Studying abroad is a fantastic opportunity to not just expand one’s mind academically, but culturally as well. Despite all the struggles one may face in a foreign country, honing in on the skills of survival is essential when developing one’s sense of independence.
A big part of such freedom is cooking – literally for your sustenance. Currently studying Data Science for her tertiary education, Malaysian content creator Zara recently shared just how much it costs to purchase groceries while living in Norway.
In a clip shared to her page @zararzln, Zara listed a few grocery items alongside their respective prices, after already being converted to Malaysian Ringgit. Starting with chicken breast, Zara revealed that she pays RM70 for just 1 kg of the item (though her image states 2kg, as it was an accidental typo).
Aside from that, Zara revealed that she pays
- RM19 for 1 dozen eggs
- RM28 for 1 litre of olive oil
- RM16 for 500g of tomatoes
- RM14 for 1 loaf of bread
- RM17 for 2.5kgs of potatoes
- RM16 for 1 litre of cooking oil
- RM7 for 2 red onions
- RM10 for 1 kg of bananas
Despite the respective prices, it was clear that even after conversion, each grocery item would still cost a hefty amount in the local currency used in Norway, which is the Norwegian Krone (NOK), the loaf of bread costs around NOK2.70, the cooking oil would cost NOK3.10, while the eggs would cost NOK3.68.
In a brief conversation with WORLD OF BUZZ, Zara stated that while the prices may seem high in general, it evens out in relation to the salary most Norway natives earn, making it affordable.
Garnering a widespread response online, multiple Malaysians were fairly shocked by the prices of items that Zara purchased.
After receiving a question from one user in the comments section, Zara revealed that 1 packet of MAGGI instant noodles is priced at around RM7 after conversion, with the student saying that the price is remarkably different than a 5-packet version of the item in Malaysia.
On the other hand, multiple users also asked if it was easy for Zara to find halal-certified items in Norway, to which she revealed that it was relatively doable.
Click here to check out the full series of photos posted by Zara to her TikTok account.
Receiving the opportunity to go overseas may be viewed as a privilege, but the realities behind everyday living will always be a challenge to those who get this chance. All the best in Norway, Zara!
Also read: M’sian Shares Eye-Opening Cost Her Family Spends Monthly After Moving to The Netherlands
