad now in the US. Maybe it would be better for you here, but no one but you and your family can know that for sure. I know that healthcare costs in the US is a big problem, and that it is better over here for that. So are you saying that you are one of the “5 million people losing their homes”? Just curious because if your family is in a financial crisis that might make the situation different. Do you and your husband have good job offers here in Norway? That also might make the situation different. If I was you I would for sure not move here without good jobs. There is a shortage of jobs here and a lot of people are having financial problems and loosing their apartments/houses here too (the US isnt the only place having money problems). If you and your husband DO have good jobs here, well then…if you are so frightened of all of the possibilities that could happen to you where you are now…then you should think about it.
  When you originally commented you said that your husband thought that the dual nationality would benefit your children. Which I replied to that with what I thought. If there are other huge factors going in to your decision (like money problems/fears) then I dont think someone like me can advise you wisely on this decision. All I know is that it is a HUGE decision (especially when you have two kids involved). And dont forget…the Norwegian culture is not at all like the German or Spanish culture - at least as far as how people treat you on a daily basis. Its not that Norwegians are unfriendly….but they are so unfriendly. I know that doesn’t make sense, but if you move here, dont be surprised if you have a lot of trouble integrating yourself into the community and culture. It is just something to think about! But good luck and please let me know if you do decide to move here! I would love to hear how it goes for you (an who knows…maybe you will have better luck making friends with Norwegians than I have :) )!

• 18 Kristie // Oct 24, 2008 at 4:29 pm

  @AJ: I totally agree :)

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