SIFO is a non-bias governmental institute that conducts consumer research and testing. The board of directors is appointed by the Ministry of Children, Equality and Social Inclusion which also provides the basic funding. SIFO currently has a staff of 55. The scientific staff is comprised of researchers and other highly qualified personnel from social and natural sciences. SIFO’s projects are organized into four categories: household economy, consumer culture, environment, market and politics.
SIFO is the only institute in Norway solely concerned with consumer research, and as such is responsible for developing expertise on the relevant fields. Importance is placed on research as well as the dissemination of information to various authorities, consumer-oriented institutions, research and scientific institutions, and in private industry.
Since the cost of living is one of the most important factors, if not the most, of one’s decision to live in Norway or not, here is an article that may help: Standard Budget 2009.
The Standard Budget shows ordinary consumer expenditures for different types of households. Based on households of varying sizes with differences in age and gender, this budget calculates the cost of maintaining a reasonable level of consumption. The budget contains both current expenses such as food, clothing, toiletries, etc. and expenses for less frequent purchases such as furniture and electrical appliances.
You can also use the online budget calculator to calculate your family’s projected expenses based on the number of people in your household and their ages.
This is in Norwegian only but it is fairly easy to use:
Velg kjønn (Choose sex)
Kvinne (Female), Mann (Male)
Velg alder (Choose age)
Antall gravide (mer enn 3 måneder) i husholdet (Number of pregnant women (> 3 months) in the household)
Antall barn i barnehage (Number of children in kindergarten)
Hvis du har barn i barnehage, må også husholdets samlede brutto årsinntekt oppgis (if you have children in kindergarten, you need to give the household’s total gross annual income)
Har husstanden bil? (Does your household have a car?).
Please note that this budget calculates the cost of maintaining a reasonable level of consumption
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About Cynthia Myrnes
Cynthia is a Singaporean who has been living in Stavanger since Feb 2008 with her Norwegian husband. She works as a physiotherapist here and also owns her own petsitting service, Stavanger Petsitter, for the residents of Stavanger. In addition, she manages the Stavanger International Moms group. She loves hanging out with friends, spending time with animals, travelling and watersports such as scuba diving and wake boarding. Most of all, she is enjoying the experience of being a first time mom!
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