Townleap

Cost of Living: Dunedin vs Oslo (2026)

New Zealand vs Norway — relocation comparison

Your passport:
TL;DRDunedin is 51% cheaper on rent ($991/mo vs $2,004/mo). Oslo is safer — homicide rate 0.1 vs 1.5 per 100k. Both countries will let you complain about the government in public — and mean it.
Dunedin and Oslo are almost suspiciously well-matched. Flip a coin.
How the livability score breaks down
Dunedin
Oslo
19.3/25
💰 Affordability
9.6/25
13.5/15
🔒 Violent Crime
14.9/15
7.2/10
🛡️ Perceived Safety
6.6/10
5.3/15
Internet
15/15
14.4/15
🗳️ Democracy
14.7/15
10/10
🗣️ English
8.8/10
6.5/10
☀️ Climate
7.8/10
7.1/10
📊 Stability
6.9/10
4.3/10
🚗 Road Safety
4.3/10
5.9/10
🕊️ Geopolitical Safety
5.9/10
Household
Dunedin
Metric
Oslo
$568/mo
🛒
Living costs (no rent)
lower is better
$1105/mo
88 / 100
🛡️
Settler safety
higher is better
91 / 100
1.5 / 100k
🔒
Homicides
lower is better
0.1 / 100k
72 / 100
🚨
Safety Index
higher is better
66 / 100
64°F
☀️
Summer high
personal taste
70°F
39°F
❄️
Winter low
personal taste
23°F
Internet speed
higher is better
258 Mbps
🏥
Healthcare
higher is better
87 / 100
9.6 / 10
🗳️
Democracy
higher is better
9.8 / 10
8.3 / 9
🤝
Migrant acceptance
higher is better
7.7 / 9
81 / 100
🏳️‍🌈
Rainbow Index
higher is better
69 / 100
100/100
🗣️
Street English
higher is better
73/100
$56k
💼
GDP per capita (PPP)
higher is better
$102k
2.9% · Boringly steady
📈
Inflation
lower is better
3.1% · Boringly steady
99/100
🗽
Freedom House
higher is better
99/100
See exactly what you keep after taxes in each city

Sources: Numbeo · UNODC · Ookla · WHO · EIU · Gallup · World Bank · Freedom House · Updated May 2026

💰
Cost of Living
Dunedin
$1,013/mo cheaper on rent alone
🔒
Safety
Oslo
0.1 homicides per 100k
☀️
Weather
64°F vs 70°F summers

Sun

How much sky you actually get

34% clear
Win
Spr
Sum
Fall
Sky clear
avg daytime
33% clear
Win
Spr
Sum
Fall
15.7h
Shortest day
Dec
6.1h
8.7h
Longest day
Jun
18.7h

Sun clocks out early in Oslo's winter. Plan accordingly.

Source: WeatherSpark (clear-sky share of daytime hours)

Settler Essentials

Democracy trend
Partner pathway
Recognized (2+ yr)
samboerskap

Visa stamps:Easy <90 daysModerate 3–6 moComplex 6+ mo

Sources: EIU · Freedom House · Startup Genome · official immigration portals

Reproductive Rights

Because your body shouldn't need a visa too

On request
Abortion access
On request
20 wk
Gestational limit
18 wk

On request up to 20 weeks since the Abortion Legislation Act 2020. After 20 weeks, permitted if a qualified health practitioner considers it clinically appropriate.

On request up to 18 weeks (extended from 12 weeks; law effective 1 June 2025). After 18 weeks, specialized committees review cases.

Source: Center for Reproductive Rights

LGBTQ+ Rights

Can you hold hands without doing a risk assessment first

Legal
Marriage
Legal
Joint adoption
Adoption
Joint adoption
Yes
Job protection
Yes
Yes
Hate crime law
Yes

Dunedin vs Oslo — Common Questions

Is Dunedin cheaper than Oslo?

Dunedin is cheaper. A 1-bedroom apartment in city centre costs around $991/month there vs $2004/month in the other city (Numbeo data).

Which is safer, Dunedin or Oslo?

Oslo is statistically safer based on UNODC homicide data. Dunedin has a rate of 1.46 per 100,000 and Oslo has 0.15 per 100,000.

Should I move to Dunedin or Oslo?

Dunedin and Oslo are almost suspiciously well-matched. Flip a coin. See the full comparison above for rent, safety, internet speed, climate, and democracy scores to decide which city fits your priorities.

Which has better weather, Dunedin or Oslo?

Oslo is warmer in summer (70°F vs 64°F). Dunedin has milder summers, which suits those who prefer cooler weather. Climate preference is personal — use the weather section above to compare seasons.

Can I live in Dunedin or Oslo without speaking the local language?

Dunedin is easier for street-level English (100/100) than Oslo (73/100). That's the score that matters for doctors, landlords, and bureaucracy. Office English can still run higher than street English in both cities.

What's the cost of rent in Dunedin vs Oslo?

A 1-bedroom in the centre: $991/month in Dunedin, $2004/month in Oslo (Numbeo). That's 51% cheaper rent in Dunedin.

Plot twist: other matchups exist

Maybe the real city was the comparisons we made along the way.

Let the algorithm judge you

2 min quiz — surprisingly accurate

Quiz →