Buying an apartment in Oslo: prices, mortgage and advice in 2026

Prices, neighbourhoods, lending rules and purchase costs: what to know before buying an apartment in Oslo in autumn 2026.

The Remoters editorial team

Published on

21 October 2023

Updated on

6 October 2026

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Buying an apartment in Oslo in 2026 means entering a market that is marking time. According to Statistics Norway (SSB), prices of existing homes in Oslo and Bærum rose by only 0.8% between the second quarter of 2025 and the second quarter of 2026, against 4.4% for Norway as a whole. Seasonally adjusted, they even fell by 1.3% in the second quarter.

The trend continued into the autumn. According to Eiendom Norge, the real estate agents' federation, Oslo showed the weakest change in the country since January at the end of September 2026, with a fall of 0.7%, while Norwegian prices gained 4.2% over the same period. For a buyer, this means more properties to view and more room to negotiate, but a more expensive mortgage.

Here is the state of the market, the neighbourhoods to know, Norwegian lending rules, purchase costs and the method for buying from France.

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The Oslo market in autumn 2026

Plentiful supply

Eiendom Norge points out that the supply of existing homes in Oslo is at a historically high level, even if it is starting to shrink. Across the country, it took 48 days on average to sell a home in September 2026, against 50 in August, and 10,491 homes were sold in the month, 5.8% fewer than a year earlier. The average price of a home in Norway reached 5,020,869 kroner (NOK) at the end of September.

Gaps between cities

Oslo is rising far less than the other large cities. Over one year to the second quarter of 2026, SSB measures an increase of 11.3% in Bergen and 10.9% in Stavanger, against 0.8% in Oslo and Bærum.

Fewer first-time buyers

According to a report by the NEF real estate agents' federation, cited by the business daily E24 in October 2026, the number of first-time buyers in Oslo fell by 10% in the first half of 2026, while small apartments have never been so numerous on the market. The average price of a first home in Oslo reaches 3.8 million kroner. For studios and two-room apartments, competition between buyers has therefore eased.

Higher rates

Norges Bank raised its rates in May and then in September 2026; its policy rate has been 4.5% since the decision published on 24 September. The next decision is scheduled for 5 November 2026. These increases weigh on households' borrowing capacity, and therefore on prices in Oslo.

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Oslo's neighbourhoods

The market reads from west to east: the western neighbourhoods are the most expensive, the eastern ones more affordable. Listings are mainly browsed on the FINN.no platform.

In the west, the most expensive addresses

Frogner: an upmarket neighbourhood, popular with expats and diplomats.
Majorstuen: a lively neighbourhood around the shopping street Bogstadveien, liked by young professionals.
Aker Brygge and Tjuvholmen: modern neighbourhoods on the fjord, among the most expensive in the city.

In the centre and east, better value for money

St. Hanshaugen: residential, around a large park.
Grünerløkka: more bohemian, along the Akerselva river, with an active cultural life.
Sagene: family-friendly and well served by transport.
Tøyen and Grønland: multicultural neighbourhoods, among the most affordable in the centre.

Freehold or cooperative

Some of Oslo's apartments are sold as cooperative shares (borettslag). In that case, the total price includes the sum paid to the seller and your share of the building's shared debt, plus monthly charges. Always compare two properties on that total price, and get the cooperative's accounts and rules before making an offer.

Buying in Oslo when you're not Norwegian

What the law says

The Norwegian Concession Act (konsesjonsloven) exempts from authorisation the purchase of a built property of up to 100 dekar, including up to 35 dekar of cultivated land. This exemption depends on the nature of the property, not the buyer's nationality: an apartment in the city falls under it. Still, have a professional confirm the property's situation before signing.

Lending rules

Financing is the real filter. Norwegian banks apply the mortgage regulation (utlånsforskriften):

Down payment: an amortising loan secured on the home cannot exceed 90% of a prudent value of the property.
Debt: the borrower's total debt cannot exceed five times their annual income.
Affordability test: the bank checks that you could cope with a 3-point rise in rates on all your debts, with a calculation rate of at least 7%.
Exemptions: in Oslo, each bank can grant outside these rules only 8% of the value of its mortgage loans in the municipality, or 15 million kroner.

If you finance your purchase from France, prepare a complete file on your income and debts, and ask several banks about their conditions for a non-resident borrower.

Purchase costs

When the transfer of ownership is registered in the land register, a transfer tax (dokumentavgift) of 2.5% of the sale value is due, according to the Norwegian tax administration. It is collected by Kartverket, the mapping and land registry agency. Add it to your budget, along with bank file fees.

The method for buying at the right price

Follow the indices: SSB publishes its next update on 12 October 2026, and Eiendom Norge publishes its statistics every month.
Get a financing agreement before viewings, so you can bid as soon as a property suits you.
Compare on the total price, shared debt included for a borettslag, and add the monthly charges and the transfer tax.
Negotiate: with plentiful supply, fewer first-time buyers and slower sales, the asking price is a starting point.
Read the sale documents and, where relevant, those of the cooperative, before any offer.
Rent first if you don't know the city: a few months on the ground help you choose the neighbourhood. The tenancy act (husleieloven) protects tenants and provides for a deposit held in a blocked account.

Precautions during the search

Don't pay any sum before checking the seller's identity and the title deed.
Use identified channels for payments and keep all proof.
Have every written offer reviewed before sending it, and set yourself a maximum price before bidding.

Getting support from France

Buying in Oslo without being there means viewing quickly, reading documents in Norwegian and following tight bidding. A Remoters home finder based in Oslo can spot properties, view them for you, gather the cooperative's or the seller's documents and support you through to signing. The first conversation and the quote are free.