On our website we have indicated that you should bring around 4 500 NOK to cover living expenses. This should be considered as a minimum of what you need for a four weeks stay. The amount you need can vary highly in accordance to how much you would like to do during your stay.
Paying for goods when in Norway
Cash
It is always a good idea to have a bit of cash on you. You will find ATMs everywhere in towns and cities, and in most rural areas there will at least be one place where you can withdraw money, such as a kiosk or a petrol station.
The Norwegian currency consists of "kroner" (NOK) and "øre". 100 øre make up 1 krone (crown).
Credit cards
The use of credits cards is widespread in Norway, and they are accepted almost everywhere, even for small amounts such as carpark and toll fees. Eurocard, MasterCard, VISA, American Express and Diners Club are the most common.
Please note that some grocery stores/supermarkets do not allow foreign credit cards, although they happily take debit cards. If in doubt ask before shopping.
Prices
Norway has the reputation of being expensive and in many ways this is correct. However, it is possible to live on a budget and we gathered here some advice on how to minimize your spending.
Transportation: invest in a monthly pass. It may be much to spend at one time but you will get your return on investment during the month. Since you will use public transportation many times a week, we recommend all the students to buy a monthly travel card giving you unlimited travels on all public transportation in Oslo: subway, buses, trams, boats.
A monthly transportation pass costs adult, over 20 year old 620 NOK/ student 380 NOK / under 20 years 310 NOK. A single ticket valid one hour costs 30 NOK. The monthly cards can be bought on campus. We advise you to buy it after you receive your BI student card.
Grocery shopping: some grocery stores are more expensive than others. Kiwi and Rema 1000 are among the cheapest and it is worth while shopping in one of these stores. In the eastern part of Oslo, there are many stores set up by the Chinese, Thai or Turkish communities in Oslo. They typically have imported products as well as fresh and less expensive fruits and vegetables.
Going out to eat or party: In Norway it is particularly expensive to eat out. This is why most Norwegians prefer to cook and invite friends over at their home to have dinner parties or pre-parties before going out in the town. Another tradition and another good way of saving money is the "matpakke" - lunch packet. It typically consists of bread slices with cheese and ham. It is very common in Norway to bring a matpakke when going to school, work or even out in the park for the day.
There will be an open cafeteria on campus where you can go in the lunch break between lectures. Some of you might also find it quite expensive and we encourage you to bring a packed lunch to BI. Alternatively there is a grocery store right next to BI. We will provide you with coffee and tea for your daily lecture breaks.
Typical goods prices
Coffee in a cafe: 24 - 35 kr
Sandwich in a bakery: 55 kr
Chicken 1kg: 100 kr
Eggs pack of 12: 30 kr
Grill sausages 1kg: 56 kr
Beer 0,5 (in the grocery store): 25 kr
Cereals: 25 kr
Toothpaste: 30 kr
Shampoo: 40 kr
Orange juice 1l: 20 kr
Milk 1l: 14 kr
Loaf of bread: 20 - 40 kr
Hot lunch in the BI cantina: 45 - 55 kr
