Living & Working in Norway

[Kingston]

Long time lurker here.

 

I have an interview for a job in Stavanger and wondering if any of you have lived or worked there or Norway in general and could give me some pointers.

 

I know living expenses are astronomic but it seems quality of life over there is off-set by this - would this be correct?

 

Advice on taxes, accommodation, utils, food, would be great.

[melons]

Long time lurker here.

 

I have an interview for a job in Stavanger and wondering if any of you have lived or worked there or Norway in general and could give me some pointers.

 

I know living expenses are astronomic but it seems quality of life over there is off-set by this - would this be correct?

 

Advice on taxes, accommodation, utils, food, would be great.

 

I reckon your heating bill will be a bit higher then what it is here.

[Lapskaus]

it's ace, and electricity is cheaper.

excellent PL coverage on tv2.

any specific questions?

[King Gheedorah]

Weather in Stavanger is pretty much the same as UK. You'll be alright!

[Tom R]

yerma'satexan on here lives in Stavanger.

 

Send him a pm.

[Code]

There are a few people from Stavanger on this forum, me included.

 

What kind of job is it and where are they located?

 

The prices for apartments and houses are not exactly cheap, but if its a oil company they might help you out for the first 6-12 months.

 

The market for buying and renting in Stavanger is as expensive as in Oslo.

 

This link can give you some info on availible apartments and prices right now.

 

FINN Eiendom: Hytter, hybel, bolig til salgs og leie

 

If you play golf there are 5 courses withing a 20 minutes distance with car from Stavanger City.

 

The city centre is almost just pubs,bars and restaurants and the its an international city, I think I read the other day one out of five people living in Stavanger is a foreigner.

 

If you have any specific questions just ask me and I`ll see if I can help you out.

[Carvalho Diablo]

There are a few people from Stavanger on this forum, me included.

 

 

Middlesbrough it is then !

[Anubis]

Just stay away from Svalbard and the armoured bears, but if you do run into Iorek Byrnison, just tell him Lee Scoresby sent you.

[Kingston]

There are a few people from Stavanger on this forum, me included.

 

What kind of job is it and where are they located?

 

The prices for apartments and houses are not exactly cheap, but if its a oil company they might help you out for the first 6-12 months.

 

The market for buying and renting in Stavanger is as expensive as in Oslo.

 

This link can give you some info on availible apartments and prices right now.

 

FINN Eiendom: Hytter, hybel, bolig til salgs og leie

 

If you play golf there are 5 courses withing a 20 minutes distance with car from Stavanger City.

 

The city centre is almost just pubs,bars and restaurants and the its an international city, I think I read the other day one out of five people living in Stavanger is a foreigner.

 

If you have any specific questions just ask me and I`ll see if I can help you out.

 

Thanks for all the replies!

 

It's an IT job for a oil company but it is a contracting position, so I won't get any help towards accommodation expenses. I guess I'd like to know what all the hard to find, hidden costs are.

 

Is there council tax, if so, how much?

 

How much would a mobile phone be a month? Internet?

 

What is the public transport like? The office seems to be in south Stavanger but I would most likely want to live in the centre as it makes access for my wife easier. Will I need a car?

 

What would 2 people expect to pay for food every week?

 

What kind of salary would be classed as a salary you could live comfortably on?

 

All a bit, how longs a piece of string, apologies.

[Code]

Thanks for all the replies!

 

It's an IT job for a oil company but it is a contracting position, so I won't get any help towards accommodation expenses. I guess I'd like to know what all the hard to find, hidden costs are.

 

In between 8.000-14.000 NOK you will probably get a nice place to stay, a two bedroom apartment it would cost around 2,5-3.0 million NOK to buy.

 

I have a few apartments I rent out in the city centre and the prices I take are:

 

1. 7.000 kr for a flat with one bedroom on the loft, 45 square meters with TV and internet included.

 

2. 8.000 kr for a flat in the basement with two bedrooms, 70 square meters TV and internet included.

 

3. 12.000 for a flat with two bedrooms on the second floor, 70 square meters TV and internet included.

 

It all depends what you are looking for I guess, the prices I take are very sensible so dont expect to get things much cheaper than this.

 

Is there council tax, if so, how much?

 

If you rent, you will not have to pay to the council as the owner will most likely take the costs.

 

How much would a mobile phone be a month? Internet?

 

Like everwhere mobile phones are a jungle, I have no idea as my work pay for my phone.

 

Internet will be between 299-499 NOK a month, but you might get it included if you rent a house or an apartement.

 

The one thing you most likely will have to pay is for electricity, 10.000-15.000kr for a year would be my estimate

 

 

What is the public transport like? The office seems to be in south Stavanger but I would most likely want to live in the centre as it makes access for my wife easier. Will I need a car?

 

The public transport is decent, but it depends on where you are working and where you are living, some areas are better covered than others obviously.

 

The need of a car is individual, I did not own a car the first 3 years I lived in Stavanger when I moved back in 2004 and it was not a problem for me.

 

Its always easier with a car though.

 

What would 2 people expect to pay for food every week?

 

Again very individual, I`d say as a rule its double the price of the UK.

 

Here is a link that can give you a clue, jost google the names to see what it is.

 

VG Nett | Dine Penger : Julens store matbørs

 

What kind of salary would be classed as a salary you could live comfortably on?

 

Again very individual, it depends what kind of a person you are and what you use your money on.

 

In a pub:

Beer: 55-70 kr

Food: Double the price from the UK

 

Clothes:

Much the same.

 

Training at a gym:

400-450 kr a month

 

Cinema:

90 kr

 

Single bus ticket:

25 kr, if you will use bus much buy a monthly card, I have no idea of the costs.

 

Gasoline and diesel: 12-15 kr and 11-14 kr for 1 litre.

 

All a bit, how longs a piece of string, apologies.

 

Hopefully you will have a better picture of things now.

[RedinSweden]

Good work Code.

 

I would like to add:

 

Pros - Attractive women

Cons - Code may befriend you and treat you to an evening of wining, dining and powerpoint presentations of statistical analysis of the evening.

[Kingston]

 

....

 

All a bit, how longs a piece of string, apologies.

 

Hopefully you will have a better picture of things now.

 

Thanks a lot code, really appreciated...but I have more!

 

What's the shopping like in Stavanger? Is it comparable to a large city in the UK? Like Leeds or York for example.

 

Me and the wife love cooking, can you buy good quality meat, fish, fruit and veg, etc? Are there good markets or will we have to do most of our food shopping at super markets?

[Code]

Thanks a lot code, really appreciated...but I have more!

 

What's the shopping like in Stavanger? Is it comparable to a large city in the UK? Like Leeds or York for example.

 

Me and the wife love cooking, can you buy good quality meat, fish, fruit and veg, etc? Are there good markets or will we have to do most of our food shopping at super markets?

 

Stavanger is the food capital of Norway if such a thing exists.

 

There is a food festival every summer in July and its one of the main happenings every year together with the World Tour Beach Volleyball tournament in June when the city centre gets closed down for all traffic for one week.

 

Happy Food festival

Gladmat 2011 | Tid for "Taste of Norway"

 

 

Beach Volleyball

 

There is a good market where you can get vegetables, fruit, eggs and also a few foreign asian/arabs shops where you can get stuff you dont find in your normal Norwegian supermarket.

 

There is also a fishmarket in the harbour and some great butcher shops for meat.

 

Located in the Stavanger area we also have the most beautiful beaches in Norway and if you are into surfing/windsurfing or might want to try it this is the best place to live in Norway also for golf as I said in my first post.

 

Solastranden

 

Borestranden

[Captain]

Just stay away from Svalbard and the armoured bears, but if you do run into Iorek Byrnison, just tell him Lee Scoresby sent you.

 

Oi, Svalbard is my place, don't you go hating on it!

[Code]

Some more Stavanger pictures.

 

Øvre Holmegate

 

Gamle Stavanger

 

Breiavannet

 

Vågen

 

 

 

[Code]

 

 

 

Viking Stadion

[Carvalho Diablo]

Fine work from Code, but how can any fully subbed up member of the site - and especially the mighty GF - dare to mention beach volleyball without showing some TITS !

 

Disgraceful

 

 

Code = Negged

[bri]

looks beautiful, good life experience and you can learn to kitesurf. whats not to like

[Section_31]

Class, you'll be able to go for a few jars with code and at the end of the night, he can tell you why his net spend on rounds is higher than yours, even though you bought more beers and spent more money.

[mlwilliams]

One of my best mates lives in Stavanger working for Fluid Control AS, is that the company you're going to work for? He says he absolutely loves it over there.

[Kingston]

I got the job, so Stavanger here I come! (Provided there are no hitches with the contracts)

 

The place I work is going to be based between Stavanger and Sadnes.

 

Can anybody name some nice places to live? Or should I just live in the centre of Stavanger and commute?

[Captain Turdseye]

I got the job, so Stavanger here I come! (Provided there are no hitches with the contracts)

 

The place I work is going to be based between Stavanger and Sadnes.

 

Can anybody name some nice places to live? Or should I just live in the centre of Stavanger and commute?

 

Well done mate.

[Code]

Nice one.

 

If you tell me the name of the company I can give you some advice about public transport and where I would advice you to stay, if you dont want to post it on the forum send me a PM.

 

What will your wife do by the way?

[Anubis]

Oi, Svalbard is my place, don't you go hating on it!

 

You're an armoured bear?! That's totally fucking cool. I wasn't hating on Svalbard. Armoured bears rule.

 

Who'd have thought we'd have an armoured bear posting on the forum.

[Yerma'satexan!]

I got the job, so Stavanger here I come! (Provided there are no hitches with the contracts)

 

The place I work is going to be based between Stavanger and Sadnes.

 

Can anybody name some nice places to live? Or should I just live in the centre of Stavanger and commute?

 

I´d recommend staying some central or an area just outside the centre, like Våland (I currently live here), Storhaug (previously lived here) or Eigenes. From any of these it´s a short walk to a bus stop or Stavanger centre (5 mins) where you can jump on the number 1, 2 ,3 or 4 bus up the E39 to where I preume you´ll be working around the Forus area, which takes about 15-20 mins.