Currency and prices

Get your money’s worth

The Norwegian currency is “Kroner”, which is sometimes mistranslated into “crowns” in English. But whatever we call our money, cash is no longer king in Norway, and almost all establishments accept debit or credit cards.

Accommodation

Average price per room per night in January 2020: NOK 960 (source: ssb.no), but prices vary greatly according to location, comfort level and facilities available

Hiking cabins run by the Norwegian Trekking Association (DNT) are available from NOK 100 per night per person (source: dnt.no)

Cabins at campsites are available from around NOK 250 per night (source: camping.no).

Cash

Although debit or credit cards are accepted most places, it is still a good idea to have a bit of cash on you. Foreign currency is rarely accepted, so you need Norwegian currency to get by.

You will find cash machines everywhere in towns and cities, and in most rural areas there will be at least one place where you can withdraw money, such as a kiosk or a petrol station.

Debit/credit cards

Post offices and some grocery shops or supermarkets do not accept foreign credit cards, although they happily take debit cards.

Visa and MasterCard are the most commonly accepted credit cards, with far fewer accepting Amex or Diners. If in doubt, ask before shopping.

Dynamic Variation:

Tip

When and where should you tip, and how much?

For the most part tipping is not common in Norway, with the exception of bars and restaurants where the locals tip when they are happy with the service or food.

There is no fixed rule of thumb for how much to tip, but tips tend to stay within 5-15% of the total amount of the bill. But remember that tipping is entirely up to you - there will be no hard feelings in any case.