'Norwegian office workers are lazy': How do Swedes rate life in Norway?

While both Sweden and Norway often rank among the happiest countries in the world, as well among the nations offering the best quality of life they are definite differences ‒ some more subtle ‒ when it comes to work, family and free time.

Is one country better to live in than the other?

To get an idea of the advantages or disadvantages of Sweden compared to Norway we spoke to Swedes living in Norway to understand what's better or worse when you swap Stockholm for Oslo. 

Robin, a personal trainer from Gothenburg, has lived in Oslo for seven years. He had strong views about the job market and Norwegian work culture. 

“Norwegian office workers are lazier,” he says, adding that there is a plus side of working over the border.

“Norway definitely has more job opportunities," said Robin.

As of August 2025, Norway's unemployment rate stood at 4.7 percent, while Sweden's rate stands at 8.7 percent.

Jonas, from Stockholm, has lived in Oslo for three years and believes Norway has a more comfortable situation for employees, especially when it comes to medical issues.

“The Norwegian welfare state is bigger than Sweden’s, with [state welfare agency] NAV, paternity leave and more. From my corporate job, I’ve observed many Norwegian office workers spending around one to two hours per month visiting their doctor during work hours ‒ with full pay," says the 30-year-old manager of a team of eight.

“Workers tend to demand full flexibility and take little responsibility for the company when children are sick or when going on paternity leave ‒ they just take off and expect everything to be fine," he adds.

"In Sweden it’s part of the work culture to figure out a parental leave solution that is at least manageable for the employer,” says Jonas.

The contrast is partly structural.

Norwegian workplaces are known for being built on trust and autonomy ‒ employees take time off freely, but in Sweden, people tend to plan absences carefully and take responsibility for continuity at work.

However, parental leave policies reflect both countries’ deep focus on family life.

Sweden offers one of the world’s most generous systems: parents can share 480 days per child, with 390 days paid at about 80 percent of salary through the national insurance system.

In Norway, parents are entitled to either 343 days (49 weeks) at full pay or 413 days (59 weeks) at 80 percent pay, according to the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration, NAV.

“In terms of what is viewed as important, Norway stands out with a strong collective culture ‒ raising children and taking care of each other,” says Jonas, who has built a career in tech companies.

“Sweden, on the other hand, sees entrepreneurs as ‘superheroes’ and people to be admired. It creates a whole different hustle culture," he says.

City life: Calm versus cosmopolitan

For Robin, something simple like shops being open on Sundays makes Sweden a winner compared to Norway where Sunday opening hours are stricter.

“It’s hard to compare the social life ‒ Stockholm is alive and more diverse, and cheaper,” he said.

“There's not one city in Norway with that proper ‘big city feeling',” says Jonas.

“Sweden has two places that actually feel like European cities. Oslo, Bergen, and Trondheim have their charm, but Stockholm and Gothenburg are bigger, denser, and offer more urban culture.” 

The cost of living is higher in Norway compared to Sweden. According to Mercer's 2024 Cost of Living global ranking Oslo was placed 60th in the table of most expensive cities in the world, whilst Stockholm was 102nd.

Another international comparison put the cost of living in Oslo ten percent higher on average than Stockholm and as much as 38 percent higher when it came to food. 

However salaries in Norway are generally higher. According to OECD 2024 data, the average annual salary in Norway was around €63,000, compared to €53,000 in Sweden.

Jonas said one positive was workers taking home more money in their monthly salaries, but admitted the cost of living in Norway ate into salaries. "Everyday things like rent, groceries or restaurants are twice as expensive as in Sweden," he said. The solution? Travel over the border to spend your Norwegian wages in Sweden, he said, as many Norwegians do. 

What about food and nature?

Jesper, a restaurant manager in Oslo who moved in 2018 from Stockholm says: “Sweden has been a rich country for a long time, and food traditions are way deeper and more varied ‒ partly because of the EU and import policies."

Norway isn't exactly renowned for its cuisine. In fact in 2022 it was voted the worst in the world in a ranking of 95 countries. It has improved slightly in more recent comparisons, but Sweden is ranked higher ‒ albeit nowhere near as high as the likes of France, Italy and Greece.

But it does have other strengths. 

Jesper sees Norwegian nature and the culture surrounding it as one of the country’s biggest strengths compared to Sweden.

“Norway has the greatest nature, and locals are very good at making the most of it ‒ hiking, cruises, skiing, and so on.”

Norway’s landscape is more varied than Sweden's. It's more mountainous with higher peaks and then there's the stunning fjords, some of which are Unesco World Heritage sites. Sweden’s landscape is generally flatter for the most part, more forested but it does offer beautiful archipelagos. 

Are you a Norwegian living in Sweden? Or someone who has lived in both countries? We’d love to hear your views. Share them with readers in the comments section below.