Expats Living in Norway - Social Life & Cost of Living Experiences

Are you an expat living in Norway? I’d like to hear about your experiences. I’m a Norwegian journalist writing for one of Norway’s major national newspapers. I’m working on an article about how people who have moved to Norway from abroad experience life here. A recent international survey of expats found that Norway ranked poorly on several aspects of expat life, including job satisfaction, social life and cultural activities. I’m interested in hearing from people who are actually living here: Does this reflect your experience of Norway? What do you enjoy about living in Norway, and what do you find difficult, disappointing or different from what you expected? If you’re an expat living in or have left Norway and would be interested in sharing your experience, please send me a message. Here’s an excerpt from the recent study from InterNations: Norway Is the World’s Loneliest Last Place At the other end of the ranking, Norway finishes 31st out of 31 destinations in 2026. Expats there are the unhappiest in the survey: fewer than half (46%) are content with their life abroad (vs. 70% globally). The Ease of Settling In Index isn’t just in last place—every single subcategory and rating factor within it ranks 31st. Almost three-quarters of expats say making local friends is hard (vs. 40% globally), only a quarter are happy with their social life (vs. 54%), and just 31% feel at home in Norway (vs. 61%). It’s telling that around half describe their friends as mostly other expats (vs. 37% globally). At the other end of the ranking, Norway finishes 31st out of 31 destinations in 2026. Money is the other sore point (30th for Personal Finance). Norway has the worst-rated cost of living worldwide, and just 39% of expats are satisfied with their financial situation (vs. 55% globally). Many saw it coming: the high cost of living was a top concern before moving for 41% (vs. 21% globally), along with the language barrier (44% vs. 32%) and the climate (38% vs. 15%). Even the Quality of Life Index (30th) offers little relief. Norway ranks last for Leisure Options, including both the culinary variety and dining options and culture and nightlife. Working Abroad (27th) rounds out the picture, with last-place results for personal career opportunities, fair pay, and overall job satisfaction—although job security (4th) and the state of the economy (8th) are bright spots. So is nature: 96% of expats love the natural environment (6th), and the air quality (5th) is excellent. It just doesn’t seem to be enough.