A UN report out today states that Norway’s the best place in the world to live right now, with Australia coming in second. I love a bit of competition and appropriately placed national pride. We may be marginally second, but if gadgets are taken into consideration, we’re clearly number one.
The UN report compares 187 countries on factors including health, education, per-capita income and life expectancy; Norway came first with a Human Development Index of 0.943, just ahead of Australia on 0.929. That’s not much of a gap, and that made me wonder if there was a way we could close that gap right up.
Then I remembered something that had been mentioned to me many years before; Norway’s one of the most expensive places on the planet when it comes to technology. I’d heard that, but never really looked into it. Is it still true?
Yep. OK, that’s a short and blunt answer, but to pick two popular gadgets — the Apple iPad 2 and Samsung Galaxy S II — as representative examples, we’re doing much better. Apple Australia lists the retail price of the entry level iPad 2 as $579. The exact same iPad 2 in Norway costs 3,890 krone, which at today’s exchange rates comes in at around $669. Ouch. That’s a frozen Apple tax right there.
Over on the Android side of the fence, things are no better. Buying outright, I can hit any number of stores selling an unlocked Galaxy S II for around $500-$600. A quick bit of online searching (bearing in mind I’m far from fluent in Norwegian) found http://www.spaceworld.no/mobil-3/samsung-i9100-galaxy-s-ii-black/ one for 5,563 krone. That’s roughly $957.
Or in other words, UN — what were you thinking? We might pay too much for gadgets compared to, say, the US, but Norway — really?
Image: randihausken
alex effing
Friday, November 4, 2011 at 11:28 AMYou have to compare median levels of disposable income though don’t you? Because the average Bjorn might have more cash to splash then I do.
Alex Kidman
Friday, November 4, 2011 at 11:41 AMA good point. Although a very brief Google search suggests that this makes things even worse — http://www.worldsalaries.org/norway.shtml puts the average salary at around $US37K. Ouch!
Jason
Friday, November 4, 2011 at 1:03 PM…but average salary/income isn’t the same as disposable salary/income.
Sydney guy
Friday, November 4, 2011 at 3:38 PMYou are joking if you think the average Norwegian makes $37k. Per capita income is about $85,000 USD. You linked to a seven-year old survey, oil prices and the kroner have skyrocketed since then. For current IMF/World Bank figures:
https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_%28nominal%29_per_capita
Eirik
Friday, November 4, 2011 at 3:37 PMHmm, how is that worse with the Australian figures from the same site at $18K, which means that the average Norwegian earns MORE THAN DOUBLE that of the average Australian? Ouch? Get your facts straight, mate. However, income tax is higher in Norway than Australia, so for disposable income the numbers are $25K and $14K, respectively – still a considerable difference.
On that note – sales tax on consumer products are at 25% and 10% for these countries, which puts the “Norwegian” iPad at $669/1.25*1.10=$589 (a difference of only $10) had it been sold in Australia, hence contrary to your statement there is no “Apple tax” (Your other “Ouch!” completely unfounded). AND as someone mentioned here, in Norway you have the benefit of 5 years statutory consumer protection…
My only real gripe with this article is that it is not – journalism.
But I guess I have a reason to smile – getting my salary from Norway and living in Oz…
Go Aussie! :-)
Trotsky
Friday, November 4, 2011 at 11:43 AMYou can’t see lions and tigers in Norway either. Forget Norway!
jojobox
Friday, November 4, 2011 at 1:02 PMDude, you can see lions or tigers in Australia, either.
Lion Hunter
Friday, November 4, 2011 at 4:06 PMLies – we have lions in the warmer regions ie from Sydney north and the few remaining Tigers in Australia are spread across the whole country
Jarrod
Friday, November 4, 2011 at 3:18 PMOnly in Kenya!
MotorMouth
Friday, November 4, 2011 at 11:55 AMClearly this index does not take account of affordability of anything, or we would not be so near the top here. Therefore the thrust if this article doesn’t work. For all we know Norwegians may have twice as many iPads per capita as us, which would make them far more geeky.
For me, it is the weather that gives us the win, another thing the UN didn’t take into account.
Dos
Friday, November 4, 2011 at 12:39 PMAlso, dont forget that its colder there, you will probably be wearing gloves for a good portion of the year. Capacitive touch screens cannot be used when wearing gloves (Its why Finnish phone maker Nokia held onto the resistive touch screens for so long, as they work with gloved hands).
jaydub
Friday, November 4, 2011 at 12:45 PMI DON’T want Australia to be known as the best place to live, I would rather we have a shocking place to live rating.
Paul
Friday, November 4, 2011 at 12:49 PMThe iPad price is correct, yes. However you did not take in mind that in Norway consumers get 5 years complaint rights. Meaning if there is something wrong with the product without it being a customer fault we get reimbursed. This is what’s stopping me from buying a computer or mobile before I get back.
Also, you looked up the samsung mobile on the retailer spaceworld, this is a very expensive one which you should not use. Using the site http://www.prisjakt.no , (this is an equivalent of getprice.com.au) , the lowest price is just under 4000kr, about $AU 680. still a bit steep, so you have another option: buying with a contract then ending the contract immediately. the cheapest one I found there for for 3100kr = $AU 530. which isn’t too bad.
:)
Graeme
Friday, November 4, 2011 at 2:11 PM“The iPad price is correct, yes. However you did not take in mind that in Norway consumers get 5 years complaint rights. Meaning if there is something wrong with the product without it being a customer fault we get reimbursed. This is what’s stopping me from buying a computer or mobile before I get back.”
This is how the law stands in Australia too, but rather than 5 years it’s a “reasonable” time period. How you define reasonable is the problem, but it’s certainly more than the 12 or 24 months most manfacturers seem to give their goods. It also means that “extended warranties” are even less use than people think they are.
Jon
Friday, November 4, 2011 at 12:59 PMNorwegian living in Australia here – it’s a world economy. I recon gadget loving “Bjørns” (nice one) probably source their beloved gadgets from overseas, much like we do here when the tyranny of distance strikes again.
DTM
Friday, November 4, 2011 at 1:52 PMJon,
What made you trade #1 for #2, apart from the price of gadgets?
History
Wednesday, November 9, 2011 at 4:17 AMWe make more money so we can buy more expensive gadgetry. In the event its released/cheaper elsewhere we can just import. Try sheep per capita.
chris
Sunday, December 25, 2011 at 4:21 PMTHE GIRLS ARE SO HOT IN NORWAY…. not like the bogan/or stuck up trash we have here.