Norway is well known for its natural attraction sites like mountains, fjords, and magical northern lights. It is also known for high standards of living, a clean environment, and peaceful streets. If you’re thinking of moving to Norway either for career advancement or to stay there, you need to evaluate the pros and cons of living there.
Pros:
1. Safe and peaceful: Norway is a peaceful and safest country in the world. There is a low crime rate with few robberies.
2. Happiest place on earth: Norway is well known for its generosity, caring people, support for good governance, honesty and freedom among its people. All these factors make the country to be the happiest place to live on earth.
3. Quality healthcare facilities: The healthcare facilities are covered under the national system making it possible for everyone to access quality healthcare at a small fee. After a year in Norway, you’re expected to contribute to the National Insurance Scheme to help in funding the public healthcare.
4. Short working hours: In most countries, an employee spends an average of 8hours in the workplace but in Norway, employees work 7.5hours in a day with a lunch break of 30 minutes.
5. High salary rates: The employment rate is very high with high rates in salary compensation. Even the salary of the non-skilled person is very high. Full-time employees can earn an average of $5135 per month and $4000 on part-time.
6. Quality housing facilities: Due to high standards of living in the area, modern homes and apartments are constructed with wood to give them a natural feel.
7. Long holidays: All employees on local working contract are entitled to five weeks holidays per year plus all other national holidays in the year.
8. Recreational activities: If you enjoy outdoor activities and an active lifestyle then, Norway is the place to be. There are a lot of sports activities like hiking, skiing, fishing or even snowboarding to enjoy.
9. Quality education: Norway government invests more in education to ensure there is quality education system to all at an affordable or at no cost. Free college and university education is offered to everyone.
10. Easy to start a business: There are incentives established to support startup entrepreneurs and reduced start-up policies.
Cons:
1. Cold weather: If thinking of moving to Norway be prepared to experience long periods of winter with a lot of freezing and windy climate. Summer seasons are better and pleasant.
2. High tax rates: Although Norway is the happiest and wealthy country, it is also a heavily taxed country across the globe. It has a tax burden of 45% of GDP.
3. The high cost of living: Due to high taxes to facilitate health care and free education, almost everything is expensive.
4. Difficult to open a bank account: If you’re a foreigner in Norway, you can’t set up a bank account without a local address. You need to be there for you to set an account.
5. Language barrier: Language barrier will be your biggest challenge since it is very difficult to learn the Norwegian language.
6. Double edged healthcare: plans to ensure everyone gets free healthcare facilities results in having a lot of procedures to follow. E.g. Patients can’t see a specialist without referrals.
7. Expensive housing: The cost of buying and renting property is very high and can strain your budget if you don’t have a housing cover scheme.
8. Expensive dinners: An average dinner meal for two in almost all restaurants comes with a hefty price tag.
9. Work culture: If you’re used in an environment which emphasis on hard work, it might time you some time to adjust to slow pace of working in Norway.
10. Difficult to obtain a driving license: It is difficult to obtain their driving license and have to spend one year for you to be given the license.
