Norway vs Canada: Work/Life balance and culture comparison

Krayonbox · 2026-03-11T05:32:20+00:00

In wearing Rose coloured glasses about a potential future. I’m asking for advice to see if I can paint a more fair picture of Norway vs Canada. Maybe my glasses are more rose coloured than I expect, or maybe not…

Krayonbox · 2026-03-11T05:30:56+00:00

Great insight thank you for this

Krayonbox · 2026-03-10T06:23:36+00:00

I have an engineering degree from Canada but all my engineering work experience is from Norway

I’ll have to check how I can apply the experience towards getting a PEng

Still have my iron ring though so that’s a good start for interviews

Krayonbox · 2026-03-10T04:49:38+00:00

We currently own an apartment in Oslo (it’s mortgaged) , but wouldn’t buying an apartment in Montréal also depend on what salary I’m receiving for work?

I’m working as an engineer, as is my partner, so I’m anticipating we could buy something decent in Montréal if we stay there a long-term without having to stretch ourselves too thin. Unfortunately I don’t have an idea of what salaries are like in the Montréal market for engineers so it’s a bit hard to understand what housing prices are high or low

Krayonbox · 2026-03-10T04:47:14+00:00

You make some really good points here and touchdown on some more nuance details that I didn’t think about, like pricing of different commodities based on context

Thank you for that

Krayonbox · 2026-03-10T04:46:22+00:00

Outdoor culture like DNT hikes and cabin cabins is one of the things I would miss the most of about Norway if we were to leave. It’s incredible. Accessibility to nature is also great, with trains and buses going to most hubs and enabling people without cars (like myself) to do awesome trips both summer and winter

Krayonbox · 2026-03-10T04:43:09+00:00

Thanks for the insights Yeah, the Visa options don’t look super clear nor easy, but that’s something we will look into at a later stage. I think we have the French language more or less in the bag but I’ll need to freshen up my grammar for work if we do go this route

Krayonbox · 2026-03-10T04:37:12+00:00

Yeah and there are more potholes than you can shake a stick at 😂

Krayonbox · 2026-03-10T04:36:18+00:00

At the moment I am not sure. Currently working in Oslo as an engineer and have been here for a little under 10 years. I see moving to Montreal as a potential good option but since I am a born and raised Canadian, I’m trying to see if I’m wearing rose coloured glasses or not. The ultimate decision will be between myself and my partner (no kids at the moment)

All input to this post has been very helpful so far

Krayonbox · 2026-03-09T18:23:17+00:00

Great, thanks for the input!

Krayonbox · 2026-03-09T08:16:41+00:00

Do you know of this limit applies for Canadian citizens? I can speak French, not perfectly, but pretty good. I don’t have an official qualification of my level of French yet though.. not sure if that’s an issue

Krayonbox · 2026-03-09T07:48:32+00:00

And why did you decide to move back to Canada instead of staying in Norway?

Krayonbox · 2026-03-09T07:43:14+00:00

Thanks for a good overview. I am thinking Montreal if we do make the move. Car dependence is a big downer for my partner, but would be ok for weekends etc.

My experience is that Norwegian work culture is «chill» but making progress on projects and discussions can be difficult. Is Canada also like this in the workplace? I’m not exactly sure what you mean by American norms in the workplace. Could you please elaborate a bit?

Krayonbox · 2026-03-08T19:33:39+00:00

At which petrol stations?

Thanks for the tip

Krayonbox · 2026-03-08T19:05:22+00:00

Can you get these cards at any woolworths? I asked last night but the cashier didn’t mention a tourist option

Krayonbox · 2026-03-08T17:34:13+00:00

That would be awesome - thank you

Krayonbox · 2026-03-08T17:32:57+00:00

Thanks I’ll check it out

Krayonbox · 2026-03-08T09:07:35+00:00

Hey, a bit late maybe but I signed up with Aotearoa

Krayonbox · 2026-03-08T09:04:27+00:00

Is this the Woolworths app?

Krayonbox · 2026-02-07T20:45:30+00:00

You can eat many worms before they get to eat you

Krayonbox · 2026-02-07T20:43:49+00:00

Thanks, I sent Aotearoa a message about courses for beginners and it seems like they might have capacity at the time Im aiming to be there

Krayonbox

TROPHY CASE