There is no single salary that every family needs in Norway. A useful estimate starts with SIFO at OsloMet’s annually updated reference budget for ordinary consumption, then adds the major costs it excludes, especially housing and electricity. The result depends on household composition, municipality, housing choice, transport and tax.
Every figure below is dated. Recalculate with current sources before making a financial decision.
Sources: SIFO — 2026 reference-budget calculator; OsloMet — 2026 example households; SSB — rental market survey; Udir — kindergarten payment.
What the SIFO budget measures
SIFO’s reference budget estimates the cost of maintaining an acceptable long-term consumption level for households with different ages and compositions. It is not a statistical average, a poverty threshold or a luxury budget.
It covers recurring expenses such as food, clothing and personal care, together with amounts set aside for less frequent purchases such as furniture and electronics. The calculator lets you select the household members and relevant transport or childcare assumptions.
Two 2026 examples
SIFO’s standard example household consists of two parents and children aged five and eleven, with a petrol car. In June 2026, SIFO gave the selected consumption covered by the budget as NOK 462,456 per year, or NOK 38,538 per month.
That was NOK 610 per month higher than the 2025 example. SIFO partly attributed the more moderate increase to lower kindergarten prices.
Its alternative example, two parents and a 15-year-old daughter with a petrol car, was NOK 33,456 per month in February 2026. This was NOK 939 higher than February 2025. From February 2022 to February 2026, that example rose from NOK 27,854 to NOK 33,456 per month.
These examples are illustrations, not recommended income levels.
What SIFO excludes
SIFO’s own calculator states that the reference budget does not cover all household expenses. Exclusions include:
- housing, electricity and housing maintenance
- alcohol and tobacco
- expensive or equipment-heavy leisure activities
- holiday travel and going out
- healthcare beyond the limited assumptions built into the budget
The NOK 38,538 example is therefore not a total family budget. Rent or mortgage and electricity must still be added, along with any excluded spending relevant to the household.
Add housing from SSB
Statistics Norway’s annual rental-market survey provides rents by geographic price zone and number of rooms. The latest available release on 27 August 2026 contains 2025 rents and is scheduled for its next update in December 2026.
Use the figure matching the intended area and dwelling size rather than a national average. Add electricity separately and allow for seasonal variation. Homeowners need a different calculation covering financing, common costs, insurance and maintenance.
Check childcare assumptions
SIFO’s example households may already include kindergarten or after-school costs, so inspect the calculator result before adding them again.
For a separate calculation, use Udir’s current maximum price, the provider’s food charge and any sibling or income reduction. The kindergarten and school guide explains the national and local layers.
Add transport and tax
Public-transport fares are set by regional operators. Use the current monthly pass or expected ticket pattern for the county where the family will live. For a car, check which vehicle assumptions SIFO already includes before adding purchase, financing or running costs.
Salary figures are gross. Use Skatteetaten’s tax calculator with the expected annual income and deductions to estimate net pay. Immigration-related minimum-income rules, when relevant, are separate legal thresholds and should not be confused with a household comfort budget.
The calculation
- Run SIFO’s calculator for the actual household.
- Check which childcare, transport and durable-goods assumptions it already contains.
- Add housing using SSB’s local rental data or the household’s ownership costs.
- Add electricity and other excluded essentials.
- Add the discretionary spending and savings the household wants.
- Estimate net income through Skatteetaten’s calculator.
- Leave a buffer for price changes and irregular expenses.
The output is a household-specific estimate at a stated date. It is more useful than a universal salary claim.
If the planned income depends on a regulated health profession, budget for the authorisation period as well. The authorisation hub explains the process, while the salary guide distinguishes base pay, supplements and overtime.