Moving to all new country is Easy or difficult it all depend upon your circumstances and how to determine you are to lead a life in a new country in new people. Every country has its upsides and downsides too. So before moving to a new country, various factors should be under your consideration. Considering various factor decide is Norway – a dream country to migrate
Moving to Norway- The weather- toughest of all factors to compromise on
Norway’s climate is very much surprising. A person shifting from the region like India may find it difficult to adjust in that low temperature. If you are relocating from northern Canada or the northern states of USA, then it might quite easy for you to acclimatize. But with time a person gets used to the Norwegian temperature. The biggest factor in deciding what kind of weather it will be is your location, whether you live by the coast or inland.
Along the west coast, you could expect some cool summers with occasional hot spells, but rain and windy days will be commonplace throughout the year. On an average, the city of Bergen experiences rainfall – astonishing 220 days every year. On the contrary, coastal areas tend to receive milder winters.
Inland, winters are much harsher with more snow and with much lower temperatures.
The temperature in Oslo can dip below -20C (-4F), with readings below -30C (-22F) not uncommon in rural or mountainous areas such as Røros or Finnmark.
Summers could be surprisingly warm but these spells rarely last for more than a few days at a time. If you currently live somewhere with little or no snow, ice, wind, or you are like the sun, be prepared to get some bad time in your life.
The closer to the equator you live, the bigger an issue this will be for you, but even moving from somewhere as relatively close to Norway as the UK, I have experienced some problems. What am I talking about? The light.
Long, lengthy summers might sound attracting at first – and they are, they really are! –but after several sleepless nights, you will be cursing that big orange ball in the sky. In Oslo, twilight will be as dark as it gets in the summer, but the further north you go, the more extreme will be the light. North of the Arctic Circle, the sun doesn’t even set, popularly known as the phenomenon of the midnight sun.
In winters, the opposite phenomenon takes some time getting used to. During the shortest days in Oslo, the day (measured between the official sunrise and sunset times) is just merely 5 hours 53 minutes long. In Trondheim, it’s as short as 4 hours 30 minutes, while in Tromso, the sun doesn’t rise at all for as many as for six weeks.
The high cost of living- proves to dig a big hole in your pocket
Yes, all the rumors that you have heard about it are true. Norway is very expensive to live and it usually takes a while getting into that cost of living. If you are a student you would need a minimum of approximately NOK 11 500(Approx. 1400USD) per month in order to cover basic expenses.
Of course, prices will vary, but here are some example costs, given in USD, EUR, and GBP.
- A loaf of bread – $5 / €3.60 / £3
- McDonalds Big Mac – $8 / €5.80 / £4.75
- 500ml can of beer from a store – $4.15 / €3 / £2.50
- 500ml draught beer from a bar – $11.50 / €8.30 / £6.80
- 1L milk – $2.35 / €1.70 / £1.40
- 1L unleaded petrol – $2.60 / €1.90 / £1.55
- 500ml bottled water – $2 / €1.45 / £1.20
To save money on groceries is a big hobby of many Norwegians. Most of the people drive down to Sweden to save lots of bucks, especially on meat & beer.
Norwegian lifestyle- quiet and adventurous outdoors activities
Most of the people feel that Norway is too quiet and very boring to live. However, I do not agree with it as most of the people wish to spend quality family time spent outdoors doing skiing in the winters and hiking in summers.
Of course, if you’re looking for a destination with lots of parties and drinking then it’s not a place you would like to be in.
Final thoughts- Would immigrating to Norway make a good choice?
Living in Norway has both positive & negative sides to it but don’t get blinded by the stereotypical YouTube videos of Norway’s Tourism Industry as it is not a real depiction of daily life there.
A good analysis of the situation should be done before making a decision. Well, experiences of snow, wind, darkness & not to forget the spectacular green lights it’s worth taking a risk if you are serious about relocating.