Pros and cons of living in Norway ( as a foreigner )
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ก.ย. 2024
- Hi, guys!
Whenever I post a video about my life in Norway, I receive so many questions about what it is really like to live here. So I gathered some of the biggest topics to address about living in Norway in my opinion, so that if you were thinking of moving to this Scandinavian country, to share some info on what it is like to live here from a local's perspective. I have been living in Oslo for about 5 years now, and this video is based part on my experience, and part on what I have heard foreigners often talk about.
Leave a comment bellow and let me know your thoughts or if you have any questions.
If you want to know more, I have several videos about my life in Oslo and Norway travel vlogs:
Life in Oslo:
• Living in Norway as a ...
Epic Norway travel vlog:
• Cinematic Norway trave...
I regularly post updates on Instagram @cristinafilms
All my social handles like Tik Tok, X , etc : @cristinafilms
I appreciate you candor in discussing the pros and cons of living in Norway, a country I find thoroughly intriguing. I'm in Canada and our countries would seem to be similar in many ways. We're into the dry heatwave part of summer here now and I wouldn't mind one of those 15 degree rainy days. Lol Cheers from Vancouver.
@@markhernden9472 Thank you for your comment! I am glad you found the content interesting! The problem is that there’s too many days of rain, hihi! This weekend we are lucky,though, sunny and 27. Going to swim in the nearby lakes.
In most countries, the goods are cheap. What all these countries have in common is that they are much poorer than Norway. The two richest countries in Europe are Switzerland and Norway and food is expensive in these countries because farmers are paid well for the products they produce. High wages make goods more expensive, but purchasing power is still high - and that is most important.
@@steinarhaugen7617 I agree, one of the reasons why restaurants are so expensive for example, is because employee costs are very high.
I don't know about Switzerland, but in Norway, the general feeling is that people are tired of the "closed marked" thing. Might just be my region though. I wish our country split apart in at least 2-3 different countries. We're extremely different in many ways.
@@Schlibewtf.. splitting it into 3 different countries .
That's a bit radical. Sounds like a Russian bot Idea 😅
In from Finnmark. And I guarantee you that we'd be on Russia's dinner plate if we split up from you guys.
Although GDP per Capita in Finnmark is the highest in the country, we aren't stupid enough to think we could do this shit on our own 😅
@@theownmages GDP is highest in Finnmark? Dont get surprised when the white coat people take you to the hospital
@@Schlibe I also feel that people here are very different, I couldn’t make a generalization of characteristics,communities & cities are so different also, as I said inn the video. But I like it.
Awesome video! It's cool to hear the real deal about living in Norway. Your insights are super helpful for anyone thinking about moving there. Thanks for sharing your experience in Oslo - really enjoyed it. Keep up the great work!
Cheers,
Simon - Tales From Abroad
@@TalesFromAbroad-SJ Thank you so much! I appreciate it!☺️
A comment on schools. They are free, but what you are talking about is what is called AKS or SFO. This is a possibility where parents can send their kids to before and after school. This is mainly from 1st to 4th grade. And price depends also on income but for most between 200 and 400 euro. And will reduce also your taxes..
@@jonnor6883 Thank you for clearing things up. It is good that we cary these conversations in the comments, so that other people will be informed and we share knowledge. I don’t have any children, it’s what my friends who have children have mentioned to me many times. And unless you are home every day after lunch, if you work a normal job, you have to pay that money to have kids in school until 4-5 pm. Kind of compulsory for everyone with children and jobs, you have to spend that money out of pocket.
@@CristinaFilms It sure is. I have 2 kids that both went to AKS here in Oslo. Rest of the country it's called SFO. So yes it's an expense you have to take into the whole picture. A solo parent was this expensive, but necessary since i also had to work
Problem for higher education is cost of living or even finding a place to stay during studies.
@@Gazer75 yes but that is for higher education. It's still free, but i agree that the cost of living is big. Not compared when i studied at University of Oslo in the 90s when you could find a decent place on the private marked
@@jonnor6883 Yeah , it is tough, especially for single parents. Thank you for sharing!
Well, Norway is one of the cheapest countries to raise kids in.
Diapers and other babyproducts (also for womens menstruation products) is subsidised.
Kindergarden is cheap, and you’ll pay less per child if you have more than one in kindergarden. It’ll become even cheaper this fall.
School is free. Healthcare for kids is free, including dental.
For grown ups it’s a small free, with a «free card», that gives no fees if you’ve spent more than 3165kr ($287) on healthcare within a year. Dental is not covered for adults.
My youngest son was sick when born, we spent 2+ months in hospital, where he was flown with a helicopter to another hospital. Had 24/7 care for the kid, me and my life lived for free in the hospital, with food covered and full salary covered. Also we got refunded our traveling expenses, including multiple trips home during the stay, as our parents was home with our biggest child.
So without the generous welfare state, we’d be millions in debt.
Thank you for the comment with the info. It is good that we debate these types of things , so that others read bout different perspectives. Though menstrual pads, are sold in the supermarket with normal prices, as a woman I have never heard of that being subsidised by the government. Can you please provide where I can get the subsidised menstrual pads? I have many periods ahead.
Pads are not subject to tax refunds or tax cuts.
My boy must have done en oopsiedoopsie.
That being said, diapers are so cheap in Norway that we would literally get russian "tourists" in white Vans driving around Varangerfjorden filling up their van with diapers and taking them back home selling it 😂
Speaking from experience. I used to work in kiwi, and before the war in Ukraine, they would show up and empty us all out 😂
@@theownmages Thanks for the clear up! Good to know more perspectives! Thank you for the comment!
Very interesting topic! I think I am actually agree with you on most of the things.😊
@@staceygong9881 Thank you!! Most things? Interesting… We can talk about that , hihi. Then I make part two 😂
I love this video! So much valuable insight😍. I’ve lived in Norway for 11 years now and I’m starting to feel like I’m being taxed for breathing too!!! The living standards here is insanely high 😂
Right, or what? Thank you! Even though the video is a little longer, I wanted to be thorough and bring up proper pros and cons, so that people researching online can get a local’s perspective. Hit me up on Insta if you come to Oslo 😉
"High taxes are an investment into a better society in which I get to to part of and live in" is the best way to describe the tax situation in Norway that I've heard.
@@FM-kl7oc They do put these taxes to good use to make a very strong social security system that takes care of the people.
I wish the US had this mentality. But I imagine this is easier to do with a smaller, more homogenous population
I think it should at least be mentioned that Norway have a unusually large gap between the median priced alternative and the cheapest alternative in grocery stores compared to most other countries. I did an experiment and I was able to use 400 kr on food without starving for one month. I used a lot of cheap alternatives and also the app -too good to go-. Regardless of price, some of my favorites are still from first price/prima/Xtra.
@@ujmm Wow. You spent only 400 kr for one whole month on food for yourself? That doesn’t sound sustainable long term. Maybe just like a one time thing when in an extreme situation. It feels like very little calories. I am tall, I need lots of calories, at least 2000 per day, I am an active person, need energy. A prima/first price chicken tray is over 100 kr. And I need two a month. And if I don’t eat vegetables, I can’t go nr.2. To live off good to go, you must have strong discipline!
@@CristinaFilms Well, it is not sustainable, but it shows that you can easily get by with 1500kr on food, which is what many people use in Hungary and I assume Romania as well. It was more to highlight that if you explore alternatives below what is median priced, you can save a lot.
@@ujmm Interesting, it is very good that we have these debates in the comments, so that people who are thinking of moving here, or are curious, can get different perspectives. Thank you for your comment! For me, since I try to eat healthy, with lots of vegetables & fruit and I like meat and sea food, I could not live off 1500 kr for a long time. Maybe I could do that for a couple of months if I am in a tight place, but I wouldn’t want my food to be so restricted long term. Maybe it is possible, but it sounds like living in poverty not to eat what your body needs, and I would prefer not to experience such long term limitation. Good food is delicious, depriving myself would be living in suffering.
yes, we have these Weekly campaign for certain grocery products. You can find them on a App, and its brilliant easy. So you can get around on a tight budget here. But just forget dining out. Here the price difference from USA is riddicules
Yes, there are tricks... bread is half price on Rema last hour before closing. There is ONE type of bread which is extremely cheap (kneipp) --- which my parents told me once, it was to game the consumer price inflation measure. Because that one type of bread is the "standard basket of goods".
You can definitively save a lot on the "reduce food waste"-efforts like too good to go. Vegan and vegetarian stuff, funnily enough, can be very cheap because so few people buy it!
My main problem with these efforts is that they sell things in too large quantities for a small family.
Love the video! We briefly lived in Oslo several years ago and are thinking of returning. With inflation on the rise are there any areas outside of the city you would recommend for more affordable living for a small family of 3 (preferably with nature)? Thank you! :)
@@alicia68412 Thank you very much , Alicia ! 😊 I heard Asker is okish. I recommend that you check on Finn.no .
Just remember that Paris is France, but Oslo is not Norway, when speaking about norwegian climate, weather or norwegians.
@@Aiziee You make a good point, thank you. In my previous video about life in Norway and life in Oslo I talked about that people are different in Oslo than other places.
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Muchísimas gracias! ❤️ ☺️ Que guay que te gustó y me alegro que lo has vivido en tu propia experiencia! A que una caravana sería lo MAX!!!?? y con tienda de campaña se viaja bien! Puedes campar gratis en toda Noruega siempre en cuanto no sea propiedad privada.
the argument about interest rents, I think , it's a bit faulty because it's because of the word economy. Situation. What counts is :Do you wish/dream of living in Norway? Because no country is perfect! Example: Weather:some like it hot, some like it cooler/cold, some like the seasons, some not.
@@biankakoettlitz6979 Yes, things are subjective. All the places have advantages and disadvantages, it depends if the pros outweigh the cons. This video is meant to bring a local perspective to someone to know what they could expect. Reality is relative, if you make a 50.000 kr after tax a month, everything is cheap, if you make 20.000 kr, everything is expensive.
Hi. You should come and visit Kristiansand. I think you would love it here.
@@takjoniks I hope I will, someday!
Slow speaking, religious people who can't even say faen i helvete without thinking about how god will punish them? Please. Fuck Kristiansand.
'Expensive' - I agree and not agree. Living in Norway over 20years, there are things , which are cheaper and there are thing which are mor expensive. Buying an EV, you only must pay VAT / moms for cars which cost more than 500.000 Nok or our power or take a hike, its usually for free or using the bathroom in a mall-for free, go to Germany and you must pay a fee😀
@@biankakoettlitz6979 Yes, I believe that it is very individual depending on each person’s life situation, the city. It is ok to disagree on these topics, two contradictory realities can exist at the same time. And it is true, some things are very expensive, some things are almost free, like university and other state benefits. Thanks for the comment!
I have heard that Electric cars 🚗 have become more Commonly used in Norway 🇳🇴, is it true?
Around 25% of the cars in Norway are electric. This is because in recent years 75-90% of new cars sold have been electric.
@@osmondjacob8951 So many Teslas here. All of my friends have electric cars, many years ago, the government gave money, almost half of the car price , to people that bought electric cars, to encourage to buy instead of gas cars.
@@Gazer75 Wow, and probably more in the future.
@@CristinaFilms which is more cost effective 🤔 in terms of ownership and usage? ⛽️ gasoline/petrol or electric 🔌🪫🔋
@@osmondjacob8951 Sorry, no idea, don’t own a car.
I think it is sad that people leave their family and friends better to stay in your own country close to your family. And we don't need more people in Norway. We only produce 39% of the food. We also have rising energy prices due to what can look like corrupt political decisions..
You're making a lot of assumptions. I, for one, very much appreciate foreigners who take their time to learn our culture and language. It is a very respectful thing to do, and deserving of our respect back.
@@ivantubez3496 Do you think that there is corruption here? I am wondering why Norway increases gas and electricity prices so much ( which makes inflation) when the country has oil and are making so much electricity, that they are selling it abroad for expensive prices. It s strange that they raised so much the prices, when Norway is energetically independent.
@@MrMudbill Thank you. I feel that we just live in these globalization times where people can live in different countries or continents, society is changing, constantly evolving. Many Norwegians emigrated to the US in the 20th century, when times were hard. What I have noticed living here, is that there is always a need of workers. Because the economy has been good for many years, businesses have grown because they were able to import foreign handwork. In the places where I worked they were always hiring. I’m referring to pre inflation, of course.
@@CristinaFilms We indeed have a lot of foreign seasonal workers, especially in the tourism industry, who travel for work to a particular place during the most popular season. I imagine Norway is a very desirable place for foreigners to work due to the wages. Though I've also heard that it can be challenging to find work in Norway, as the state will prioritize Norwegian citizens in fields where the workforce can be found nearby, while foreign workers mostly are granted work visas in fields that are lacking in manpower.
@@MrMudbill Thank you for your comment. I have heard that , but I don’t know if it’s just people talking or actual fact. It is good that we have these debates in the comments, because I feel that it will be useful for people to know what to expect if they are wondering about living here, or maybe some are just curious and it is interesting to actually hear locals talking about these topics.
Put timestamps please.
@@thomasj3421 Thanks Thomas for the suggestion, great idea, I will try to get to this if I have time!
Hope food prices and rent stabilize or go down a bit.. My son will finish one computer and electronics engineering graduation in 1 or 2 (i'm not sure) years, and finish computing graduation (he started but changed), and then, he said, go to Norway university (don't know if Erasmus program), finish Masters degree.. ..he needs to start learning Norwegian.. ..lets see..
@@ROBOTRIX_eu The good news is that salaries are good enough to accommodate the high prices, and you can work as a student, even in “low paying” jobs, you make a decent living. I highly recommend learning Norwegian, as it will open more doors to get work and better wages.
@@CristinaFilms
It will be more expensive here due to higher energy prices and because of the low Krone rate (our currency).
@@ivantubez3496 lets see how world situation is in 3 years..
@@ROBOTRIX_eu 😉