The price comparison standard for my generation: A pint of cheap beer PDX: ~$3-4 OSLO: $12-14

Beginning hourly wages at a coffee shop

PDX: ~$9 OSLO: $22

In September 2011, I moved to Oslo, Norway (my mother’s homeland, the country of my birth, and one of the most expensive cities in the world) from Portland, Ore. (where I’ve spent my entire adult life until now, and a young, broke person’s wonder dreamland, minus the jobs). I moved here as an unemployed English teacher, seeking economic asylum of sorts from a state with 11% unemployment. I have a job here (great). It’s also incredibly expensive (not so great). Here are some observations from my time in the Land of Arctic Wealth:

• Spending and earning in the two cities are very different, surprise. The dollar has been weak this year (the exchange rate when I arrived was 5.5 Norwegian kroner (NOK) to $1 USD, so that’s the figure I’ve used for comparison).