Budget for moving to Norway

Hello,

When I moved, I had around  £10,000. I think having around  £6,000 to  £10 000 is sensible. Depends what sort of place you want to rent, and what sort of stuff you have to buy of course. I'm quite risk averse, so I like to have more than I perhaps need. Stavanger is a very expensive city to live in, even by Norwegian standards.

Good luck,

David

Thanks for this David!

I am quite risk averse too... only have £2500 or so saved up at the moment though so still have some way to go (and I'm a terrible saver!) Currently working two jobs to just try and save up anything! Maybe £3000 or so for one month then? My Norwegian is fluent and I have friends in Rogaland so luckily I am somewhat prepared already!

If you know the language and have friends there, things will be a lot easier. You will also be able to find a job quicker. Have you tried finding a job before you move? That would stop you from needing quite so much money to move there. Have you had a look at apartments? If you go into a flat share, you wouldn't need all that much money every month. When I moved, I needed quite a lot in my first couple of months to buy things that I needed. I had a job before I moved though, which helped. If you don't need to buy much, and don't go out much, then perhaps around £5000 would be enough for a couple of months. It all depends on what sort of rent you will have to pay, and what will be included with it.

Thanks for this.

I am currently trying to find a job. I have a Bachelor's Degree in Politics & Global Studies, but haven't had any luck with the hunt yet, have only been offered a potential volunteer job with amnesty international, which, don't get me wrong is awesome... but unpaid! :-(

I have looked at lots of apartments in the region yes, rent is obviously a bit more expensive than here in England, but I think it is do-able easily on a Norwegian salary.

I would prefer to live alone in a 1 bedroom place/studio flat to be honest, as I have tried living in house shares before and have not really enjoyed it...! So would have to take this extra expense on-board.

On a side note, how are you finding Norway? What do you miss/not miss? Thanks!

I suppose finding a job that suits that sort of education might be difficult at first. I'm sure you will get something eventually though. I suppose competing with natives is tough, especially considering that it's pretty normal for people to take a Master's degree now, and not just a bachelor's. Having said that, if you want to move to Norway, you could perhaps look into studying here. That's how I ended up here, although I was taking a PhD which in Norway is a job with a salary.

You're right that rent isn't too much of a problem is you have a Norwegian salary. It might take up a lot of your income, but you have to accept that. I can understand that you wouldn't want to share. I would hate to do that. Some people don't mind though, particularly as it saves them money. I would also rather pay the extra to have my own place.

I have very mixed feelings about Norway. There are many aspects which are great, but also a lot of things which annoy me. I think it's a very easy life in many ways. I don't think there is much to worry about. It's a safe country, there aren't really poor people and everyone is looked after. One of the main things I don't like is the excessive government interference in every aspect of your life. Whatever you are doing, I feel like the government is watching and usually charging some kind of tax. I find it very oppressive coming from the UK which has a philosophy focussed on the rights of the individual and not on the collective. I also think a lot of what the government does is ill thought out and unjust. But that's politics, everyone has a different opinion. I miss the freedom in the UK where you can more or less do what you want and be who you want. I don't feel that same freedom in Norway. I feel like the government/society has a template in mind which you should fit in to, and that they have designed society for people who fit into this template.

The other problem which I know many foreigners have is making friends with Norwegians. On the whole, they are very friendly people, although sometimes people don't get that impression because they can be reserved. Most foreigners seem to find that it is difficult to get passed the initial stage where you talk to someone to the next stage of being friends with them. I know a lot of people who have Norwegian acquaintances but not friends. They end up having mostly foreigners as friends. I'm not sure why this is. In many places in Norway, people will have had the same friends since childhood, and I sometimes feel that they are not generally interested in making new friends. They have their closed lives and don't want it disturbed. There can be very parochial attitudes, especially outside of the cities. Although even looking at the national newspapers you will see abundant evidence of parochialism. I don't like that attitude. You mention you already have some friends though, and Stavanger is a very international city, which helps.

Of course I'm making sweeping generalisations here, but it's just some of my thoughts for what they are worth. I probably sound quite negative, and I suppose I am, but I'm still here four and a half years after I moved, so I can't be all that negative. I had planned to move back to the UK, but it's so much easier for me to get a job in Norway than in the UK that I'm still here.

Wow a really great insight thank you :-)

Yes I have heard a couple of these points before too, especially about Norwegians coming across as cold and unfriendly (although I have found this isn't the case, but maybe this is just because I am also quite reserved myself!)

The job market in the UK is so bad at the moment that you really should stay in Norway for as long as it lasts!! If I got a job in Norway and lived there I would stay for as long as this economical mess is still ongoing in England!

This isn't the main reason I want to move to Norway though, it is a lot about the lifestyle for me, I need something a bit more calm and relaxed (I have panic and anxiety disorders which are not helped by the stressed and busy lifestyle of the average Brit!) Would also be nice to be a bit closer to nature, and where everything isn't so cramped in.

Well I suppose I have way more saving to do before anything can realistically go forward.... but thank you so much for your help! :-)

dmcart13

Completely agree with everything you said.... at the moment I've been here on and off for the last year and a half, although I don't actually live here officially yet;  I work at sea and usually have 4 weeks at work, a weekend or maybe under a week in Scotland and then 3weeks plus in Norway with my partner. I was all for making the move official but the longer I've spent here the more I doubt the move, I love Norway and there's some great people but it's a lonely and expensive existence. For example a swim to the swimming pool costs around £7.50 for the bus and then £8 for the swim itself, I could have walk to the pool in Scotland and it would have cost £2.50 for the swim,  it's just a small point but any activity here is restricted by price or accessibility, suddenly all the regular activities I used to do are cut out and it's nights home. Same goes for food. I can't see the benefits of moving here at all over Scotland at the moment (even with the economy how it is), people in Norway have high wages but high outgoings with limited choice. You'll pay for £4 for the only choice of apples in the store that aren't of the greatest quality. Not of course that money is everything but you don't need to swim. You do however need to eat.

Another point is that I've worked with Norwegians for over 5years at sea and am near fluent in Norwegian but even still, the 'everything is better here, we're much smarter/ healthier/ richer/ better educated' attitude gets rather old and you have to prove yourself the whole time, the natives are assumed much more competent even when some of them are clearly lacking just because they're natives! As a Scot I love a bit of self depreciation, it doesn't exist here at all and it can be very hard going at times being assumed you are the 'poor man' to someone who is a total idiot.

Same for friendships, my boyfriend has had the same friends since he was two, while mine are from high school, university, trips abroad, clubs... spread throughout my life periods. I'm not particularly outgoing and though people are friendly once you get to know them it ain't easy, people look inward before they look outward.

Anyway on one hand it's great to be here and there's lots of advantages to the lifestyle and many good people but be very sure of the reasons for being here- there's a lot of comparisons in the UK press about 'the Scandinavian model' etc... but it isn't all rosey here- there's a lot of compomises to be made and things are not necessarily better, or of a higher standard, just different.

Sorry if that sounds overtly negative... just my experiences to date...

Hello, some posts have been moved.

Please,avoid political subjects.

Thank you,
Harmonie.

I'd just written a really long post... didn't think it was political though... uff da... read the rest though before it went

David... good points, Scrld was looking forward to the response... nice to have a wee debate going on.

Ach well have a good weekend and all that....

Pity that I missed it. I think I agree with you on several points Lost...viking .

Maybe we should start a Norwegian political discussion group.

You could also start by sharing a flat for 6 months or so until you are more settled, and then go for a 1 bedroom apartment? The truth is that it is cheaper for you to share a 3 or 4 bedroom apartment than to have your own.

Go to www.finn.no which is a great website for this, and click at "Eiendom" meaning property.

It will be cheaper to get a 1 bedroom in Rogaland than Oslo, if I remember you said Rogaland allthough of course Stavanger could be expensive. If you find a job in Norway then accommodation and food costs is not a problem - the supermarkets are relatively decent priced apart from a couple of items such as milk and potatoes.

You will probably find Norway to be very quiet , not buzzling with life like you are use to , but it's much more reserved but also very beautiful (Western Norway especially).

Sazzmel wrote:

Thanks for this.

I am currently trying to find a job. I have a Bachelor's Degree in Politics & Global Studies, but haven't had any luck with the hunt yet, have only been offered a potential volunteer job with amnesty international, which, don't get me wrong is awesome... but unpaid! :-(

I have looked at lots of apartments in the region yes, rent is obviously a bit more expensive than here in England, but I think it is do-able easily on a Norwegian salary.

I would prefer to live alone in a 1 bedroom place/studio flat to be honest, as I have tried living in house shares before and have not really enjoyed it...! So would have to take this extra expense on-board.

On a side note, how are you finding Norway? What do you miss/not miss? Thanks!

I meant to write it will be cheaper for you to share a 3 or 4 bedroom flat than to have your own 1 bedroom flat.

It is possible to find your own 1 bedroom flat for maybe 7000 - 8000 NOK , but don't worry if it will be small - just go for a loft one rather than at basement level (kjellar) as those in the basement will be ice cold at all times