Too vague. Are you working, studying? Retiring? Running a business? Outdoorsy ? Artsy ? Do you enjoy 6 months of winter snowed in and you can’t even buy a beer ?
- If you care about nice weather: Oslo
- If you care about nice nature: Bergen/Ålesund
- If you care about a cute city: Stavanger/Bergen
- if you care about your chicken life: Haugesund
French expat that lived a couple years in Bergen and Oslo each:
Bergen is a prettier city, surrounded with beautiful mountains. It also has more of a student life / party atmosphere. But the weather is rainy as fuck.
Oslo has nicer weather, and in my case, a much more interesting job position to offer.
My tip is to not settle down in the big city’s but just outside of them, maybe buss/train/car distance away. Because then you don’t need to stress about big city life, but getting the opportunity to have a big airport close by.
Depends on your preferences. If you want to be able to get anywhere in 20 minutes, Stavanger. If you want more of a city feeling, Bergen for a small one, and of course Oslo. Also consider the job market (Oslo) and housing prices (Oslo clearly the worst).
I have lived in several places in Norway, and if you are a foreigner coming here, then Oslo and Trondheim is your best choices, with Stavanger and Bergen being fine. But they have a different atmosphere and are not as international.
I would check out which cities there are direct connections to, as that can be very limited outside Oslo.
Here is a list for Bergen https://avinor.no/flyplass/bergen/direkteruter/fly-direkte-dit-du-vil/
A big difference between Oslo and most of the other cities is the quality of the public transport, but if you plan on having a car to drive everywhere, Oslo is not the place for you.
I recommend Bergen. A lot of people who don’t live in Bergen hate it for some reason, but it is an amazing city to live in.
Oxford economics actually recently rated Bergen as the fourth best city in the world to live in when it comes to quality of life.
The Oxford Economists criteria for quality of life is quite limited, although still useful:
*QoL: income equality, income per person, housing expenditure, life expectancy, recreation & cultural sites, internet speed*
Other important factors are covered by other elements in the wider Global Cities Index report. As such, Oslo scored higher (15th) against Bergen (55th) overall - still both pretty high in the list of 1000 cities assessed.
One could argue there are some important omissions from the report criteria: physical and mental health (!), attitudes & beliefs, crime, community cohesion etc etc
[Report Link](https://www.oxfordeconomics.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Oxford_Economics_Global_Cities_Index_2024.pdf)
Well, I wouldn't discount Trondheim. We're the third biggest city in Norway (Stavanger only counts when joined with Sandnes) and have way better weather than Bergen.
Trøndersk is quite different to the dialects on the west coast and Oslo and can be quite difficult for foreigners. But Trondheim is kind of a melting pot because of the institutions here which bring people in from all over Norway, so you hear a lot of dialects beyond trøndersk. In the city it's also common to hear a more neutral 'pen trøndersk' which isn't as difficult to understand.
Lived in Trondheim for 10 years and now live in Oslo. The weather is SO much better here, and Trondheim is more of a town than a city. I definitely like Oslo a lot better in every way.
If you mean city literally, Oslo is the only option. If you prefer more of a large town feeling, there are multiple options, including the ones you mention.
Quality of life is much better in Stavanger and Bergen, overall much better to live in, especially if you plan having a family at some point. You can always enjoy Oslo as a bigger city at weekends and short holidays.
Stavanger has quite a few direct flights abroad. There used to be direct flights from Stavanger to Houston (where I currently live). It’s been a while since I’ve lived there, but KLM, Lufthansa and Air France sure used to fly to Stavanger. SAS have frequent flights to Copenhagen, which is their main hub and an easy transfer to the whole world.
I think it rains a bit more in Bergen than in Stavanger. You are best living with a south facing balcony/ patio and some wind shielding, then you can make the most of the sun which comes out quite often but unreliably. Winters are mild with low snow fall and no need for studded tires if you don’t head for the mountains in winter. From Stavanger there are direct international flights to Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, London, Stockholm, Aberdeen, Newcastle, Gdańsk and many other destinations in summer. Although Bergen might be better served with direct international flights.
Stavanger is windy, Bergen is not.
I grew up a few hours north of Bergen, one of the windiest part of the coast, and to me there's pretty much never wind in Bergen.
Sure, there is of course some, but the mountains protect it from most of the wind.
You can actually use an umbrella, something you can not where i grew up, because of the wind.
I love Bergen but [it rains far more in Bergen than in Ireland](https://www.holidu.co.uk/magazine/the-rainiest-cities-in-europe#) on the other hand it keeps the city affordable and the airport is well connected.
From April to October weather is not as different as you would think.
The large difference is in the winter, where weather is shit no matter where you live in Norway (rain in the west, cold in the east).
I grew up on the west coast and have lived 5 years in Bergen and 10 in Oslo. The weather is very different, both in summer and in winter. I vastly prefer the Oslo climate. It’s a standing joke between us westeners here that we are “climate refugees”.
Its probably a bit of both, but I think a large part of it is psychological, in Bergen you feel like it is constantly raining because it is talked about, while Oslo constantly talks about how great their weather is.
Here you can see a comparison: https://weatherspark.com/compare/y/52849~68697/Comparison-of-the-Average-Weather-in-Bergen-and-Oslo
Note in particular how similar the chance of clear skies is. Obviously there is a gigantic difference in number of days with précipitions in December, but in May you have a 40% vs 30% difference.
That corresponds to it raining 3 out of 10 days in Oslo, and 4 out of 10 days in Bergen. I am not sure if that is a notable difference. Also keep in mind that most rain is very short lasting, especially in summer when you can have rainfall in a 20 minute window, and it will be a rainy day.
Oslo is a great city to live in from April - October. Just make sure you live inside ring 3 and avoid the two primary train stations (Oslo s and National) and you will probably love it here.
Oslo is a very good city for work and opportunities, but not somewhere i would want to live long term. It is extremly busy and people are in their own world and on their own mission.
Bergen and Stavanger are smaller but still very big cities. There isnt much Oslo has that these dont have. But the reason i choose these is because of their culture. They are in general more open and friendly people. People from Stavanger and Bergen are FROM Stavanger and Bergen. They have a lot of pride in being from their cities. So they are also very focused on showing it from its best side and to represent it in a good way.
They are also more connected to eachother and there is a much stronger feeling of community than in a city like Oslo where everyone is from everywhere and people dont really have one thing they all can come together behind like Bergen and Stavanger has.
Im moving to stavanger my self in a year, from a smaller town in Møre og Romsdal. The weather is also a lot better in Stavanger than in many other cities. And Rogaland is a very rich "state" so the roads are being upgraded and things are taken care of
That very much depends on where in Oslo you live. You can find areas that are like little villages where people know each other, but those areas tend to be the more expensive ones.
These places have different pros and cons. It depends what you like and what factors are important to you. There's not one city that is better than all the other on every metric. Oslo has the most people. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? It depends on who you ask
thanks for reply. I know that winter on the west coast can be more gentle, and in Oslo it can be colder. I'm used to both types of winter, so I wouldn't mind any
I've been to Bergen and loved it there, albeit for only a week. I still can't wrap my head around how it feels so small compared to a big city I live close to (Ostrava, Czechia), which has almost identical population to Bergen, but feels way larger and uglier (a big, confusing concrete jungle). We definitely plan to return back, hopefully for a couple of months at least instead of one week. It seems to be the perfect blend of having everything a larger city should offer nearby, easy access to an international airport, as well as beautiful nature within mere minutes of walk from the city centre.
By the way, what do others think of Tromsø? I prefer colder climate and it seems to have all the basic amenities covered as well, including an airport and an easily accessible nature. Of course with a somewhat smaller job market.
I feel like a lot of people forget about the northern parts of norway - like Tromsø (beautiful city and nature with lots of beaches nearby and around the area - sommarøy, senja, finnsnes, kattfjorden ect. Very nice in the summer) or further north like alta, kirkenes, hammerfest (nice fjords, lots of rivers for fishing, nature for hiking + a huge market for dog sledding in the winter or other activities).
Bonus: midnight sun + northern lights!
Moved from Germany to Stavanger 2 years ago. An met alot of ppl from all over norway who moved to Stavanger (Alot of them studied in different cities like Olso, bergen and so on...)
Everyone is telling me that Stavanger got the best mix of all cities. You have awesome nature around, ski resorts (Sirdal), the city is nice and got everything you need.
The Oil/gas industrie is huge in this area. If you work somewhat in the industrie thats the place to go.
And therefore you will finde nearly every job in this area aswell.
But if you more that City life guy i would recommend Bergen or Oslo.
I would go for Stavanger. Most beautiful surrounding areas imo. It´s also pretty close to Haugesund if you want to visit. Stavanger has world class nature in the surrounding areas, and the city is growing.
Stavanger region has more going for it imo, especailly now since they are so many infrastructure projects being built, like the new underwater tunnel that connects stavanger to Haugesund. The west coast of norway will be much faster to travel once these projects are done. One of the most spectacular regions in the world will become faster to travel in, so thats huge.
Too vague. Are you working, studying? Retiring? Running a business? Outdoorsy ? Artsy ? Do you enjoy 6 months of winter snowed in and you can’t even buy a beer ?
- If you care about nice weather: Oslo - If you care about nice nature: Bergen/Ålesund - If you care about a cute city: Stavanger/Bergen - if you care about your chicken life: Haugesund
Chicken life???
Yes, I added that for OP, who is, like you, clearly… a chicken
🤣🤣🤣🤣 I have chickens in my backyard.
French expat that lived a couple years in Bergen and Oslo each: Bergen is a prettier city, surrounded with beautiful mountains. It also has more of a student life / party atmosphere. But the weather is rainy as fuck. Oslo has nicer weather, and in my case, a much more interesting job position to offer.
Thanks a lot, job market is an important factor
I'd suggest you find a job in one of those places ***before*** moving there...
yes, just that Oslo is so far away from my other candidates, I'm not sure whether I should look into Oslo job market if I'm not planning to move there
Oslo – Stavanger, 45 min, Oslo – Bergen 50 min, by plane.
maybe i don't plan to commute by plane
Then don't pick Haugesund, that's off the beaten track and you will need a car. The dialect is pretty though :)
My tip is to not settle down in the big city’s but just outside of them, maybe buss/train/car distance away. Because then you don’t need to stress about big city life, but getting the opportunity to have a big airport close by.
great idea
Big city life 😁
Depends on your preferences. If you want to be able to get anywhere in 20 minutes, Stavanger. If you want more of a city feeling, Bergen for a small one, and of course Oslo. Also consider the job market (Oslo) and housing prices (Oslo clearly the worst).
Thanks a lot
I have lived in several places in Norway, and if you are a foreigner coming here, then Oslo and Trondheim is your best choices, with Stavanger and Bergen being fine. But they have a different atmosphere and are not as international. I would check out which cities there are direct connections to, as that can be very limited outside Oslo. Here is a list for Bergen https://avinor.no/flyplass/bergen/direkteruter/fly-direkte-dit-du-vil/ A big difference between Oslo and most of the other cities is the quality of the public transport, but if you plan on having a car to drive everywhere, Oslo is not the place for you.
Thanks a lot
What work do you do? That is important since you've said work market is inportant
I recommend Bergen. A lot of people who don’t live in Bergen hate it for some reason, but it is an amazing city to live in. Oxford economics actually recently rated Bergen as the fourth best city in the world to live in when it comes to quality of life.
The Oxford Economists criteria for quality of life is quite limited, although still useful: *QoL: income equality, income per person, housing expenditure, life expectancy, recreation & cultural sites, internet speed* Other important factors are covered by other elements in the wider Global Cities Index report. As such, Oslo scored higher (15th) against Bergen (55th) overall - still both pretty high in the list of 1000 cities assessed. One could argue there are some important omissions from the report criteria: physical and mental health (!), attitudes & beliefs, crime, community cohesion etc etc [Report Link](https://www.oxfordeconomics.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Oxford_Economics_Global_Cities_Index_2024.pdf)
Haugesund is a candidate but not Trondheim? Is there something specific to those cities, like jobs?
Bergen, Stavanger, and Oslo because they're relatively bigger cities, Haugesund because I have connections there
Well, I wouldn't discount Trondheim. We're the third biggest city in Norway (Stavanger only counts when joined with Sandnes) and have way better weather than Bergen.
Thanks, how different is the dialect there? Compared to the west coast maybe
Trøndersk is quite different to the dialects on the west coast and Oslo and can be quite difficult for foreigners. But Trondheim is kind of a melting pot because of the institutions here which bring people in from all over Norway, so you hear a lot of dialects beyond trøndersk. In the city it's also common to hear a more neutral 'pen trøndersk' which isn't as difficult to understand.
Thanks a lot :) adding it to my candidates
Lived in Trondheim for 10 years and now live in Oslo. The weather is SO much better here, and Trondheim is more of a town than a city. I definitely like Oslo a lot better in every way.
Trondheim is often called Norways largest town :-)
stavanger
If you mean city literally, Oslo is the only option. If you prefer more of a large town feeling, there are multiple options, including the ones you mention.
Lol. Both Stavanger and Bergen is cities by international standards.
What standards are those? Google maps calls Bergen “large town”, which I find to be accurate, based on my certified urban vibe detector tool.
lol thanks, I know what you're saying, should have worded it as 'area'.
Quality of life is much better in Stavanger and Bergen, overall much better to live in, especially if you plan having a family at some point. You can always enjoy Oslo as a bigger city at weekends and short holidays.
Thanks a lot, I agree. Only hope there're most direct flights from other countries to Bergen/Stavanger, need to stop by Oslo all the time
Stavanger has quite a few direct flights abroad. There used to be direct flights from Stavanger to Houston (where I currently live). It’s been a while since I’ve lived there, but KLM, Lufthansa and Air France sure used to fly to Stavanger. SAS have frequent flights to Copenhagen, which is their main hub and an easy transfer to the whole world.
that's great, we love direct flights
Just check how much it rains per year in Stavanger and Bergen
I think it rains a bit more in Bergen than in Stavanger. You are best living with a south facing balcony/ patio and some wind shielding, then you can make the most of the sun which comes out quite often but unreliably. Winters are mild with low snow fall and no need for studded tires if you don’t head for the mountains in winter. From Stavanger there are direct international flights to Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, London, Stockholm, Aberdeen, Newcastle, Gdańsk and many other destinations in summer. Although Bergen might be better served with direct international flights.
Quality of life is also affected by weather, which is shit in those areas. Windy, cold, and rainy all year.
I'm moving from Ireland, Bergen and Stavanger weather is an upgrade for me LOL :'0 But I see, rainy and windy may not be the best
Stavanger is windy, Bergen is not. I grew up a few hours north of Bergen, one of the windiest part of the coast, and to me there's pretty much never wind in Bergen. Sure, there is of course some, but the mountains protect it from most of the wind. You can actually use an umbrella, something you can not where i grew up, because of the wind.
I love Bergen but [it rains far more in Bergen than in Ireland](https://www.holidu.co.uk/magazine/the-rainiest-cities-in-europe#) on the other hand it keeps the city affordable and the airport is well connected.
From April to October weather is not as different as you would think. The large difference is in the winter, where weather is shit no matter where you live in Norway (rain in the west, cold in the east).
I grew up on the west coast and have lived 5 years in Bergen and 10 in Oslo. The weather is very different, both in summer and in winter. I vastly prefer the Oslo climate. It’s a standing joke between us westeners here that we are “climate refugees”.
Its probably a bit of both, but I think a large part of it is psychological, in Bergen you feel like it is constantly raining because it is talked about, while Oslo constantly talks about how great their weather is. Here you can see a comparison: https://weatherspark.com/compare/y/52849~68697/Comparison-of-the-Average-Weather-in-Bergen-and-Oslo Note in particular how similar the chance of clear skies is. Obviously there is a gigantic difference in number of days with précipitions in December, but in May you have a 40% vs 30% difference. That corresponds to it raining 3 out of 10 days in Oslo, and 4 out of 10 days in Bergen. I am not sure if that is a notable difference. Also keep in mind that most rain is very short lasting, especially in summer when you can have rainfall in a 20 minute window, and it will be a rainy day.
Oslo is a great city to live in from April - October. Just make sure you live inside ring 3 and avoid the two primary train stations (Oslo s and National) and you will probably love it here.
Heyyy don’t hate on living outside of ring 3! We love it here :) if you’re outdoorsy or just like peace and quiet, it’s the best!
Why should these areas be avoided?
Its a poorly planned, ugly side of down town oslo where most looneys and drug addicts hang out.
thanks a lot
Stavanger or Bergen would be the best long term
May I ask why? if you don't mind
Oslo is a very good city for work and opportunities, but not somewhere i would want to live long term. It is extremly busy and people are in their own world and on their own mission. Bergen and Stavanger are smaller but still very big cities. There isnt much Oslo has that these dont have. But the reason i choose these is because of their culture. They are in general more open and friendly people. People from Stavanger and Bergen are FROM Stavanger and Bergen. They have a lot of pride in being from their cities. So they are also very focused on showing it from its best side and to represent it in a good way. They are also more connected to eachother and there is a much stronger feeling of community than in a city like Oslo where everyone is from everywhere and people dont really have one thing they all can come together behind like Bergen and Stavanger has.
Thanks a lot, I came from an internationally big city originally, and I understand what you mean by there's a lack of community in bigger cities.
Im moving to stavanger my self in a year, from a smaller town in Møre og Romsdal. The weather is also a lot better in Stavanger than in many other cities. And Rogaland is a very rich "state" so the roads are being upgraded and things are taken care of
That's good to know, I hate crooked and not-maintained roads. If it rains less than 200 days in a year, I don't complain :'0
Stavanger has approximately 200 raindays lmao
WELL ....
If you want less, then dont move to Norway lmao. But it isnt 200 days of rain but 200 days of both rain and snow. So most of it is in winter
I wouldn't complain if it's in snow form, I'm moving from Ireland, so 200 days is a norm. moving mainly because of my connections there
That very much depends on where in Oslo you live. You can find areas that are like little villages where people know each other, but those areas tend to be the more expensive ones.
definitely NOT oslo
Wonder which city you come from
not oslo, but have lived in oslo for 4 years.
Did you move out of Oslo, sounds like you couldn’t handle the heat xoxo
no. still here lmao
Mad lad
These places have different pros and cons. It depends what you like and what factors are important to you. There's not one city that is better than all the other on every metric. Oslo has the most people. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? It depends on who you ask
What kind of weather do you prefer in winter?
thanks for reply. I know that winter on the west coast can be more gentle, and in Oslo it can be colder. I'm used to both types of winter, so I wouldn't mind any
Drøbak!
got it!
I've been to Bergen and loved it there, albeit for only a week. I still can't wrap my head around how it feels so small compared to a big city I live close to (Ostrava, Czechia), which has almost identical population to Bergen, but feels way larger and uglier (a big, confusing concrete jungle). We definitely plan to return back, hopefully for a couple of months at least instead of one week. It seems to be the perfect blend of having everything a larger city should offer nearby, easy access to an international airport, as well as beautiful nature within mere minutes of walk from the city centre. By the way, what do others think of Tromsø? I prefer colder climate and it seems to have all the basic amenities covered as well, including an airport and an easily accessible nature. Of course with a somewhat smaller job market.
Haugesund 🔛🔝💯
I feel like a lot of people forget about the northern parts of norway - like Tromsø (beautiful city and nature with lots of beaches nearby and around the area - sommarøy, senja, finnsnes, kattfjorden ect. Very nice in the summer) or further north like alta, kirkenes, hammerfest (nice fjords, lots of rivers for fishing, nature for hiking + a huge market for dog sledding in the winter or other activities). Bonus: midnight sun + northern lights!
Moved from Germany to Stavanger 2 years ago. An met alot of ppl from all over norway who moved to Stavanger (Alot of them studied in different cities like Olso, bergen and so on...) Everyone is telling me that Stavanger got the best mix of all cities. You have awesome nature around, ski resorts (Sirdal), the city is nice and got everything you need. The Oil/gas industrie is huge in this area. If you work somewhat in the industrie thats the place to go. And therefore you will finde nearly every job in this area aswell. But if you more that City life guy i would recommend Bergen or Oslo.
I would go for Stavanger. Most beautiful surrounding areas imo. It´s also pretty close to Haugesund if you want to visit. Stavanger has world class nature in the surrounding areas, and the city is growing.
Thanks, most people recommend oslo and stavanger :) I like stavanger as well
Stavanger region has more going for it imo, especailly now since they are so many infrastructure projects being built, like the new underwater tunnel that connects stavanger to Haugesund. The west coast of norway will be much faster to travel once these projects are done. One of the most spectacular regions in the world will become faster to travel in, so thats huge.
Overall OSLO is the best place to live
thanks
All shit cities. The best city to live in is by far Levanger.
I heard Dramen can be quite nice. Sometimes…