Norway can be expensive, and whether you are a tourist here or living here, you might need tips to save money when eating and drinking. I have lived in Norway for 15 years, these are the tips I can give you to eat and drink on a budget.
1- Drink tap water
Tap water is excellent in Norway, so don’t waste money buying bottled water. If you’re traveling, bring a water bottle and fill it up at restaurants during your trip.
2- Buy local products
There are two major food distributors in Norway, and the supply for all supermarkets is managed by these two groups. So you’ll find more or less the same products everywhere, with price differences.
Local products are often cheaper, such as salmon, potatoes, carrots, milk, smoked mackerel, and fish cakes. Additionally, some supermarket chains are more expensive than others: Kiwi and Rema 1000 are cheaper than Meny. Coop offers more organic products, and Coop Extra is also cheaper than Coop. Supermarket own-brand products are also less expensive than the rest of the products sold, for example, Eldorado (Kiwi) or R (Rema 1000).
In the north, fishermen sell their catch of the day at the ports. In supermarkets with a fresh counter, many local fish are cheaper (for example, skrei, a very good wild cod, which is sold between January and April).
3- Find the section for items close to their expiration date
In all supermarkets, there is a section where you can find food and drinks up to 70% cheaper because these are items that are about to expire or are on clearance—the last of the stock that they want to get rid of. You can find yogurts, meat, and many other foods. There is also often a section in the fruits and vegetables area with bags of several kilos of produce that don’t look very appealing and are sold, for example, for 10 kroner per bag (2-3 kilos of bananas for 10 kr, for instance).
4- The “Too Good To Go” app
“Too Good To Go” is an app that allows you to pay a small amount and collect unsold food or meals from restaurants, gas stations, bakeries, and supermarkets. You never know in advance what you’ll get, but in Norway, it’s almost always worth it. In supermarkets, you often get bread and prepared dishes like cooked chicken thighs. In bakeries, you’ll get bread and “bolle” (Norwegian pastries). Hotels are particularly interesting, especially the more expensive ones (4-5 stars), as they give you their unsold breakfast items, which are often extraordinary. Restaurants, like Indian ones, will give you quantities of dishes that went unsold that day.
Instead of paying 300 kr you’ll spend between 40 and 60 kr.
6- The Holdbart Store
The Holdbart store chain specializes in end-of-stock items and food that is close to expiring. They sell canned goods, pasta, biscuits, and even frozen products at up to 70% off.
7- Stores at the Swedish Border
If you’re passing through Sweden or traveling near the border, visit large supermarkets in Sweden where you’ll find certain foods cheaper than in Norway, such as beer and candy.
8- Buying “Cheaper” Alcohol
Alcohol is most expensive when ordered in bars or restaurants (prices vary between cities and rural areas, but generally expect to pay around 11 euros for a glass of wine and 8 euros for a beer at a bar). The sale of alcohol is highly regulated and strict in Norway.
To buy alcohol cheaper than that, purchase it in supermarkets (only beer and cider below 4.75% alcohol, and only until 8pm on week days and 6 p.m on Saturdays). For stronger alcohol, Vinmonopolet is the only place to buy it, and there is no cheaper alternative in Norway. Therefore, it’s best to buy it in Sweden or bring it from abroad. Be aware that there are alcohol quotas per adult; see the website Alkohol- og tobakkskvote – Tolletaten and this diagram (Brennevin refers to strong alcohol like vodka). The quota depends on how much strong alcohol/wine/beer/alcohol you bring.
9- Dumpster diving
It is not politically correct for Norwegians to dumpster dive, as they generally look down on such practice. However, huge amounts of food are thrown away every day so there are treasures to be found in bins behind supermarkets. I have friends who lived on that for years while being students see this article on the topic. Apparently this activity is illegal in Norway because it is considered stealing although these items have been thrown in the bin.
10- Harvesting food from the forest and farms
Lastly, you can harvest berries and mushrooms from the forest (when it is the right season). Norway has big amounts of wild blueberries, raspberries, redcurrants in its forests which are free to take. Be careful when harvesting mushrooms since some are not edible. Some farms have arrangements where you can come and harvest the food you”ll buy, and it is cheaper than buying in supermarkets. This is mostly practiced in the summer and the fall for obvious reasons. For example tomtermais in the Ås area.
Here are some fruits I harvested to make jam:
11- Hot dogs and snacks
Last but not least: Gas stations, and shops like 7Eleven and Narvesen sell hot dogs for quite cheap, but they are not very healthy and also don’t exactly feed a person and make you full. So a cheap snack but not an every day meal I’d say.