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Pine trees, snow and lakes, how different are really Norway and Canada? Quite a bit actually!

To read this article in French, see S’installer en Norvège ou au Canada: quelles différences?

1. Canada’s territory is huge. Norway is less isolated

Canada is almost as big as a continent. It is 6000 km from one side to the other, and it takes a plane 9,5 hours to fly that distance. There are several time zones in Canada, whereas Norway is a long country, but way smaller than Canada. There is only one time zone in Norway and it takes around 3 hours to fly from South to North unless you are going to Svalbard,

Canada’s only neighbour is the United States of America. Norway on the other hand, despite looking isolated and cold up there in Scandinavia on a world map, is in fact much more central. From Oslo there are direct flights to Paris in just 2 hours. From Norway you can drive to Sweden and Russia (very small border but still), and take a boat to Denmark, Germany and even Finland.

There are good connections between Norway and several African countries, and little to no time difference. Of course if you’re on your way to Latin America, best to be based in Canada.

2. Learning languages are much easier in Canada than Norway

If you speak English or French, you’re all set to live, work and socialise in Canada. In Norway on the other hand, despite people speaking English, to integrate truly and get interesting jobs, you’ll need to learn Norwegian. I’ve learned Norwegian, as well as many other foreigners, so it’s not impossible, but it is an effort. Whereas English and French are official languages in Canada, so that language barrier is much smaller or non existant when moving to Canada.

Read Is Norwegian hard to learn?

3. If you have an EU citizenship, immigrating to Norway is easier administratively

Norway is not a member of the EU, but an EEA member and part of the Schengen space. This means that as an EU citizen you can move to Norway and live here for 3 months before getting a status (student, worker etc.). Canada is different, you’ll need a visa. Remember that non EU citizens will also need a visa or permit to work or move to Norway.

To immigrate to Norway, check udi.no and to immigrate to Canada, check here.

4. Social life is easier in Canada than in Norway

I lived 3 years in Canada and 14 in Norway, I can safely say it is easier to make friends in Canada. In Canada, everyone is from somewhere, and many cities are very vibrant. Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal to name a few. Amazing nightlife, affordable restaurants, and one is invited to parties and dinners at home at peoples’ place.

In Norway on the other hand, dining out and drinking in bars is very expensive, and people are well, more homogeneous. Oslo is lively for Norwegian standards, but not for international standards (who could compare night life in Oslo to London or Berlin?). Being invited at home by Norwegians is much harder, and people definitely come from somewhere in this country (usually a valley or a mountain, or a fjord). Foreigners do make Norwegian friends, but social life when moving as a newbie and trying to make friends the first 2 years is generally easier in Canada.

Read How to make Norwegian friends

5. Richer food culture in Canada

I remember going to Toronto and loving every single meal I tasted. The originality of the foodie scene is unbelievable and Toronto is known for it. Sure, go to Saguenay in Québec and you might not find the same inventive recipes, but due to the many different immigrant communities in Canada, different kinds of food cultures and ingredients are more accessible than in Norway. Some foreigners say Norway did not even have garlic in supermarkets 30 years ago, and sadly I believe them. Nowadays you’ll find almost everyone you’ll need in Oslo, but as soon as you leave the capital it gets scarce.

Read Norwegian food

6. Both countries have strong democratic principles and high level of gender equality

Norway ranks top 3 in the world in terms of gender equality and democracy, but Canada isn’t far behind. It is safe to say both countries are safe places to live, with functioning democracies. Canada is a federal state and Norway is a more centralised system, although the Center party is trying to change that. This means laws differ in Canada depending on where you live (provincial laws differ, federal laws apply to all in Canada).

6. Both countries have highly subsidised health care and child care 

Both countries are welfare states, with highly subsidised health care and child care. Parental leave is 40 weeks in Canada including 5 for fathers, whereas in Norway parents have 49 weeks including minimum 15 for the father.

Health care is subsidised by the state through taxes in both countries, and private health care systems also exist in both countries.

7. Norwegians embrace the winter more

I remember when I lived in Canada we could easily have -40 degrees Celcius during the winter. In Norway, unless it is in Røros or Svalbard, temperatures won’t go that low. Norwegians also enjoy the winter more I think, and make a whole culture out of it, with cross country skiing, kos, friluftsliv etc. Canadians have the right clothing, just like Norwegians, but they don’t go skiing at every opportunity as far as I remember. I remember great ice skating afternoons though!

Read Local tips to survive the Norwegian winter

8. Canadians are less conformists

In Norway there is a high level of conformity to social norms, and from a personal perspective but also according to a global study, Canadians are less conformists than Norwegians. A Norwegian professor from NHH explains this comes from history and culture, and indeed Norwegians leave each other little space to manoeuvre outside of what is accepted as “the way to do it”. See Vidar Schei’s interview here.

Other countries as conformists as Norway are Malaysia, South Korea and Pakistan.

Canada, which has a more multicultural structure in society, and much more population (40 million in Canada, and 5,5 million in Norway) is a society that accepts many different realities and there is therefore less social pressure than in Norway.

Read The endless Norwegian search for perfection and conformity

This article in French on the blog Au coin du fjord