COST OF LIVING

01 / INTERNATIONAL CAST & CREW

The cost of bringing
your team on location.

Bringing the same international crew to Iceland can mean higher everyday spending than basing that crew in Norway. The clearest signals in the capital-city comparison are restaurant meals, groceries and residential rent. Over many people and many shooting days, even modest differences can become meaningful.

This advantage concerns local living expenses. International crew fees, flights, visas, work permissions, hotels and negotiated production rates need their own estimates. Oslo and Reykjavík are reference points; prices around the actual filming locations may differ.

An illustrative food-budget example

If restaurant meals for a team cost €30,000 in Reykjavík, applying the displayed 16.4% difference gives €25,080 in Oslo—a potential difference of €4,920. This is an illustration using a consumer-price indicator, not a catering quotation or a guaranteed production saving.

For the reverse comparison, Reykjavík’s restaurant-price level is approximately 19.6% higher than Oslo’s. The percentage changes because the starting budget is different.

02 / LOCAL CREW

Living costs influence
the local cost base.

Iceland’s higher living costs are a factor that can contribute to higher local crew costs. Professionals need earnings that cover housing, food and everyday expenses, creating upward pressure on rates and the cost of supplying services.

The Numbeo comparison supports the living-cost difference; it does not measure film-crew rates or prove that every Icelandic role costs more. A meaningful crew comparison uses matching roles, experience, working hours, overtime, employer contributions and employment terms. No crew-rate percentage is inferred from the living-cost figures.

03 / THE COMPLETE PRODUCTION BUDGET

Compare the whole shoot.
Keep the daily advantage.

Everyday prices are one part of the decision. Compare local crew quotations, hotel room blocks, equipment packages, freight, vehicles, travel days and location access alongside any applicable incentives and tax treatment.

Not every item favours Norway: Numbeo’s snapshot puts petrol and household utilities higher in Oslo. Residential utility bills are not a measure of production power costs. Each budget line needs the relevant supplier quote.

Norway’s lower everyday costs can create a practical budget advantage for international productions, particularly when cast and crew stay for longer periods. Combine that advantage with a production-specific budget to understand the final saving.