Lesley

My college student son thinks he can afford his same college lifestyle when we travel to Norway in July. What is the cost of a draft beer in a bar in Bergen and in Oslo. What is the quantity for this price? I tell him it is expensive . He thinks I am wrong. Help!

Ann Kristin

Food and drinks In Norway is fairly expensive. A pint of beer costs from $3 - $10 (this is 1/2 litre). To buy in bottles (1/3 litre) in the store you have to pay about $1.5.

So the money disappears quick here!!!

All the best from a Norwegian student.

Arizona

Travel provides education. And your college-student son is about to get a lesson in Economics 101: currencies vary widely in purchasing power. The dollar, for example, is a puny midget in purchasing power in Norway due to that country's runaway incoming oil revenues which make their kroner into veritable giants. Tell Joe College to watch out or he will eat and drink himself (and you) out of house and home. I would love to see the expression on his face when he sees the cost of dinner with drinks and converts the Norwegian prices into U.S. dollars. The groan probably could carry across the Atlantic. We were astonished last August in Oslo, Bergen, Tromso, and other places how little we got for our money compared with here at home. When we crossed the border into Sweden, our purchasing power went up by almost one-fourth because Sweden finally is getting wise to the fact that they can no longer afford expensive social programs on an export-based economy in today's highly-competitive world. Without oil, Norway would sink back into its historic thin times. That's why their government has embarked on a very smart investment program, both at home and abroad. But your son will learn a valuable lesson from all this: government, over the long run, can only spend what it takes in lest it devalues its currency, impoverishes its people, or punishes generations unborn for its spendthrift ways today. Read Adam Smith's "The Wealth of Nations" -- this has always been true. No wonder Carlisle called economics "The Dismal Science."

Nils

A beer in (half a litre) in a norwegian bar costs about 6 dollars. In a shop you pay a little more than 2 dollars. Food in supermarkets is not expensive. To "Arizona". The price differences between Norway and Sweden has nothing to do with social politics. Also in Norway the social programs have been cut a little, and the social standard is about the same in these 2 countries. Norway was one of the wealthiest nations in the world also before the oil boom. The norwegian economy is now growing faster than in most western countries - and the growth is in the non-oil businesses. There is no linkage between government social standard and economic growth. In Russia the social network dissapeared, and they have had a decline in the economy of about 30%25 since then. Singapore, which also have a good welfare system, has an excellent economy. Adam Smith's liberalism is destructive in my opinion. Without a minimum of social security every economy will get trouble in the long run (look to Indonesia these days) Nils

Arizona

Nils, I stand by my statements. Norway is a lovely country inhabited by hard-working, sober, and smart people. Its cost of living (and that is what the original question was about) is extremely high when compared with the United States. The lady's son is about to find this out. He is accustomed to paying about $1.50 for a beer in this country. The Norwegian prices you stated will confirm this. QED

Kaspar

Being a mere medical student, I don't know much about economics. The high prices on beer in Norway, however, are due mostly to huge taxations, and do not directly correlate with the general price level. (Which, by the way, is high too!) For the time being, Norway is run by the Kristelig Folkeparti, which is a christian socialist party set on raising the prices on beer even further. Also, your son will find out that beer cannot be served after certain hours (rather late) and that it cannot be bought in the stores after 8 p.m (6 p.m on saturdays). <BR>Wine and spirits are sold in certain stores only, known as Vinmonopolet (litterally: the wine monopoly). It closes at 1 p.m on saturdays. To conclude: alcohol is expensive and, not the least, hard to come by in Norway. Brew your own beer!

Lesley

Get serious, Kaspar! Brew your own beer! What kind of a response is that when we are visitng for a short time in the summer. We are just trying to get a handle on what to expect!You make it sound like the situation in untenable and we will have a lousy time unless we are rich and don't care about the price of beer and plan ahead for Saturday night and Sunday.

Elisabet Jensen

Don't brew your own beer! It's illegal in Sweden and I think it is the same in Norway! I think Kasper tried to be funny... <BR> <BR>Lesley, some things cost more in Norway but don't let it stop your son enjoying his vacation! We have hign beer prices in Scandinavia, but people buy it anyway... Elisabet

Richard Krause

Lesley, <BR> <BR>YES, your son will get a lesson in Econ 101 and from it he will better appreciation some of the pluses of the U.S. <BR> <BR>We visited the Scandinavian countries two years ago in the summer time. Everyone is right about the high prices and taxes (17%). Our grand total for 3 weeks was $10K for two. We rented a car, stayed in small local hotels where breakfast was usually included. Gasoline was about $6-7/gal. And, we ate out for lunch and dinner. We usually had a bottle of low cost wine for dinner ($30-40). I'd never pay that in the U.S., but when on vacation, you might as well enjoy it. <BR> <BR>Yes, when one is young staying in youth hostels and preparing your own food along the way is fine and probably fun and would save some money, however I'm long past that great age. <BR> <BR>Frankly, to give a little punch to Econ 101, have an understanding with your son that he pay the cost for every 3rd or 4th day. There is nothing better than paying for things out of your own pocket to know what a vacation really costs. <BR> <BR>Dick <BR> <BR>P.S. - Yes, we'd do it again.

Lesley

Dick, Thank you for your comments. I appreciate your expense quote. We are planning to be there three weeks also. Part of our trip will include staying with friends, native Norwegians who live outside of Oslo, part will include traveling with these friends ( us facing the car rental and gas expense) throughout Norway for 10 days, then going by boat to Copenhagen. With the prices they quoted for known activities and knowing our lifestyle, I figured 20 K for 5. I was hoping to be wrong. I am breathless at the cost. We haven't gone yet. I was just estimating to prepare myself so I can be cool when Isee the bill.I have 2 college age boys. Thanks for being supportive. We can't afford this now but what the heck, in a situation of the heart, sometimes you have to go for it. Some things are more important than money. Lesley

Arild

Relax Leslie ! <BR>It all depends on what kind of restaurants/bars you visit. "Aker brygge" in Oslo is VERY expensive, but if you visit the east side of town you will find a lot of "cheap" places with good food/beers. <BR>3-4$ for 1/2 litre of beer, and 10-15$ for a meal. <BR>Have fun in Norway. <BR>

Harald Hansen

The expense of Norwegian restaurants thing is a little overdone. In terms of expense, it's a little like going to San Francisco or Boston. Not as expensive as New York, but more than anywhere else in the US. Still a $20 per person dinner,including a couple of beers is very realistic throughout Norway. Breakfast is free at your hotel and usually high quality. <BR> The only thing hideously expensive is wine and spirits. So you concentrate on beer during your trip? Norwegian beer is very good! <BR> An alternative is to make some friends! Lots of norwegians, illegaly, have home stills, making a medium quality vodka- often flavored. I'd guess that Norway's 4 millions have as many home stills as the US's 270 million.

Lesley

I am enjoying the fact that this posting is still alive. Since this was my first trip anywhere, I am still in Norway emotionally. Just as a follow-up to my worry about my beer drinking college sons, they still owe me money. I had to give them my credit card because their ATM cards did not work. Between the two of them for 3 weeks in bars most nights, some nights starting after 11 until not too late, maybe one and other nights with friends more festively drinking, they spent $1350 on beer. I thought that was very high. But it is not my bill. They have $450 more to pay me.This did not include food. We did not do too much eating in fine restaurants. Bergen was a little high but not exorbitantly so. It is a major city so I expected it to be higher than say Voss. The food was not that good in Voss and was excellent in Bergen. We went on a glacier tour to Brikstalbreien and had dinner there with wine- very reasonable and exceptionally good for such an out-of-the-way place.If anyone has any questions about travels in Norway in a very cold sumer, I'd be happy to share. <BR>

ned

<BR>Lesley...I realise your sons trip is over. I wish I had found this site earlier. Take it from a beer drinking Australian who has been to Norway on three occasions....I love the country, its people, its scenery and the beer is fantastic.....$1350USD is a small price to pay for the education the consumption would have provided!!!