Living in Norway vs Living in the USA

[@kakefyll]

We have less space because housing is insanely expensive these days.

[@xXxBladeStormxXx]

+Marthe Endresen It probably also has to do with the fact that the USA is a LOT bigger in size than Norway is, so obviously there's an abundance of space and hence larger houses.

[@LOLLYPOPPE]

Housing is not expensive in Norway, only a few areas like Oslo and Stavanger

[@kakefyll]

Haha, only Oslo and Stavanger? How about Oslo, Stavanger, Bergen, Trondheim and areas sorrounding them (and I mean several hours away, especially around Oslo, but this goes for the other cities as well)? Aka where all the jobs are... you cant very well move to a cheap house if you have no job in the area

[@royhelgerasmussen2922]

Take a look at housing prices in the greater London area, in west germany, in and around Paris, anywhere in BeNeLux. You'll see that norwegian housing really isn't that expensive when all things considered. You'll have to compare with PPP, but even with the housing bubble it is even worse many many other places.

[@agrajag-no]

True, London and several other places are more expensive than Norway. But compared to those places; norwegians do NOT have small houses.

[@gullungen95]

80 degrees and always sunny.. Are you sure you went to Norway, mate?

[@LordDim1]

I think he accidentally went to france...

[@HorZeCraZy0205]

***** that's because it's bergen ;) it doesn't rain all that much in oslo

[@willewilly]

gullungen95 climate in Norway is extremely diverse.

[@fennnelson8388]

Depends on where you live in Norway.

[@gullungen95]

Seems like most people have missed the fact that I have a norwegian username

[@adamgropper2072]

To be honest, I think Norway life is better than USA life

[@fisken999999]

The cost of living in Norway is extremely high, thats why we make so much.

[@LunaciaBooks]

We're not morning people, we're just forced to get up early. 8 hours work day, or 7.5 hours if lunch break is included. As for houses, they're by far more expensive. I would love a larger place, but I can't afford it. And yes, pay is better than in the US, but it's higher cost of living.

[@CStrailer]

Some are morning people, some isn't. It's the same wherever you go in the world, in my opinion. Ex. in the summer i'm up extremely early to enjoy the day. Teenagers and grown ups maybe a little different right here though

[@Saurucow]

im a morning guy. start working before 07, and I choose to do it

[@SheldonHelms]

Thanks for setting him straight on this. My friend, Anne, lives in Ottestad. She visits every few years, and is BLOWN AWAY by how cheap everything is in the U.S. Everything from food, to clothing, to gasoline is much, MUCH less expensive here. A pair of shoes that would cost her the equivalent of $100 in Norway could be $20 here in the U.S. She buys a large suitcase here, fills it with clothing, electronics, make-up, etc. for her and her daughters, and even with the cost of the suitcase and the fee for bringing it back home, ends up saving a LOT of money. All of those freebies like "free" medical care end up costing Scandinavians a lot of money in everyday expenses. And the housing is INSANELY expensive in Norway. She couldn't believe how little we paid for our home. Her tiny house is cute and she loves it, but it cost her much more than the 4-bedroom home I bought...and I live in California!

[@LunaciaBooks]

Sheldon Helms I am more than happy to pay taxes to get lower medical costs, free hospital, free education, etc etc. I ended up in hospital a few years back, after a car accident, and at the time I was quite poor. If I had been living in the US, they would probably have sent me straight home without any help, instead I was taken care of without paying as much as a penny. This year I've been ill a lot, and been checked for a lot of things. I don't even want to think about how much my medical bills would have looked like if I lived in the US. After visiting the US, I am very happy I live here, and not in the US, I met and saw so many homeless people who would never have been homeless here.

[@jaggernutox]

We live in small houses because our houses are not made out of cardboard, the average cost of BUYING a house in Norway is around 200 000 USD.

[@phillip7313]

Thats true, you know a youtuber made a vid about how to make a safe and he cut his wall with a KITCHEN KNIFE!

[@mavrick552]

200 000 USD is cheap compared to switzerland, i think the average in switzerland is about 800 000 USD, i'm being dead serious, look it up, housing is insanely expensive in switzerland

[@crossroads670]

Yes, New Zealand is similar in its expensive housing. The high tax countries are very expensive.

[@WARPDremora]

I absolutely adore seeing all the spoiled comments about how we (norwegians) don't live in a great country. My father immigrated from a country of war and he always says 'Norwegians don't understand how great they have it'. Another saying which is well known is 'Nordmenn liker å klage' - 'Norwegians like to complain'. Most of us already live an optimal life hence there is nothing left to do but complain. This does not mean that we are perfect. The system could do with improvements and we could do with improvements. But trying to contradict everything in this video just for the sake of saying 'we're not doing THAT well', look up some country that never had the benefit of becoming one of the best places to live in the world and rethink your moans.

[@Jackerco]

Norway is a beautiful country, and the nature here is also beautiful. We have been said to be the safest country in the world by United Nations several times. I love living here in Norway, but that's just my opinion.

[@kentjohnsen7688]

got the work hours wrong... its 8 to 16 or 7 to 15 8 hour days

[@LifeyApp]

+kent johnsen thanks for catching that!

[@BorghildxD]

+Prepare to Serve! you work for 7 and a half hour with a 30 minutes lunch

[@kentjohnsen7688]

quite a lot of companies pay you 8 hours as youre espected to drop ur food to answer phones, take care of customers etc

[@eviltobias]

+kent johnsen Varierer jo veldig da..

[@MikkaBoii]

+- Porscheeky - Nei... egentlig ikke? Normale jobber (som jeg vil anta er 80% av folk som jobber, har) så er det som de klokkeslettene som er nevnt ovenfor. Så nei, nei det varierer ikke veldig :)

[@TheSympathon]

Dude the reason most of us dont live in huge houses is because we cant afford it, we are not all rich, and Norway is one of the most expensive countries

[@LifeyApp]

Aleholl as good point! I can't really afford a big house in the U.S. either :)

[@EirikXL]

***** One of the reasons might be that I know in the US people in good economic situations like to take up loans for their dream house, in Norway this is a rare occurrence, we don't like to take up loans as much as you do in the US, so we choose to live in smaller houses and have money to spare instead of living in big houses and always owe money to loan companies.

[@LifeyApp]

EirikXL that makes sense. yeah many gets 30 year mortgages. I personally wouldn't want to be in debt for that long. :)

[@TheSympathon]

Yeah you are correct

[@nivakoni3213]

Aleholl as Here in Norway it DEPENDS on where you wanna live in the country, in Oslo its more expensive than it is in the North Coast and in the North side of the country..

[@miauvv]

You know, in some countries, they paint holes in the ground to prevent people from speeding. But in Norway, we use 3D tecnology where you actually feel the holes in the ground.

[@oscarnordhagen2294]

Reason we make "alot" of money is beacause we need to be able to afford to buy food.

[@HeadbangMushroom]

8hr work time is more normal in norway I'd say

[@LifeyApp]

Unknown good to know, thanks for the info!

[@thechronic4twenty]

***** It's 7,5 hours + a 30 minute lunch break :)

[@HeadbangMushroom]

thechronic4twenty Yeah some places its payed 30min lunch break and you cant leave the workplace, other places its 30min free time for lunch

[@Fred-og6nj]

are you from norway? Are any of you from norway?

[@HeadbangMushroom]

Freddy Deal i am yes

[@lillkrull1161]

Just a random Swede, passing by in the comments.

[@jamesspeed9375]

You're username should be Anime Girl or Anime School Girl.

[@lillkrull1161]

James Speed I may be a weeb but I am not that much of a weeb x) If I were to name my name after the girl in my profile picture it'd be "Hanazuki Kayo"

[@TinaQueenB]

We get paid well but it's alot more expencive here... But Norway is a beautiful country!

[@RetroEcoChicken]

is everyone who watched this norwegian?

[@NoobaGutt]

i think so

[@babymarshmellow6077]

+Simsdoble originale i'm a filipino but i love norway :)

[@majapedersen8465]

I am

[@norwegianrealist1235]

+Simsdoble originale Jeg tipper 80%. Hva tror du?

[@RetroEcoChicken]

100% eller 99% og en russer som er forviret

[@dianerose7631]

I admire the way you teach children in Norway, the USA needs to change and be like Norway in that regard.

[@Frida12321]

We have one place you dont go, and it is Oslo S at night...

[@bladwin321]

+frida I dont even consider Oslo as Norway. Its by far the worst place you can visit in Norway. And its not even Norwegians that livee there. its a dumb.

[@grorud10]

+bladwin321 However its the capital, where most NORWEGIANS live. However if you are talking about the nature tromsø would be the nicest. All in all oslo still is worth visiting for alot of reasons.

[@Frida12321]

+Martin Ellingsen Good point, but I´d say that the nature in Hardanger is nicer

[@Frida12321]

+Amanda Jakobsson Jeg elsker å bo i Norge. Jeg bor i Stavanger, veldig fin by. hvis jeg var deg og skulle flyttet til Norge ville jeg ikke flyttet til Oslo.

[@Frida12321]

+SirAiki AQW har vært i oslo et par ganger, perfekt ville jeg ikke kalt det... Ikke at stavanger er perfekt, eller noen byer i det hele tatt. Men på oslo s var det narkomane, fulle menn som ropte etter meg, venninna mi ble frastjålet lommebok, og jeg så flere slosskamper, og en som ble slått ned.. I tillegg til at ingen bilister stopper for å slippe en over fotgjengerfelt

[@kennethhoffman8845]

I hate to be so blunt, but for all its beauty, Norway has hands down the worst roads in Europe. Narrow, narrow... and did I mention they are narrow?

[@MrSharkbay]

Ali Frazier I think they are ok, probably just because i'm used to them xD

[@HWNDU]

Ali Frazier Just because they are narrow doesn't mean they are the worst. The quality of the road is very good, very pleasent to drive on So if you know how to drive a car you won't be having any problem so just learn how to not drive out of the way and you will be fine:)

[@sindrevalheim7694]

Ali Frazier Yet our roads are the most expensive to build. Why, you ask? Because of all the mountains and fjords. We can practically drive everywhere, yet the roads are bad. It could either be that, or we can drive on wide roads, yet you can't drive wherever you want.

[@OfficialBoominBeats]

Every 0.1 mile= 3cm wide road.

[@kennethhoffman8845]

I'm a fish My fishy friend... Be not dismayed... I LOVE Norge....

[@arifmerghani4715]

i love Norway best civilized country in the world top top hand down

[@philsterthephilster]

+Arif Merghani You sure you actually went to Norway?

[@ItsFinnAndNacho]

Nope. Norway is a cold, small country. smaller than California.... US is the best!!

[@BucketPukes1969]

The us is better? Have you actually been to both places? I don't believe so

[@tobspinn]

+Arif Merghani Nah man. I live here, and I want to move to the US when I grown up.

[@dannyiel9923]

Don't call me dude please. So why people coming out this 2016 january to protest agains Barnet. protest from: Washington, New York Gemany, Austria,Slovakia,Lithuania, Australia, Bulgaria, India, Russia, Hollandia, Sweden,Philippines and Turkey

[@fredriklund9103]

You Americans are very polite and nice, i hope to visit the US some time.

[@animalmother4]

How an American sees Norway after visiting: A more successful and developed Vermont!

[@toddmg]

+sandythebear, Perhaps technically, but the effective tax rate of mega corporations in the USA is ZERO... which is to say after exploiting loopholes.

[@KOSKentOlaf]

Our train systems are NOT well developed.

[@boffen6721]

True

[@missbmwe36]

When compared to most US public transport systems... yes they are! Haha.

[@myskijn]

I have to agree with K O. I am Norwegian but I am studyin in the US now, and especially the bus system in Norway beat the US hands down. Train I am not that sure about, as I have only used it once, but in Canada I gave up trying to move around with trains because it was horrible.

[@IblewuponyourfaceIII]

our train system looks like an aluminum can wobbling in slow motion

[@Amund7]

Kent Olaf Steinhaug I read the other day in VG that in 2014, only ONE day all trains were on scedule from Oslo S (main train station in Oslo). That sounds pretty sad. However, I trained (intentional verbing) to work for two months while between cars, and it was quite nice. And cheap. Like 1/10th of car costs.

[@Earth098]

Norway got excellent public transportation. In the US, if you don't have a car, life is hard. Outside big cities it's almost impossible.

[@LifeyApp]

Earth+ Agreed

[@turbowmore]

That really depends on where you are located in Norway. In the countryside public transportation is quite poor. I live in Norway, but I am from Germany. Public transprtation in Germany is much, much better than in Norway.

[@turbowmore]

Markus, how come that most of the Norwegians permanently complain about the bad roads in Norway? :-)

[@MrGhaundan]

Jolly Roger Because it's hard to find stuff to complain about here, so we had to pick something! It's not roads you fools! It's training courses for rally drivers !

[@turbowmore]

Well, many of the roads in the countryside are terrible in Norway. A shame for such a rich country.

[@ailekjakobsen205]

This made me think of how lucky I am to live in Norway, even though I've always wanted to live in the US

[@santimonse]

May I ask why have you always wanted to live in the US?

[@querglh1696]

Santiago Aguirre i don't think you will ever get an answer

[@thechronic4twenty]

Santiago Aguirre because we wanna be like those guys in the movies yo

[@militarybull8629]

thechronic4twenty #SWEG N' STUFF

[@brandonspivey5606]

As A American I would say your better off just staying in Norway and the reason is because in the US major cities like New York,LA,Chicago and Houston there is very high crime rate and there is A huge class divide in those cities. And in the smaller cities and towns there are A lot of small minded judge mental people who do not accepts people who thinks and believes differently than them there are positives in America just A lot more negatives.

[@1954telecaster]

not as safe as it used to be. many muslim ghettos and immigrant gangs have popped up since this video was made in 2014

[@michaelzorba1828]

Some corrections (I'm Norwegian.) 1. Public transpiration is only packed in the morning with school kids and some adults on their way to work. Most people drive to work. The rest of the day you will in many cases be alone on the buss, until people are going back home in the evening. The same goes for trains. They're almost never packed with people. 2. 8 hours work day comes with a price tag. Cost of living in Norway is high and the reason is the way the system is setup. Nothings really free. 3. Crime has increased in Norway the past 5 years. More murders, rape, break ins, robberies, street fights and gang related problems. More crime than within the past 10 to 15 years as a comparison. The reason is more and more Eastern European mafia and immigration increase to Norway. The government does NOT take care of people that good. It's becoming more and more difficult to get help from the government when you need it. 4. Housing in Norway is expensive compared to the US. The reason why the houses are smaller has to do with cost of building them in the first place. It has nothing to do with the fact that Norwegian don't need much space. It's also government regulated how big your house should be and where you bought the rights to set it up. 5. $25 dollars an hour is not that much. The cost of living in Norway is 3-4 times higher than in the US. 6. NAV (The employment office in Norway) is a big joke to most Norwegian. They will make your life a living hell. Most jobs in Norway people find on their own or via friends or family members.

[@LifeyApp]

***** thanks for adding that info!

[@michaelzorba1828]

Glad to help!

[@weendey]

***** Some comments :-) 1. I think it really depends on where in Norway you live. 2. If you compere our income with the cost of living we are actually a really cheap country. A study in 2014 where they compered the prices on food to salary they found that Norway was the cheapest country in Europe (guess that also makes Norway cheaper than US) 3. Compering Norway to USA we still have less crime (agree that it has increased, but it is still less) 4. (look at 2.) We also have "The low of Jante" is also quite strong in Norway". I have some friends from Germany who vent to visit Stavanger. They where really surprised when they come home. After telling them that a lot of people in Stavanger had jobs in the oil that had expected a lot of larger houses. 5. (look at 2) We also have a "holiday pay" (payment the month in summer where you don't work), if the store you work in is closed because of a holiday you still get payed, or if it is a holiday and you have to go to work you will get the double payment. A german friend of me had stars in his eyes when he saw is paycheck after working the whole easter week. Saying it would be impossible for him to go back to german and get a normal german salary. 6. Agree it has been a lot of trouble with NAV, especially if you only watch the news. Most people have an OK experience with NAV, even if it is a lot of bureaucracy. NAV is only somewhere you go if you are not abel to get a job on your own, so it makes sense that most people find work themselves.

[@martefjeld2581]

***** That's just so pessimistic! You make Norway (the best country in the world by A LOT of standards!) sound horrible. Almost allt he things he said in the video is true.

[@pantraplays7807]

***** YES!! I scrolled throught the comments just to find this. Besides, younger people have NO CHANCE to get jobs in Norway that's well paid. I'm 19, living alone, and I do MAYBE earn 5 000NOK a month (around 660 dollar) for full work days, because alot of us younger have no privileged rights, and the only people/companies that will employ us are comission-work, and comission works only. I have maybe 2-3 friends who's paid by the hour, where the minimum wage-rules actually is a thing. I live just outside Oslo, and I do.not.feel.safe going home from somewhere after 8PM. Not at all. And another thing, - there are rules and rights of working overtime aswell. If I could work 12 hours straight, just to earn more money, I would, - but I can't. As said, I get paid around 660 dollar a month, but I get a little bit money from scholarships aswell, and that is a total of 1 000 dollar a month - and the apartment I rent is a total of 900 dollar a month, which leaves me 100 dollars for food and other stuff that comes in handy. Sad thing is that I know alot of people like me, and I still hear every day that "OMG you are so lucky to live in Norway, you're rich af" but no. No I'm not. I work and I go to school, I have no time for friends and the public family help organizations suck, and I am left with no family what so ever, and barely enough money to live.

[@AustenSolvie]

Norwegians view nature as their home. They also dress in nice clothing.

[@AustenSolvie]

Different parts do different things.

[@KarineTKnudsen]

***** Yeah, some do. But the coolest kids don't care about those expensive purses.

[@Rekebeger]

***** He/She NEVER said simple clothing. He/She said "nice clothing" :)

[@Rekebeger]

***** Ohhhh! I must've been some weeks late on this comment. My apologies :)

[@mistergeer8627]

+Weed ...because you're smoking so much weed.

[@Saranr-tu6gr]

Norway is awesome (I live there)it's really good and I am so glad that I live in Norway❤️

[@sapphy76]

Nice summary, I am Norwegian, and I like the way you sum up this.

[@markogilvie9102]

Norway isn't always so sunny and hot, in Bergen it rains almost every day

[@SageOfHeaven]

I dont really care what the others that comments think, but id say your video was quite accurate :) Although one of the reasons ppl dont get bigger houses is because of the cost of a house in norway is rather skyhigh :)

[@Sikkiblogg]

I am Norwegian and I love my country. I live in the captial (Oslo), and I really enjoyed listening to your fantastic experience of the best country in the world

[@Thesamurai1999]

+Norwhereay Why wouldn't he be?

[@Thesamurai1999]

***** I see

[@tusenbensen334]

+Norwhereay How is your opinions about immigrants at all relevant here?

[@Sikkiblogg]

+Submissive Morgoth I am a 16 years old blonde, tall, girl, and have been living in Norway my entire life.. so yes, i consider myself "really norwegian". :)

[@tusenbensen334]

+Submissive Morgoth Again, how is it relevant?

[@benedictepenthabakken5726]

I think we get ''paid well'' because it's so expensive to live in Norway. But I am a proud norwegian for sure. About the summers, you obviously haven't been to Trønderlag. Whenever you leave the house, you got to bring an umbrella, a scarf and sunscreen.

[@MsJunikorn]

I loved this video! I've watched a lot of videos about my country on youtube, and there are just so many people who don't understand our system and culture who will utter their opinion anyways. This guy really knows what he's talking about :)

[@LifeyApp]

Johanne W Thanks!

[@christopherlarsen6158]

Ade Larsen Haha no it's not...

[@DrivewithTony]

Ade Larsen it over 5 million people in norway! no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norge Befolkning - Totalt: Rangert som nr. 116 5 109 056[b]

[@nithqueen]

Ade Larsen da fok? that's the stereotypical Norwegian

[@HaarekV3]

Ade Larsen Nice to see that you're avoiding my questions. If you can't back up your sayings you might want to shut up.

[@N0rdinary]

"train system in norway is very well developed" doesnt work 90% of the time.

[@yvindwestrum1439]

Nora Pandora You got sause for that?

[@N0rdinary]

Øyvind Westrum I got plenty of sauce.

[@stiann4p]

Nora Pandora i see u

[@N0rdinary]

Stian Berg Stalker

[@geirtwo]

Nora Pandora Haha signalfeil her og signalfeil der. Han som snakker i videoen vet lite.

[@makani18]

Please note: yes we earn more money than americans at average, but its more expensive for an norwegian to live in norway then it is for an american with their salary in america, if that makes sense.

[@kimprobable4494]

+makani18 It makes perfect sense. Consider that there will always be people who are better at keeping the money they make, as well.

[@makani18]

Kim Probable kinda hard to save money when we pay 37% tax

[@MrFlaten92]

the minimum salary differs from place to place, where i work the minimum wage is about 16-18 dollars per hour.

[@rudde7251]

We actually don't have a legal minimum salary in Norway, we just pay "fair" wages I suppose.

[@tomrogerlilleby2890]

Rudde Google : minstelønn i Norge. Minimum wages in Norway. You will learn that it's highly regulated. 1 $ = 7 - 8 kroner.

[@tomrogerlilleby2890]

+Rudde Ok, I give in, perhaps your right. Must sheck this closer.

[@wanabezz]

We do not have a minimal wage in Norway. However, we have great unions that takes care of their clients. And most people are in unions. So in theory we don't have a minimal wage, but in reality it's somewhere around 100 kroners an hour on part-time job for people under 18. The train system in Norway is well used by most of the residents and is absolutely packed in the morning and afternoon, you are very lucky if you don't have to stand (at least around and in Oslo, where I live) however, it is not great compared to other European countries. There is places you don't want to be late at night in Oslo, like "Brugata", "Grønland" or "børsen". Aswell as Groruddalen where you do not want to be at all. The reason why a lot of people in and around Oslo don't live in big houses with a lot of land is that it is crazy expensive (In the city a nice apartment cost about 7 million kroners (about 1 million dollar). And a small 2 story house with a garden could easily cost you at least the same. Where I live (in Oppegård), about 20 minutes from Oslo, a big nice house with a big garden can easily cost up to 1,5 million dollars. If you move away from the city and suburbs the prices drastically drops and people by big houses with a lot of land.

[@المسيحهوابنالله]

we work 37,5hours to 42hours a week. regular: electricians plumbers carpenters painters cleaner earn around 25000kr a month, after taxes. which is about 4200 US dollars a month. id say thats good?

[@unjust7156]

المسيح هو ابن الله yeah! that's insanely good! . what about the people? are they nice , do they treat foreigners nicely? is it a cultural country?

[@jamesford4408]

Free man Norwegian people tend to be alittle racist but hide it extremely well and we are also extremely blunt. At least where I'm from.

[@MouseGuardian]

Free man People are different all over the country! You have nice people and you have assholes. Most people are nice and open and welcomming, but the assholes shouts louder. The cities are more or less melting pots:)

[@المسيحهوابنالله]

James Ford, I feel the same thing! Though i´ve lived here 22 years, i am originally from South America, and Norwegians are often skeptics at first - once you get to know them more personally - they´re not that racist after all! Norway is a good country working and achieving successful goals.

[@المسيحهوابنالله]

I am from Colombia and I am latin american/ native American looking - brown skin/red skin.

[@kizuna2225]

I am considering moving to Norway in about 3-4 years this will be somewhat outdated but the culture wont change so quickly so thanks this is still going to be helpful.

[@bladwin321]

We work 7.5 hours monday to friday. Either 8-16 or 7-15 which is the most common

[@acajudi100]

No. I just love learning about all people. Grandfather was from Scotland, and Africa and American Indian also in my DNA.

[@Sepirek1]

It's funny seeing how others see our country. We have smaller houses for several reasons. The building cost is high. It has been common to have a mortgage to the government (Husbanken), at low interests, but then there is a maximum sqrmetres requirement among others. Even when you own your house and lot, you have to pay taxes for it every year. Bigger house, higher taxes. It is also common to lease the lot, but you still have to pay taxes as you owned it. The heating cost during winter is high. With an american style house with large rooms and high ceeling, the hearing bill would rip you off. Crime: In the larger cities (Oslo, Bergen) there are areas/streets who is wise to avoid during night time. High crime rates in those areas. And drugs are sold openly, its also common to see addicts inserting the needle. It's a high rate of OD's.

[@LifeyApp]

Sepirek1 Thanks for your tips and info!

[@willewilly]

***** Hei

[@willewilly]

Sepirek1 You forgot * Law of Jante aka Janteloven * Rich people feel bad when they buy something extremely expensive and impractical, and people who started from nothing gets embarrassed.

[@Melodeath00]

As for wages being that high, it gets balanced out by the extremely high cost of living. Norwegians do feel extremely wealthy whenever they visit most other countries though. For example Norwegians going to Sweden to buy alchohol, or just shopping in general, even if Sweden is considered expensive compared to most of Europe.

[@meba444]

minimum wage is closer to $16

[@Shortiebob]

Norway actually doesn't have a minimum wage.

[@taarynwest]

You are comparing Norway to the southern culture of the U.S. I am from Seattle and everyone is environmentally friendly, the buses are full, and most everyone is working before 8am. Also, there are not more manual labor jobs, those are everywhere. Also, they get paid higher in Norway because of the living wage, it makes everything extremely expensive.

[@adelarsen9776]

***** Norway is only expensive for tourists.

[@jaketaz2848]

yes but you are lucky - the west coast is more environmentally friendly and socially aware. it is not representative of the rest of the country, I live in the Midwest and no one cares about the environment, social issues, or education. people here are very intolerant and uneducated, also very wasteful and not concerned with sustainability when compared to the coast.

[@adelarsen9776]

jaketaz You will never find a better conservationist than a farmer, fisherman, forester or whaler.

[@jaketaz2848]

Ade Larsen I think I should work on a farm some time

[@adelarsen9776]

jaketaz Nothing beats fresh air and growing your own food. :-)

[@aclark141]

My brother got his bachelors degree in engineering and got a job doing janitorial work. We're Americans.

[@xXxBladeStormxXx]

+aclark141 In what field of engineering? and from where? and how well did he do? Three very important questions.

[@UgleZett]

You said the sun is up for about two months... That means you stayed in the far north of Norway - north of the Polar Circle. In Oslo - which is in the south - it doesn't get very dark on midsummer nights, but the sun is not up.

[@JtagSheep]

You might find that it is not just Norway where there are more manual labour jobs but alot of Europe too ! there are a lot of office jobs in Europe too but no where near like the USA.

[@LifeyApp]

***** good points!

[@thechronic4twenty]

***** hmmmm, I don't really know any who work in manual labor, but they do indeed make a good salary. But basically, the young people are not choosing manual labor (huge debate now, because students feel they need a master's degree to get a decent job), and there is a lot of immigrants/Swedes who do take those jobs. The most common job here is work in a government office. From the top of my head I think about 40% is employed in the public sector.

[@kimono7350]

if you have a regular government job, your workday is 7 hours and 45 minutes. We have flexitime, so you decide when you show up for work between 7-9 am, then work your hours from showup-time.

[@user-ub8ck3fi6s]

I would like to visit Norway 👍

[@eriklarseland6616]

Before you're all Oh I'm going to norway then. The summers is not like he explained, very rarely its 80 degrees and sun all the time. Mostly its either cloudy or raining/windy.

[@sober1980]

Thank you for sharing all this!

[@mustangmarie1294]

i wouldn't mind living in Norway one day because i can't stand the heat in New york i love the winter more when is hot i usually get heat rashes too much but the cold is my thing more

[@kjellludvigsen8883]

"The government takes care of everybody very well", except the elderly.

[@dubious6718]

Many people takes the bus cause its expensive to own and care for a car To go to the city I can either take my car and pay $2-4 for toll, $2-4 for gas and about $2 an hour for parking OR I can take the bus and pay around $4 total both ways ($2 one way) Not to mention its $300+ just for insurance and another $350+ for road tax every year

[@Erik-vp5bm]

ACTUALLY: Norway has no set minimum wage. Worth noting.

[@andreshey6954]

We have labour unions (for different types of work) that are powerful and mandate the minimum wage for that set of job, if they do not get their way they strike

[@slitor]

True but we have system of Industry/Sector unions which are mandated by law. They negotiate the standards for the wages. Often in the news you hear about the threat of "Tvungen lønnsnemend" that means if the strikes/lockouts have occured far enough the goverment are obliged to put together a "wage commite" and whatever findings that commite makes has to be accepted.

[@SusanneJooo]

Just want to point out that everything is a lot more expensive in norway, so that's partially why our income is so high compared to the U.S.

[@kimprobable4494]

+SusanneJooo Yes, but you are also much better taken care of. Your healthcare and education are paid for, and your crime rate is exceptionally low. Things that the US cannot brag about.

[@benjamintomassennordahl7911]

in norway we allso live in small houses for two reasons: one the prices on a house is very exspensive and nummber two a lot of the houses are old and from the time when norway did't have to much money.

[@benjamintomassennordahl7911]

Benjamin Tomassen Nordahl and there is not many norwegians working in the construction buisniss it's often people from easter europe, here in norway there is very many people working at offices and at oil riggs

[@benjamintomassennordahl7911]

Benjamin Tomassen Nordahl and there is no minnimal wage an houer in norway but you have to be paid reasonably according to your living standars. and i do not think that 25$ is what you are allowd to pay an houer since that equals the same as 4kr and that's nothing

[@marieprestegard2495]

Benjamin Tomassen Nordahl 25 dollar does not ecual 4 kr, I don't know hiw mutch it is at the moment, but around 6kr = 1 dollar. So 25×6= 150, so the minnimum pay is around 150 kr pr hour.

[@benjamintomassennordahl7911]

yes you are right i thinked entayerly wrong

[@marieprestegard2495]

Benjamin Tomassen Nordahl Ikke tenk på det, ville no bare rette opp i det. Det er ikke sikkert det er helt rett heller siden jeg ikke sjekket hva dollaren er på nå. Håper du har en videre fin dag :)

[@renamp2502]

Thank you for the video of your observations of life in the US versus life in Norway. It is very insightful and interesting to me.

[@hopefulinsight]

My summer job is from 7 am to 2:30 pm (the people who work full time work until 3 pm), and the minimum wage is less than 25$ (mine is for example less than that).

[@LifeyApp]

Isabell Sandal interesting, thanks for sharing!

[@superlikila]

Isabell Sandal we do not have a minimum wage. the minimum wage is decided by the company that pays you :P (there is no set minimum wage in the law)

[@jayfloramusic]

Isabell Sandal just 30 mins difference is weird.

[@hopefulinsight]

Trust me, it's a lot of money in the end :p

[@Etomia]

Isabell Sandal haha, mine is from 0730 AM to 0300 PM, and that's full time... paid lunch anyone? :P

[@benthead]

I like being a free agent in my work. When you get a job in Norway, you are getting married to a company for a very long time. In America, people expect you to jump from job to job for better opportunities. That concept breeds innovation on all levels. Nothing is taken for granted. That is what is great about America.

[@MrMonde123]

I love living in Norway. You go outside, and you can feel and smell the refreshing weather whenever you're going out. Just going to the grocery store, is amazing.

[@kanel123boller]

The minimum wage in Norway is not $25 an hour, there is in fact no minimum wage. For someone who has finished high school the rates usually go from $15-20/hour as a store clerk. The average Norwegian earns gross $57.000 a year, where 51% is taxed off.

[@LifeyApp]

Dan Pettersen interesting, good to know! Thank you!

[@kanel123boller]

We are both correct Ken. I might have formulated myself a little bit wrong. If you earn 57.000 dollars a year in Norway you will be the heavily taxated (51%), but tax rates variates from which income you have.

[@KenJohansen]

Dan Pettersen > Yes, and 51 % is only regarding above the limit. All income below, will have a lot lower taxes.

[@TheaPromp]

I am happy to live in Norway!

[@strayer1554]

the reason norway is "The Richest Country" is because the leaders takes like 50% of the money that a person make in there whole life. Even if you just want to drive out of the city u need to pay 10dollars. Its redicoulus (or how i spell it) Even a gum costs like 5 dollars, like common.

[@TravelWorld1]

I lived in Norway. Now i am in Florida. Both have cons and pros. 1) Less Taxes in USA, specially in republican Florida 2) Norway has more social benefits 3) Norway has an excellent public transportation system. 4) Florida is warm. (I am in FL) 5) Everything is expensive in Norway and higher Sales tax (VAT).

[@TheGirlfriend1992]

I also live in Florida but would love to visit Norway, I'm thinking of visiting by the end of the year :) The country looks beautiful.

[@someoneinthecrowd4313]

+GOLD.DOSE Make sure you can afford it. The Norwegian Crowns is low at the moment, but it's still expensive to visit Norway.

[@RoamingRob]

We went in December to Oslo and found it a really nice place with not much traffic. It's just quite pricey even for a sandwich. Uploaded a video about it last month.

[@djkenny1202]

+RoamingRob I only eat in. I guess it would be affordable enough to do that there? We almost never eat out. Even though it is not too bad in the USA. I imagine bulk food affordable options like Costco are hard to find there though? Any affordable grocery locations?

[@RoamingRob]

Good idea. Lol we only managed McDonalds. There were one or two small supermarkets there which weren't too badly priced.

[@RoamingRob]

Yeah can't say we were proud of our choice!! Although McFlurrys are much better in mainland Europe over UK. So that's something I suppose... :/

[@Sheila_Chu]

I'm glad to live in Norway! really safe, and just a nice place to be

[@NoobaGutt]

except oslo.

[@Sheila_Chu]

***** I live in Oslo, and i was talking about oslo

[@elibjo01]

+NoobaGutt i live in Oslo too, i can go to town at night. It isn't dangerous

[@mortenwelde4353]

Norway doesn't have a minimum wage. What we do have is negotiated wage rates for different industries, but if you're not part of those agreements you could end ut making around 100 NOK an hour. I'd say a low paid worker in Norway is on about 150-200 NOK an hour, some $20.

[@c0latrix]

25dollars/hr is not the minimum wage in norway... i believe it is something along the lines of 12/13 dollars/hr

[@neitilinvandring]

+Sondre Skirbekk And they never will, the powerful labor union(LO) would lose a lot of members if they did.

[@Yzeyr]

+c0latrix say what, avarage wage in norway is around 20-23 dollars/hr.

[@Elmotrix]

+c0latrix $12 is the lowest anyone will pay a 16yo who just started working, anyone who have hold a job for 3-4 years will from that point on earn atleast $20

[@DonxxSollozzo]

+c0latrix Well, that depends on the exchange rate, and what kind of job you're talking about. But it is NOT 12/13 dollars, unless you're younger than 18. Or if your employer underpays you.

[@djkenny1202]

+c0latrix $12 is after housing, though.. Right? I thought it was $20 an hr and you still cleared over $12 an hr?

[@RichardsWorld]

I don't know about Norway, but in the Netherlands people get lots of property tax, so they want smaller, or taller houses.

[@gregh7457]

Regarding public safety... how's the immigration situation going?

[@heno02]

There is no minimum wage in Norway, so you can't really say people make "minimum $25/h"

[@KikkiNor]

Awww! 💛 This is a cute filter to see Norway through. It's a peaceful country, but it also has its flaws. Norwegians are a little scared of new things and things that are out of normal patterns. That freak us out a little bit. And being that it is super expensive for an apparent, we have to settle for what we can afford. But I love that you like liked Norway that much. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻😉

[@elibjo01]

Det er sant eheh

[@myendlesslove5120]

My cousin is married to a Norwegian(we are from the Philippines) and they moved there couple years ago. She said theres no place like home.

[@AlexanderAndreassen123]

I think people living in smaller houses here is more related to Norwegians having less purchasing power than Americans. It's not like we're inherently different in how we value material stuff. I don't think I know anyone who wouldn't want a bigger house. Also, the government doesn't really help you find a job. The building you spoke of is a NAV building, and while they offer courses to help you find a job, you're statistically less likely to get a job if you actually take that course.

[@GeneralBlackNorway]

Alexander Andreassen An important fact to state is that our purchasing power is in fact larger than that of the United States. Norway has about 65 000 Int$ in GDP (PPP) per capita, while USA has 54 000 Int$ in GDP (PPP) per capita. It's true you must remember to keep in mind that cost of living scales with income, but that does not mean all countries will be equal. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(PPP)_per_capita Also I think the reason houses are small and prices are very high is because they are more expensive to build and there is less space to build them on. There is no such thing as a flat surface in Norway, compared to Germany or USA, it's flat as far as the eye can see and far beyond...

[@AlexanderAndreassen123]

Well, looking at PPP per capita using GDP is misleading. GDP does not differentiate between the private sphere and the government. If the government sucked up 60% of the wealth in one country, while the people of another country got to keep their income, it would not show up. It also ignores the levels of tax, VAT, sin taxes, licencing fees and so on. If you look at indexes tied to one commodity, you'll find that Norway is way more expensive than the US when using PPP. If you look at the OECD comparative price levels, where the OECD measures the difference in price levels between its member countries by calculating the ratios of PPPs for private final consumption expenditure to exchange rates, you'll find similar results. Prices are high because of the central bank, interest rates. With fractional reserve banking, banks can give huge loans with low interest. This is hugely inflationary, where the supply of money increases and floods the housing market, driving prices up. This is what happened in the US, though I'm oversimplifying the issue. It's a matter of the government distorting the market, and supply and demand. It's also similar to how the tuition prices in the US have been driven up and up and up. And the US isn't all flat, it's a hugely varied country in terms of terrain. You'll also find relatively cheap housing in some flat areas, and insanely expensive housing in other flat areas. Terrain is not very relevant at all.

[@christiangainey1223]

Alexander, woah, you are incredibly informed and knowledgeable. I know exactly what you are talking about because I have studied this as well and understand economic terms such as GDP (PPP), disposable household income, median and average household income and so forth. I have also read a lot of OECD statistics and take information directly from government census data from different countries because these tend to be the most objective and reliable. The average person just quotes a statistic without doing thorough research and giving time to understand what they read. Sometimes people think GDP figures are actually related to or are the national income. People usually just grab a quote from some random news article to somehow make their country superior to another. Unfortunately, it appears most people online love to criticize the U.S. and will use highly subjective and relative statistics, studies and figures to make Americans feel like they live in a terrible oppressive backwards hellhole when it's actually not the way most people think it is. Another reason why homes tend to be larger is due to very large and generous state and federal government subsidies and tax breaks for the housing industry. House building corporations such as D.R. Horton, KB Homes and Richmond American pay very little federal business tax and the land that the homes are built on and materials used to build a home are subsidized by state and federal tax money. Americans who own their home or have a mortgage also get very generous federal income tax breaks as well. This has created the most affordable real estate market among industrialized nations as no other Western nation has such generous government subsidies and tax breaks for their nation's housing industry. Currently, the national average for the price of a home is about $130 a square foot. So a new 2,600 square foot home (241 square meters) built on 1/3 an acre of land (1.214 square meters) is about $338,000 USD (NOK 2.788.671) on average across the United States. This is extremely cheap relative to nearly all other Western markets. Especially compared to our Canadian cousins to the north.

[@christiangainey1223]

Alexander, you seem to be very self-aware. I'm curious to know, have you ever been to my country?

[@AlexanderAndreassen123]

No, I have studied a lot of economics though. It's not like you learn economics just by being someplace. I think just about every person in every country is proof of that.

[@JUNGLEsausage]

NSB (Norwegian State Railways) and developed, now those are some words I never thought I'd hear in the same sentence!

[@mamadeebuildsahouse]

Buy why would you then export "missionary culture of USA" to a country that seems so peaceful? As an African, I'm reminded of how everyone says Africans were so bad (they did not know Jesus) that is why they needed to be changed and look at Africa now. If I was Norway I would not allow anyone who is there to change their way of life.

[@mrskelligurl]

I agree. It's hard to say you 'love a culture' when you are there for the express intent on changing the people that make up the culture. I wish more people would just enjoy various cultures and respect them for what they are instead of trying to change them (or at least let the people within the culture decide if they desire a change).

[@mamadeebuildsahouse]

Missionary work is the basis of intolerance. You can't tolerate that culture so you have to change it.

[@Sereomontis]

You said the minimal wage is about $25. This is not true. There is no minimum wage here. Though our average pay is pretty solid.

[@LifeyApp]

Man Of Steel good to know, thanks for clarifying that!

[@pH7oslo]

Man Of Steel That's not entirely accurate; while there's no general minimum wage, there is a minimum rate specified for certain sectors: www.arbeidstilsynet.no/fakta.html?tid=240096 (English)

[@MrBEAN584]

Man Of Steel correction it's about 17USD or 99NOK.

[@albinomauren]

snederw If you work for 99nok a hour, then you should probably quit your job

[@MrBEAN584]

E7Editing well some people have to... they are not skilled enough or have the atitude to do a good paying job. ive been an aprentice for 2 years. i was payed 30% 40% 50% then 80% divided in 6month raises of the originale salary of a certified IT worker. at 30% i barely got paid 750-800euro after tax. now im at 80% getting about 2000euro a month after tax. its still nothing compared to the cost of living. you would need to be 2 people to hold a house even at a 100% salary in my profession.... thats why im doing another 2 years of school to add about 20keuro a year. thats gonna give me a total of 4 years of work directed education and 2 years of working with the proffesion. then i might end upp on about 55k euro a year.

[@smilemore7405]

I love how he talks about Norway, cause everything he says is true! And I've never heard anyone talk about Norway in this way so it was really nice to watch!

[@nivakoni3213]

In Norway it can be expensive to buy a property or a house, but it depends on where the property is. you can get a house for a million norwegian kroner (1 USD = 8.28 NOK) on the coast and small towns, but in the big cities it can get very expensive...

[@tomrogerlilleby2890]

One million kroner won't get you far in Norway.

[@nivakoni3213]

A million Kroner ... Not USD

[@MichaelJohnsenOslo]

+Claystead Please direct me to the finn.no link that shows me a two story house within 10km to Oslo, Bergen or Trondheim for 500.000 kroner. I'd love to see it. I'm currently selling my tiny 31 m2 flat in Oslo for 2,3 million kroner, I guess I can buy nearly 5 huge houses for that money, with your guidance.

[@MichaelJohnsenOslo]

I'd say just about everyone uses Finn. Its the largest and best site for selling things by FAR. Ads there come standard with every real estate deal. And if you didnt know that, you're clearly not norwegian. And as far as Oslo goes, its one of the ONLY few big cities we have. So yeah, your claim is silly. It's not 1993 anymore.

[@MichaelJohnsenOslo]

+Claystead Ok, but since you said "within 10km of most large cities" I somewhat felt Oslo would be included.

[@emmawnilsson8998]

The smaller houses is also because of the high electricity bills

[@slitor]

Actually no, we got really cheap electricity due to all the hydro powerplants. I've been told we've been a bit spoilt because of that.

[@Nairda_YT]

Hi Im an Norwegian and I really like living in Nowray but one of the things I dont like with Norway is the House prices and its still going up I saw on TV a very small Apartment an ugly one and it costs 1.2 million kr (145 000 dollar) And you dont even got your own bathroom! The house prices is very high in Norway and its still going up!

[@nutrox84]

Housing in Norway is INSANLY expensive because of building codes and restrictions. There are strikt rules for how houses are built, and you have to use professionals in all aspects of the build. Professionals are also REALLY expensive in Norway. This and expensive building materials combined causes very high housing-prices. Therefore, smaller houses :)

[@danielolivera4796]

Woow in México we Work at least 10 hours not matter if you are an engineer or the operator of a machine, and a lot of people even works saturdays, and some even Sundays.

[@bachpham7617]

Most of the people have a good life in Norway, except workers with low income. hiii

[@kxjdsjzjkjjnn6173]

i am from norway it,s pretty amazing but i have also been in usa. sometimes i wish that i live theere in the us. but i love norway.it,s i pretty fun.

[@Princeofnorwayz]

he forgot to mention thet norway has no official minimum wage by law.

[@alexanderestk]

I have a question that hopefully can be answered by somebody living in Norway. I am a Mason by trade, so I work with concrete, block, brick etc and I've been wanting to move to Norway. How much is the average pay for a mason? How easy would it be to find a job? How much does it cost to live there? How much does it cost to own a vehicle?

[@hkostbye]

But if you work in the restaurant franchise here, in my experience, I've been working from 6hours up to 12 hours with no breaks...

[@Honeyangel202]

I really love your videos about Norway and other countries world, and how you people describe these places. I never been to Norway, but I would love to visit one day. As an agnostic, I appreciate what you do and your wonderful videos.❤️

[@richhh9000]

I'm a swede, and if I want to experience Somalian culture I'd go to Somalia... I just don't want to. You should do a piece on the current situation in Europe too, as you are very well spoken...

[@steffenbk1]

Well yeah we earn alot more than moste people with the same job. Like working in a grocery store. But it is much more costly to live here too.

[@sayeedsikder2958]

You guys are out of mind comparing US with Norway 😂

[@ryanownsu10]

lol ofc people love the spring/summer and are active. thats when crops are planted and obviously its warm and many outdoor activities can be done w/o wearing coats everywhere like in winter which is life half the year and is usually below 0

[@alilekabyle7424]

Norge landet av de fleste gode mennesker .. Norway the land of most good people :)

[@cynthiahager7546]

$25 an hour at 46% tax rate is $11.50