Cost #26/31 · Cost of living · Europe · Eurostat PLI 2024

🇳🇴 Cost of living in Norway

Norway runs pricier than most of the EU-27 across rent, groceries and transport - see where the gap is widest and how far local income actually stretches.

Cost rank · cheapest = #1 of 31
#26
Affordability rank · highest purchasing power = #1 of 29
#2

Norway's livability score

D

Livability score

47/100

Norway, weighted across 8 of 8 tracked dimensions

A cost-and-income composite (price-level indices plus purchasing power), not an overall quality-of-life judgment, it does not weigh climate, safety, culture, or healthcare outcomes.

  • Purchasing power A+ €41,923

    Median net income adjusted for local cost level

  • Overall cost F 134

    Eurostat overall price level (EU27=100)

  • Rent D 100

    Housing / rent price level (EU27=100)

  • Groceries F 131

    Food and non-alcoholic beverages (EU27=100)

  • Healthcare F 174

    Healthcare price level (EU27=100)

  • Transport F 118

    Transport price level (EU27=100)

  • Utilities A+ 54

    Electricity / gas / water (EU27=100)

  • Restaurants F 140

    Restaurants and hotels (EU27=100)

Norway: quiet 2024 Eurostat pass

Overall cost index barely moved (-0.2) vs 2023 - a near-flat European release print.

  • Restaurants index 144 140 2023 → 2024

    Restaurants index fell from 144 to 140 between the 2023 and 2024 Eurostat releases.

  • Utilities index 58 54 2023 → 2024

    Utilities index fell from 58 to 54 between the 2023 and 2024 Eurostat releases.

  • Healthcare index 176 174 2023 → 2024

    Healthcare index fell from 176 to 174 between the 2023 and 2024 Eurostat releases.

  • Housing & utilities index 102 100 2023 → 2024

    Housing & utilities index fell from 102 to 100 between the 2023 and 2024 Eurostat releases.

  • Groceries index 130 131 2023 → 2024

    Groceries index rose from 130 to 131 between the 2023 and 2024 Eurostat releases.

Norway in the 120+ cost band

On the EU-27 = 100 scale, Norway's overall index (134) sits in the 120+ band with 9 other published countries. The Europe-wide band mix lives on the rankings hub, not repeated here.

Cost index
134
EU-27 = 100
Housing & utilities
100
EU-27 = 100
Median net income
€41,923
per year
Cost-adjusted income
€31,262
real purchasing power

Where Norway's high price level concentrates

Bars + gauge for an above-EU overall index (134): which categories drive the premium, not a restated Europe lecture.

Norway - price level by category (EU-27 = 100)

Housing & utilities100Groceries131Transport118Healthcare174Utilities54Restaurants140

🇳🇴 Norway vs EU-27 = 100

Gauge reads the same overall cost_index (134); the tick marks the EU average.

0175EU-27 avg100134
134 index · 34% above EU-27 average

In Norway, healthcare is the most expensive category and utilities the least.

Why Norway reads expensive on Eurostat

Norway's overall consumer price level is 34% above the EU-27 average. (How this index is built →)

Healthcare is the priciest category in Norway, at index 174, ahead of utilities at index 54 relative to the EU basket.

That price gap bites hard into real purchasing power here: Norway's prices run well above the EU average, so the headline income of €41,923 is worth only about €31,262 once translated into EU-27-average terms - a steep discount.

Cities in Norway

National averages hide the big-city premium. See real monthly rent, groceries and transit costs for Norway's cities.

Eurostat PLI Basket · similar price levels and purchasing power

Two peer sets for Norway: nearest overall price-level indices (EU-27 = 100) and nearest cost-adjusted incomes (median net income ÷ cost index). The cost band block above stays cohort-based; these neighborhoods vary by entity.

Similar overall cost index

Nearest countries by Eurostat price level (134 here, EU-27 = 100).

PLI neighbourhood · Norway

Norway134United Kingdom129Finland127Ireland141Denmark143
Eurostat prc_ppp_ind - peer set varies by this country's overall index.

Similar purchasing power

Nearest countries by cost-adjusted income (€31,262 here).

What to do with this Norway data

Norway ranks #2 of 29 for cost-adjusted purchasing power. A raw price index alone does not tell you whether income stretches further here than elsewhere.

These are Eurostat comparative price-level averages for the whole country, not a personal budget. Regional and city-level costs can differ substantially from the national figure.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Norway expensive to live in?

Norway's overall cost of living is 34% above the EU-27 average (index 134). Healthcare is the priciest category and utilities the cheapest.

What are housing & utilities costs in Norway?

Norway's housing & utilities price index is 100, below the EU norm.

How does income compare to costs in Norway?

That price gap bites hard into real purchasing power here: Norway's prices run well above the EU average, so the headline income of €41,923 is worth only about €31,262 once translated into EU-27-average terms - a steep discount.

Data sourced from Eurostat comparative price levels (prc_ppp_ind) and Eurostat median equivalised net income (ilc_di03), 2024. Price-level indices, EU-27 = 100. See our methodology for details.

Disclaimer: Eurostat averages for comparison only, not personal financial advice. Regional and city-level costs can differ substantially from the national figure.

PlainCostOfLiving is rendered directly from Eurostat comparative price levels and median equivalised net income, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-08-20. Primary sources: Eurostat comparative price levels (prc_ppp_ind) and Eurostat median equivalised net income (ilc_di03).