How Expensive is Norway to Visit? Travel Budgets & Costs for this Year

How much does it cost for a trip to Norway? Then you’re in the right place because we’ll be breaking down the cost of trips to Norway in this guide! After visiting Norway on several occasions and seeing a variety of cities, we have compiled our actual costs to visit Norway.

While it is possible to travel to Norway even on a tighter budget, travelers who can’t afford to spend too much money on the trip will need to compromise quite a bit. Mid-range and luxury travelers will have a great time in Norway, as the country is generally pricey and is the most rewarding when you’re not too worried about your budget. 

How much money is needed to be a budget traveler in Norway? What are the compromises you will need to make if you want to visit Norway with a lower budget? Let’s find out! 

Is it Expensive to Visit Norway? 

Norway is a very expensive destination. It’s up there with SwitzerlandThe following are some examples of how to get started: Iceland as one of the most expensive countries in Europe, but that doesn’t mean that traveling on a tighter budget in Norway is impossible. What it does mean is that you’ll spend as much on a week in Norway as you would on two weeks in Italy, and it’s up to you to decide whether a trip to Scandinavia is worth it. 

I personally believe it is worth every penny, even if it means making sacrifices. Maybe it’s slumming it down in a “cheap”You can save money by cooking in your hotel room or eating at home instead of going out to eat. The one thing you shouldn’t skimp on is activities because they’re by far the best thing about any trip. 

Accommodation costs 

The majority of your budget will be spent on accommodation in Norway. The cost of hotels in Norway is high. Although there are ways to cut costs, this is the most expensive part. 

The first thing you should consider is where to stay in Norway. Oslo is more costly than a small village 20 minutes from the capital. Hotel stays in smaller towns and villages tend to be cheaper than those in larger cities. Oslo, Trondheim and Bergen are three of the most expensive cities. Tromso is also high up there because it’s a very popular destination for Northern lights sightingsIn high season, it can be more expensive than Oslo. 

The location of your hotel within a city is also important. A hotel in the heart of the city will be more expensive than one located on the outskirts.  Radisson RED Oslo Økern Double rooms are available for $200 per night, far from the center of the city. Bed in a dormitoryYou will pay $75 per night for a stay in the heart Oslo. 

You can technically camp your entire way through Norway and not spend a single penny. The country has something known as “Everyman’s Right,” which essentially allows anyone to camp outdoors as long as they’re far enough from private property. If you want to explore nature in Norway and you’re no stranger to tent life, this is a top option for staying a while in Norway without overspending on hotel rooms. 

Finally, it’s necessary also to point out that private accommodation is very popular in Norway. The country’s most popular tourist destinations have surprisingly few five-star hotels but are not lacking in the area of high-end villas and luxury apartments. Norway is an ideal destination to escape to the countryside in a villa with floor-to-ceiling glass.  

Budget:

Couchsurfing is a great way to save money on accommodation in Norway. Other options include hostels, budget hotels and private rooms within apartments. The cheapest hostels I’ve found in Oslo cost around $50 per night, while the average cost of budget accommodation is $70-100 per night. That’s $300-600 for a week trip to Norway. 

Mid-Range:

Mid-range accommodation in Oslo is in the $100-250 per person price range for a night’s stay. In Oslo’s city center, double rooms cost $250-500 per day. Homes and apartments usually cost $200-400 each for two people. But choose to stay outside Oslo city center or in one of the smaller towns or villages, and you’ll be able to book double rooms at mid-range hotels for $150-250 per night. That’s a weekly budget of $600-1,000 per person. 

Luxury:

Luxury hotels in Norway have a moderate price compared to budget and mid-range hotels. There aren’t actually that many five-star hotels in Norway, and even in Oslo, you can book a night for two in the city’s best hotels for $300. Hotels in the capital cost between $500-700 per day. Five-star hotels in OsloUsually, they range from $300 to $400 per night. Overall, $1500 per person is enough to spend a full week in a luxury Norwegian hotel. 

Cost of Transportation

You’ve got tons of options for getting around Norway – car rental, taxis, buses, trains, boats, and even planes. Trains are generally a good option for traveling between cities in the south; they’re cheaper than buses for some reason and a bit faster. The express train from the Oslo airport to the center of the city takes only 20 minutes and costs around $22.

But you can’t get everywhere by train. It works best for traveling in the south of the country, especially if you’re departing from Oslo. Many train journeys in Norway are very scenic, so the ride isn’t just about getting from point A to point B but also about enjoying the sights along the way. 

Train rides in Norway can be very long. It’s roughly eight hours to travel from Oslo to Bergen, Trondheim, or Stavanger, all of which are around 500 kilometers away from the capital, give or take 50 kilometers. Don’t even get me started on Tromso; the Arctic Circle city is more than 1,700 kilometers away from the capital, and it would take you more than 24 hours to complete the journey by land. 

All of that’s to say that flying is the fastest and often the cheapest solution of traveling in Norway. Domestic flights can be booked at a very low price. A quick 50-minute flight between Oslo and Bergen costs as little as $60. That’s only $10 more than the cheapest train that travels for at least 7 hours. 

Flying is the only viable option for trips to cities far in the north – Bodo, Tromso, Kirkenes, Hammerfest, etc. Flying is a cheaper option than trying to travel by road. 

You can easily travel around the cities on a budget as low as zero. You can walk around the cities of Norway, including Oslo. I recommend that you avoid taxis as the prices are too high and the public transportation system is efficient enough to get to where you want to go. Keep in mind that you’ll rarely need to travel more than 10-15 minutes at a time between different areas of one city. 

Plan Ahead 

It is easy to save money by planning ahead. You can get train tickets at a significant discount if you book them in advance. Sometimes you can even pay a fraction of the standard price. It is also possible to save money on plane tickets that are required to reach cities in far northern regions. 

Booking multiple experiences, such as a, at the same time can often result in discounts. Train ride followed by a cruise on a fjord. Also, it’s usually cheaper to ride the night trains than travel by day, plus it means you don’t have to pay for a hotel room for that night. 

Budget for Transportation 

How much should you budget to travel in Norway? It mostly depends on two things – how many day trips you plan to take and how long you’re staying in the country. If you’re heading to Norway for five days and you don’t plan to leave Oslo the entire time you’re there, then your transportation budget might as well be zero because you can walk everywhere. 

I don’t think that’s realistic, so let’s say it’s one excursion every 3 days, which means two-day trips in a week and four in two weeks. Budget $150 per week for transportation, which includes the train to and the airport as well as a few day trips. If you plan to use Uber, arrange airport transfers, or purchase first-class tickets, you should budget $300-400 per week for transportation.

Obviously, this doesn’t cover the cost of theFly to NorwayFlights from Houston can cost anywhere between $38 and $750. The average cost for flights to Norway from the US is $600 but only $150 from other European cities. 

Cost of Food

Eating out is pricey in Norway, but not so expensive that you need to rule it out entirely if you’re traveling on a tighter budget. The larger cities are at an advantage, as they have a greater selection of restaurants that range in price. The options are endless, from McDonalds and Michelin-starred eateries to fast food chains. 

One important thing to note is that you’ll need to forego drinking alcohol if you want to keep your food budget manageable. Cocktails, beer, and wine are all expensive in Norway. A small glass of wine costs on average $10, while a draught beer is priced at an average of $10. 

Budget TravelersThey will probably cook the majority of their meals at home and only eat out for fast food. Burritos and sandwiches are among the cheapest food items to buy. You can also find frozen and cooked foods. Norwegian foodsYou can buy food to eat in your accommodation at the supermarket. In Norway, budget eateries charge up to $15 for a meal. However, you can still find places in Oslo that offer meals for less than $10. 

Restaurants in the mid-rangeIn Norway, main dishes cost an average of $15-40. Naturally, meat-based dishes will be more expensive than just pasta or pizza, but let’s say that you can get a really nice meal for $20-25 in most mid-range restaurants in Oslo, which is one of the pricier cities. 

The following are some of the ways to improve your own ability to learn. fine dining in NorwayThe sky is the limit. There are a lot of expensive and luxurious restaurants in the larger cities where you can easily pay more than $1,000 per person for dinner, if you buy the right bottle. 

Save money on food in Norway

The budget for food in Norway ranges from $10 per person per day to $150. I highly recommend paying extra for hotel breakfast because it’s a great way to keep the food costs down. That leaves just lunch and dinner – if the breakfast buffet is generous enough, you might even be able to skip lunch. But that’s the mid-range category since many budget accommodation options don’t include breakfast. 

Budget Travelers Most people will stick to the grocery stores and cook their meals at home. You can find kitchen facilities in most hostels and private apartments. You can easily eat well on a budget as low as $10 per person, or $60 for a full week of groceries. 

What I’m thinking about is pasta, sauce, sandwiches, chicken, luncheon, and some frozen meals. You can fit a few beers in that budget. I checked the prices in Norwegian supermarkets and found that for $6 Euros you could get 500 grams pasta and a Barilla sauce, which would make five meals. Spring an extra $3 for grated Grana Padano, and that’s actually a decent meal. 

Mid-range travelersIf you eat out at least 3-4 times per week, you should budget about $25 for each meal (without drinks). Combined with a grocery shop, that’s roughly $140 for a week’s worth of food in Norway. Remember that your grocery budget will decrease if you eat out more than once. 

A budget for aLuxury TravelerIt is easy to spend at least 100 euros per day on food. This can be even higher if you choose expensive restaurants and eat out every meal. Budget around $15 for breakfast and $20-30 for lunch. Dinners should be $40-50. On the lower end, that’s roughly $550 for a week’s worth of food in Norway, not including drinks.  

Cost of Activities

The activities are the best part of any trip to Norway, and they deserve the majority of your budget. It’s worth it to cut back on meals and hotels to pay for the activities. Norway has many free attractions including museums, parks, hikes and more. 

Also, there’s an overlap between activities and other aspects of the budget. The Flam Railway, one of the most scenic trains in the world, is a top tourist attraction for Norway. You can split the cost into transportation and activities. It’s roughly $60 for the two-hour train ride, not including any possible deals and discounts.  

Museums can cost anywhere from $10 to $25 depending on their size. However, there are many free museums all over the country. The entrance to famous landmarks are often free. Those that require a fee usually cost $10-15. 

As for the bucket list experiences, if you’re going to splurge for one thing, make it a Northern Lights chase. It’s one of the best things to do in Norway and such a fantastic experience that it’s worth planning your entire trip around it. The average cost of an organized Northern Lights trip is $150 per individual, not including the flight. 

A fjord cruise It is worth spending a little extra to experience this unique experience in Norway. It’s usually $45-85, depending on the duration. Fjord Cruises are available at all Norwegian waterfront cities but are the most sought-after. BergenTromso is a city in the north of Norway. 

Norway is also known for its world-famous hiking trails. Pulpit Rock and Trolltunga You can hike to either of these two destinations for free. Of course, you can also choose to visit either destination with a guide; this is a good idea if you’re worried about how to reach the trailhead by public transportation, but it will cost anywhere from $50 to $150 for a day’s worth of hiking. 

Norway is an affordable destination that budget travelers can enjoy by simply exploring the free activities. I’d allocate a budget of $10-20 per day for activities such as museums and national landmarks or to do just one bucket list experience for the duration of your stay. 

A budget of $35-60 per person per day will cover a bucket list experience, a couple paid attractions each day, and as many freebies as you desire. For travelers who want to do a once-in a-lifetime activity every day, an $80-120 budget per day is sufficient. 

Budget for 1 Week in Norway 

Budget for 2 weeks in Norway 

Is Norway expensive? FAQ 

What Should you budget for a trip to Norway?