10 Ways To Save Money In Oslo 

Norway is a country which gets a bad reputation for being expensive with its capital city, Oslo, the worst culprit. Justified? I’m afraid so. Food and alcohol all come at a price but Oslo is a city worth visiting and we found it to be particularly good for us, travelling as a family. Here’s some ways you can cut a few costs and save when visiting the Norwegian capital.

1. Don’t drink alcohol in restaurants. Booze is very expensive so don’t expect to have a wild night out unless you’re loaded. If you do, anticipate spending £10-15 for a smallish glass of wine and £8-10 for a beer.

2. If you want to drink, buy alcohol at duty free before your flight or at Oslo airport and drink it before/after you go out. The Norwegian government tries to prevent alcohol consumption with high taxes and limits on alcohol (it’s only available to buy from government-owned stores) so getting it without the tax is the cheapest way.

3. Tap water is safe to drink so make sure you order it at restaurants and fill up any water bottles from the tap.

4. If staying at a hotel and your breakfast is included (most provide a buffet breakfast), stock up on lunch. We made our sandwiches and took some fruit to have later in the day. A bit cheeky but there was an abundance of food and no one seemed to mind.

Making up sandwiches at the buffet breakfast in Oslo

5. Don’t get a regular cab, they are hellishly expensive. In fact, don’t get cabs at all. But if you need to (and with two children in tow and lots of luggage we did), use Uber. It worked out a third of the price! One taxi we got outside our hotel charged £20 to go a couple of miles. On the way back Uber charged £7.

6. Visit museums when they have a free day. On Thursdays several museums in Olso are free such as the National Gallery of Contemporary Art (which houses Edvard Munch’s The Scream), the National Museum of Architecture and Museum of Decorative Art and Design. Check the Visit Oslo website for more information.

7. If you are staying in the capital for a couple of days or planning to visit a lot of the tourist sights, consider buying the Oslo Pass which gets you free travel on public transport and free entry into a number of museum, bus tours and discounts in restaurants.

8. Avoid buying unnecessary items. A bit obvious, I know, but my hubby didn’t expect to pay £10 for two large bars of chocolate and a packet Haribo. Ouch! Bring your own treats if you want them and this isn’t the city to go on a shopping spree. If want to buy food, avoid kiosks in a touristy areas but try supermarkets like Rema 1000 and KIWI instead.

Don't buy treats in Oslo...it can cost you!
This was an expensive sugar rush!
9. Take advantage of free events. When we were visiting, there was a tractor show on in the harbour area which was popular with families as well as a car convention where a number brands were showing off their latest models (with one giving away from Nespressos). Check out some of the free events that take place on the Visit Oslo website.

A tractor event taking place outside the City Hall in Oslo

10. Enjoy the free attractions. The Vigeland sculpture Park, Akershus Fortress, Norwegian National Opera and Ballet and Botanical Gardens are just some of the sights which you can enjoy for free all year round.

Have you been to Oslo? What other tips do you have for saving money when visiting the Norwegian capital?

Oslo is an expensive city but here are 10 easy ways you can save when visiting the Norwegian city

Mr and Mrs T Plus Three


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Wander Mum

I've always loved to travel so when my two daughters came along, I didn't stop. Travelling as a family can have its ups and downs but I love showing my children the world and helping others navigate travelling with children in tow.

51 Comments
  1. I haven’t been to Norway yet but these tips will certainly come in handy! It is a bit off-putting when you hear how expensive it is! But that won’t keep me from going! #CityTripping

  2. You know cost is one of the main reasons after nearly 10 years living in the UK I only visited the Scandi’s once – clever little hacks can cerainly help you save a packet to go and see such a beautiful place

  3. Oslo is very much on the upper realms of my wish list but I’m always put off by the price. This post is full of useful advice, a lot of it similar to tips I wrote about for Iceland, another notoriously expensive place. Good to know about the free day at museums. Without a toddler and a baby is it a walkable city? That’s always a good way to save money, and I wonder if bars have happy hours? That’s how we managed to afford a drink in Reykjavik! Glad we’re not the only ones to make lunch from the breakfast buffet!!!
    Phoebe | Lou Messugo recently posted…Sunday Photo – 4 September 2016My Profile

    1. Haha – I’m glad others do the buffet sneak too. Oslo is very walkable, it’s a small city. We only got one bus and that was mainly because of our daughter. They don’t have happy hours…I think it may be against the law as you aren’t allowed to promote alcohol. Iceland is firmly on my wish list! Will check out your post. x

    1. I know – I’m amazed he actually parted with the money. I’m not sure how effective it is…we still saw a lot of people out drinking (although we were there over a weekend).

  4. IT sounds like Oslo is a bit expensive. Is there anything you would recommend buying/trying/doing that might be a bit of a splurge but is totally worth it because it’s special to Oslo? Were crowds terrible on free museum days?
    Mandy recently posted…September is… CurrentlyMy Profile

    1. Hey Mandy, full Oslo post coming next week…we weren’t there to take advantage of the free museum days but it didn’t feel too touristy so I doubt it would be as bad as some places. In terms of splurging on food, we had some incredibly good sushi…the fish there is very fresh.

  5. Great tips. My parents lived in Norway when I was a kid. I remember my mum being astounded at the cost of living. But in the end we just had to live, learning to manage within our means. I live in Paris now and it’s ain’t cheap here either! #CityTripping

  6. Great tips, we may be going to Copenhagen in November and have heard that is the same. Although we have just been to Dubai which was much the same, great tips about breakfast and lunch. xx

    1. Have a great time. We went last year around that time – it’s a great city and not as expensive as Norway or Sweden – you’ll be pleased to hear. Thanks for linking #citytripping

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