City comparison
Copenhagen vs Oslo: which is better to live in?
Quick verdict
Copenhagen is the cheaper of the two — our estimate for a single person is about €100 a month less than Oslo, mostly because of rent. Copenhagen has the milder winter (about 4°C vs 1°C average highs in Dec–Feb). They’re in different countries, so visa routes, taxes and healthcare differ too — see below.
Choose Copenhagen for
- Sunny, warm climate
- Safety
- Walkability
- Public transport
- Lower living costs
Choose Oslo for
- Mountains nearby
- Nature & green space
- Calm, slower pace
Copenhagen vs Oslo at a glance
| Copenhagen | Oslo | |
|---|---|---|
| Country | Denmark | Norway |
| Single budget / month | €2,600 | €2,700 |
| Couple budget / month | €3,700 | €3,800 |
| 1-bed rent, center | €1,700 | €1,600 |
| Winter highs (Dec–Feb) | 4°C / 39°F | 1°C / 33°F |
| Summer highs (Jun–Aug) | 21°C / 70°F | 21°C / 71°F |
| Sunshine (hours/yr) | 1,779 | 1,725 |
| City size | Capital / metropolis | Capital / metropolis |
| Coastal | Yes | Yes |
| Direct flights to the US | Yes | Yes |
| Affordability | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Sunny, warm climate | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| English-friendliness | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Safety | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Walkability | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Public transport | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Nature & green space | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Beach life | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Mountains nearby | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Culture | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Nightlife | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Family life | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Remote-work scene | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Expat community | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Flights home | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Calm, slower pace | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
Cost of living: Copenhagen or Oslo?
By our estimates, a comfortable mid-range life costs about €2,600 a month for one person in Copenhagen and €2,700 in Oslo, rent included. For a couple it’s €3,700 vs €3,800, and for a family of four €6,000 vs €6,200.
Rent drives most of the gap: a one-bedroom in the center runs about €1,700 in Copenhagen against €1,600 in Oslo, while a monthly transit pass costs €60 vs €90. Want to plug in your own lifestyle? Use the cost of living calculator.
Climate and weather
Winters average highs of about 4°C (39°F) in Copenhagen and 1°C (33°F) in Oslo. In summer it’s roughly 21°C vs 21°C. Copenhagen gets about 1,779 hours of sunshine a year and Oslo about 1,725.
1,779 hours of sunshine a year · 523 mm of rain a year · Source: DMI 1991-2020 normals for Copenhagen Airport (Kastrup), as tabulated on Wikipedia 'Copenhagen'; rainfall and sunshine are airport values from the same table
Monthly temperatures in °C and °F
| Month | Avg high | Avg low |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3°C / 38°F | 1°C / 33°F |
| Feb | 3°C / 38°F | 1°C / 33°F |
| Mar | 6°C / 43°F | 2°C / 35°F |
| Apr | 11°C / 52°F | 4°C / 39°F |
| May | 16°C / 60°F | 8°C / 46°F |
| Jun | 19°C / 67°F | 12°C / 53°F |
| Jul | 23°C / 73°F | 14°C / 57°F |
| Aug | 21°C / 71°F | 14°C / 57°F |
| Sep | 17°C / 63°F | 11°C / 52°F |
| Oct | 12°C / 54°F | 7°C / 45°F |
| Nov | 8°C / 46°F | 4°C / 39°F |
| Dec | 5°C / 40°F | 2°C / 35°F |
1,725 hours of sunshine a year · 835 mm of rain a year · Source: Norwegian Meteorological Institute (Seklima) 1991-2020 normals for Oslo-Blindern, as tabulated on Wikipedia 'Oslo'; sunshine from the same page
Monthly temperatures in °C and °F
| Month | Avg high | Avg low |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 0°C / 32°F | -5°C / 24°F |
| Feb | 1°C / 34°F | -5°C / 24°F |
| Mar | 5°C / 42°F | -2°C / 28°F |
| Apr | 11°C / 52°F | 2°C / 36°F |
| May | 17°C / 62°F | 7°C / 44°F |
| Jun | 20°C / 69°F | 11°C / 51°F |
| Jul | 23°C / 73°F | 13°C / 56°F |
| Aug | 21°C / 70°F | 13°C / 55°F |
| Sep | 16°C / 62°F | 9°C / 47°F |
| Oct | 10°C / 49°F | 4°C / 39°F |
| Nov | 4°C / 40°F | 0°C / 32°F |
| Dec | 1°C / 34°F | -4°C / 25°F |
Daily life
Copenhagen is a capital / metropolis on the coast; Oslo is a capital / metropolis on the coast. Copenhagen is one of the easiest big-city moves in northern Europe if you have a job: safe, cycle-first and almost everyone speaks English. It is also one of the priciest places in our set, so plan on about EUR 2,600 a month for a single person living comfortably. Oslo gives you fjord, forest and ski slopes inside the city limits, high salaries and a calm pace, at some of the highest prices in Europe. About EUR 2,700 a month covers a comfortable single life. It works best if you arrive with a skilled-worker job offer.
Living in Copenhagen: the upsides and downsides
- Cycling and Metro make a car unnecessary
- Almost everyone speaks English
- Excellent family infrastructure and parks
- Downside: Very expensive, and rental housing is scarce
- Downside: Short, grey, windy winters
Living in Oslo: the upsides and downsides
- Forest, fjord and ski slopes accessible by metro
- Very safe and quiet for a capital
- Excellent English
- Downside: Among the most expensive cities in our set
- Downside: Long, dark winters
Visas and residency
Copenhagen is in Denmark and Oslo is in Norway. The main routes for each:
- Denmark Work Permit (Pay Limit Scheme and Positive List) — Work permit, open, €6,154/mo income
- Start-up Denmark (Entrepreneur Residence Permit) — Entrepreneur route, open, €1,708/mo income
- Norway Skilled Worker Residence Permit — Work permit, open
Read the full guides: living in Copenhagen and living in Oslo.
Related comparisons
Costs are our estimates for a comfortable mid-range lifestyle; scores are editorial, relative to the 40 cities we cover. Methodology.