Cost of Living in Norway

Rent in Norway

A 2-room home in Norway rented for NOK 11,790 a month on average in 2025, according to the rental market survey of Statistics Norway (SSB). A 1-room home cost NOK 8,770 and a 3-room home NOK 13,910. SSB counts bedrooms and living rooms, not the kitchen or bathroom. The figures are the rent tenants pay. Where electricity and heating are part of the rent, SSB does not take them out.

Oslo is the most expensive place to rent. In Oslo and Bærum a 2-room home cost NOK 15,260 a month, about 29% above the national average, and a 4-room home NOK 23,200. Bergen, Trondheim and Stavanger were close to the national level for 2 rooms, between NOK 11,400 and NOK 11,870. Rents are lowest in small towns and rural areas, where a 3-room home cost NOK 8,610 a month.

Housing takes a large share of income for some households. In 2025, 13.5% of people in Norway lived in a household that spent more than 40% of its disposable income on housing, against 7.6% in the EU, according to Eurostat. Norges Bank kept its policy rate at 4.5% on 4 November 2026, which matters for anyone with a mortgage. The next decision is due on 17 December 2026.

Consumer prices and inflation

Norwegian consumer prices were 3.4% higher in September 2026 than a year earlier, according to SSB. Without tax changes and energy, prices rose 3%. SSB says higher petrol and diesel prices pushed inflation up, as temporary fuel tax cuts ended on 1 September 2026. Transport rose 4.8%, restaurants and hotels 6% and food 2.2% over the year. On the harmonized EU measure, rents rose 3.6%.

Price levels are high. Eurostat puts Norwegian consumer prices at 138.4 in 2025, with the EU average at 100, so prices were about 38% above the EU average. Information and communication (164.1) and restaurants and hotels (139.7) stood furthest above the EU, while housing, water and energy were at 107.5.

Household spending

SSB's household budget survey shows where the money goes. In 2022 the average household spent NOK 554,585 a year on goods and services, about NOK 46,215 a month. Housing, electricity and fuel took 35.3%, about NOK 16,306 a month. This includes an imputed rent for people who own their home. Transport came second, then food. It is the latest survey SSB has published.

Electricity and getting around

Households paid 173.2 øre per kWh for electricity in the 2nd quarter of 2026, including grid rent and taxes, according to SSB. Government support took 55.3 øre off, so the price after support was 117.9 øre, 6.6% less than a year earlier. Households can choose between the ordinary electricity support (strømstøtte) and the voluntary fixed-price scheme Norgespris, available since 1 October 2025.

SSB does not publish a national figure for public transport fares, which are set by each county. Transport prices in the consumer price index rose 4.8% in the year to September 2026.

What it means for pay and hiring

The median monthly wage for a full-time job was NOK 55,800 in 2025 and the average NOK 62,070, according to SSB. The national average rent for a 2-room home, NOK 11,790, is 21.1% of that median. In Oslo and Bærum it is 27.3%. Check where the person will live when you set pay: an offer that works in Bergen or Trondheim leaves less after rent in Oslo. See average salary in Norway for pay by industry and sector, and our guide to hiring in Norway for employer costs and rules. Norway has no statutory minimum wage.

Need the right person? We do placement. We source, screen and interview remote professionals across Europe, then deliver a shortlist of 3 candidates within 21 days for a flat $6,500, or your deposit back. Prefer to run the search yourself? Post a job for $299. See how placement works or browse remote jobs in Norway.