[spalex]

(06-20-2014 08:44 AM)Ethan Amarante Wrote:  

(06-20-2014 07:39 AM)spalex Wrote:  

(06-20-2014 07:23 AM)Ethan Amarante Wrote:  

(06-20-2014 05:49 AM)spalex Wrote:  

Are you aware that a beer will cost you up to $12 ($8 in the shop)?
A bottle of water from the shop $6
Carton of milk $5
Steak from the supermarket $30 - $45 ($60+ in restaurant)
Rent will still be $1000 per month (If you are keen to stay with 12 Swedish guys)
Recreational activities consist of anything that is free.

Sure studying is cheap. But you pay for it by living a boring life.

I am actually moving next week (after living here for 3 years) because I can't handle how shit it is.

The higher cost of living in Norway is more or less in line with its high GDP per capita.





That, coupled with Norway's social-democratic economic system, should mean that, if your visa allows you to work, you should be able to earn plenty of money to get by.

From personal experience I don't find that to be true.
I saved triple the amount of money per month working in Australia and I saved double working in the UK.

I must have no made myself clear.

What I'm saying is that although the cost of living in Norway is higher, the average person has significantly more money than in most other Western countries (GDP/capital is a simple measure of how much money the average person has).

So it isn't surprising you earned plenty of money in Norway despite the high cost of living.

Yeah I get what you are saying.
But in reality, it is not nearly as good as it sounds.

What makes it worse is that the Norwegian people use this as an excuse to make themselves sound like they are better than everyone.
I probably hear a sentence start with "Yeah but you know we are so rich..." at least once per day.

I always have to but in and bring the local to tears when I hear this.
I say "Rich? The bank owns your house (and in some cases car), you drive a 10 year old Opel, your kids don't go to a special school, you save 10% of your salary if you are lucky, you haven't been out for a meal in weeks.... What makes you think you are rich?!"

Another thing I have to add when explaining why moving to Norway is a terrible idea is that you will be able to save 10-15% of your salary. Sounds pretty standard for most places.
But if you live anywhere else, you will still be able to go out for meals at restaurants more than once a week, go drinking once a week, eat steak, casually have a beer and do recreational activities.
To do any of that in Norway you would need to take out a load from the bank!
It generates the most boring culture I have ever experienced.

I joke that there is more freedom in North Korea.

Quick upside to all of this is that it means the only standard social activity for people to do is sport / working out.
Which means I have to go to the gym at 5am so its not filled with dickheads just standing around and not lifting. BUT more importantly it means that everyone is in shape.
Seriously I see like 3 fat people per week, and that it!