Breathtaking Nature & a Lonely Welcome in Norway in 2026

Norway offers pristine nature and rock-solid job security, but loneliness and brutal costs define the expat experience.

➡️You’re welcome to use these 2026 Expat Insider results. Please remember to credit InterNations as the source, and where possible, include a link to www.internations.org.

In this article:

In Brief
Pristine Nature but Little to Do
Job Security, but Few Openings
The Loneliest Welcome
Brutal Costs, Smooth Logistics
The Typical Expat in Norway
Further Reading

In Brief

Norway ranks dead last in the 2026 Expat Insider survey: 31st out of 31 countries.

Its best result is the Expat Essentials Index (21st), with weaker showings for Working Abroad (27th). The Quality of Life (30th), Personal Finance (30th), and Ease of Settling In (31st) Indices all sit near or at the very bottom.

Norway also ranks last (31st) for expats’ happiness. Fewer than half the respondents (46%) are content with life there, far below the 70% global average.

Pristine Nature but Little to Do

Norway’s brightest spots are its environment and safety. The country ranks 6th for its natural environment, which nearly all expats (96%) rate positively (vs. 84% globally), and 5th for air quality. Over nine in ten (91%) further feel safe in the country (vs. 81% globally), and over four in five (84%) regard Norway as politically stable, a much higher share than the global average of 58%.

However, even these great results are not enough to save Norway from a 30th place in the Quality of Life Index.

The weak notes are stark: the Leisure Options Subcategory ranks last (31st), with dining and nightlife both at the bottom, and Travel & Transit (28th) doesn’t do much better.

And while the affordability of healthcare is a bright spot at 11th, where three in four expats (75%) are satisfied (vs. 61% globally), opinion regarding its availability (29th) and quality (27th) are much lower.

Last but not least, Norway’s weather and climate cannot delight (30th), with only Luxembourg receiving an even worse result for this factor.

Job Security, but Few Openings

Norway ranks 27th in the Working Abroad Index, which is a study in contrasts. Job security (4th) is excellent, and close to four in five (79%) rate the state of the Norwegian economy favorably, 20 percentage points above the global average of 59%.

But despite these results, expats rank the country 30th for the local job market and 31st for personal career opportunities. As many as 42% are dissatisfied with their career prospects, compared to 26% negative ratings worldwide. What is more, a third (33%) find they’re not paid fairly for their work, with Norway ranking last for this factor.

Opinion

In my experience, jobs pay much lower than in the USA and are very difficult to find. (US American expat in Molde)

Opinion

Consequently, overall job satisfaction ranks last (31st), with less than half the respondents content (49% vs. 61% globally).

The Loneliest Welcome

Norway ranks last (31st) in the Ease of Settling In Index — and across all three of its subcategories!

Fewer than two in five expats experience the local population as friendly in general (37% vs. 63% globally) and towards foreign residents specifically (37% vs. 61%). Nor do they find it easy to make local friends: close to three-quarters (72%) give this factor a negative rating (vs. 40%).

Consequently, expats feel neither at home (31st) nor welcome (31st) in Norway. Only a quarter (25%) are content with their social life (vs. 54% globally), and more than half (51%) describe their friends and acquaintances as mostly other expats (vs. 37%).

Interestingly, nearly one in four expats (23%) originally moved to Norway for love, more than double the global share of 11%.

Brutal Costs, Smooth Logistics

Money is the other deep weakness, with Norway placing second-to-last in the Personal Finance Index (30th). Only Canada receives an even worse result.

Norway places last for expats’ satisfaction regarding their financial situation (31st), and over three in five (63%) rate the cost of living negatively. One in five respondents (20%) even goes so far as to give it the worst possible rating (vs. a respective 40% and 9%, globally). Next to the language barrier (44%), the high cost of living (41%) was in fact a leading pre-move concern for expats.

The (slightly) redeeming feature is practicality: Norway ranks 21st in the Expat Essentials Index, keeping logistics smooth even as the bigger picture disappoints. Readily available cashless payment options (6th) and online admin services (10th) make for an easy Digital Life, while the paperwork is nowhere near as bad as it could be: 46% of expats agree it’s easy to deal with the local authorities, compared to just 38% of respondents worldwide.

Opinion

The bureaucracy is working. If there is any problem you can talk to anyone from the tax office or any similar government bureau and ask any questions, and they are able to help […] Usually anything is written in very detail on the webpages, too. (Turkish expat in Oslo)

Opinion

And the dreaded language barrier seems less of an issue than feared by expats: about half (46%) agree you can get by without speaking Norwegian, a share that is mostly in line with the global average of 48%.