Cost of Living in Oslo

Accommodation is the single largest expense in Oslo and the category that most determines your overall monthly burn rate. The rental market is extremely tight, with vacancy rates under 1% in popular central neighborhoods, and rents have climbed 6-7% year-over-year through 2025. Grunerlokka remains the quintessential nomad neighborhood -- vibrant with specialty coffee shops, vintage stores, and a walkable street grid along the Akerselva river -- but a one-bedroom here runs 19,000-22,000 NOK ($1,725-2,000) per month. Frogner, Oslo's most upscale district, offers elegant high-ceiling apartments near Vigeland Park for 19,000-23,000+ NOK ($1,725-2,100+). Sagene and neighboring Torshov provide the best value-for-location trade-off: a one-bedroom costs 16,900-19,000 NOK ($1,535-1,725) with quick tram access to the center. Toyen, rapidly gentrifying with new cafes and the startup village initiative, sits just two metro stops from Oslo S and offers slightly lower rents, though prices are rising 5-7% annually as the neighborhood transforms.

Dining out in Oslo is an exercise in sticker shock for newcomers. A casual main course at a mid-range restaurant costs 250-450 NOK ($23-41), and a full three-course dinner without drinks runs 600-900 NOK ($55-82) per person. Even a basic pizza lands at 180-260 NOK ($16-24), while a burger with fries costs 190-280 NOK ($17-25). Fast food and street food offer the cheapest sit-down options at 120-150 NOK ($11-14). Mathallen, the food hall in the Vulkan area along the Akerselva, is a popular middle ground -- lunch dishes from stalls like Hitchhiker or Vulkan Fisk run 150-200 NOK ($14-18), and the atmosphere is excellent for casual working lunches. Kebab shops and Asian takeaways throughout Gronland and Toyen serve filling meals for 100-140 NOK ($9-13) and represent the true budget dining floor in Oslo. Tipping is not expected -- service charge and VAT are included in all menu prices -- though rounding up or leaving 5-10% for excellent service is appreciated.

Grocery shopping in Oslo is expensive by any international standard, driven by Norway's protective import tariffs, high agricultural subsidies, and strong wages throughout the supply chain. The budget supermarket chains -- Rema 1000, Kiwi, and Coop Extra -- are where locals shop and where nomads should exclusively buy. These discount stores run 10-15% cheaper than mid-range options like Meny or Joker. A liter of milk costs about 22 NOK ($2), a loaf of bread 25-35 NOK ($2.30-3.20), a kilogram of chicken around 80-110 NOK ($7.30-10), and a dozen eggs approximately 45-55 NOK ($4.10-5.00). Bananas are a relative bargain at 15-16 NOK ($1.40) per kilo, while cheese has jumped to around 29 NOK ($2.65) for a standard package of Norvegia. A reasonable weekly grocery bill for a single person cooking most meals at home runs 800-1,200 NOK ($73-109), or $320-475 per month. Meat, imported produce, and anything outside basic staples push costs higher -- lamb and beef can reach $30-40 per pound.

Oslo's public transport system, operated by Ruter, is comprehensive, punctual, and covers the entire city within a single zone. The network integrates the T-bane metro (six lines), trams, buses, and harbor ferries -- all accessible with one ticket. A single adult ticket costs 44 NOK ($4) and is valid for 60 minutes with unlimited transfers across all modes. The 30-day adult pass for Zone 1 (which covers all of Oslo) costs approximately 728 NOK ($66) following the municipality's recent subsidy-driven price reduction, with the city targeting a further decrease to 499 NOK by 2027. A 7-day pass runs about 330-350 NOK ($30-32) and the annual pass covers 12 months for the price of 10. Students receive a 40% discount on all period tickets. The Ruter app is the easiest way to buy and store tickets -- simply tap your phone at validation points. Frequencies are excellent: metro trains run every 3-5 minutes during peak hours and every 10-15 minutes off-peak, with night buses on weekends.

Norway ranks among the world's best-connected countries, and Oslo sits at the epicenter of that infrastructure. Over 70% of Norwegian households have fiber-to-the-home connections, with average download speeds of 142 Mbps and upload speeds of 104 Mbps. In central Oslo, residential fiber plans from Telenor or Telia commonly deliver 100-1,000 Mbps, with gigabit connections increasingly standard in newer buildings. If your rental includes internet (common in furnished Airbnbs but rare in unfurnished long-term leases), expect reliable 100+ Mbps speeds. For unfurnished apartments, setting up a broadband connection typically costs 400-600 NOK ($36-55) per month for 100-500 Mbps. Mobile connectivity is equally impressive: average mobile download speeds exceed 158 Mbps nationally, with 5G coverage from both Telenor and Telia reaching 99% of the population. A Telia prepaid SIM starter pack costs 99 NOK ($9) with 1 GB and unlimited calls, with 10 GB data packages available for 299 NOK ($27) for 30 days. Telenor offers a pay-as-you-go option with an unlimited daily data pass for just 20 NOK ($1.80). Both operators include free EU roaming.

Norway operates a universal public healthcare system funded through taxation, and access for foreigners depends entirely on residency status. EU/EEA citizens with a valid EHIC or GHIC card receive treatment at the same subsidized rates as Norwegians: a GP consultation (fastlege) costs 316 NOK ($29), a daytime emergency clinic (legevakt) visit is 375 NOK ($34), and evening or weekend emergency visits run 558 NOK ($51). Additional charges of 64 NOK ($6) apply for blood tests, referrals, and sick notes. Once your annual out-of-pocket medical expenses reach 3,240 NOK ($295), the system automatically issues a frikort (free card) -- all further GP and specialist visits for the remainder of the calendar year are then completely free. Hospital emergency care is fully covered for residents and EHIC holders, and ambulance services are free for everyone regardless of status.

Norway is part of the Schengen Area but not the EU, and the standard 90/180 Schengen rule applies: visa-exempt nationals (US, UK, Canada, Australia, and others) can spend 90 days within any rolling 180-day period across all 27 Schengen countries combined. The EU's new Entry/Exit System (EES), which went live in late 2025, uses biometric tracking to detect overstays automatically -- enforcement is no longer theoretical. Norway does not have a formal digital nomad visa, but the Independent Contractor permit allows stays of up to two years if you can demonstrate annual income of at least 360,000 NOK ($32,700) and have a contract with a Norwegian client. Processing takes 3-4 months through UDI, Norway's immigration authority. Norway is one of the world's most cashless societies -- cards and mobile payments (Vipps is the local standard) are accepted virtually everywhere, including market stalls and small cafes. Some businesses do not accept cash at all. Opening a Norwegian bank account requires a D-number (tax identification) and can take up to two months, so plan finances around international cards with no foreign transaction fees.