The $12 beer

I've been in Oslo for a little less than a week now and it has been great. I knew it was going to be more expensive here, but little did I know when I first planned this trip that Oslo was THE most expensive city in the world! This of course depends on which list you consult - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oslo. I did however cross reference the Per Diem rates and found that the daily meal allowance set by the US Department of State is $168. As a comparison,Abu Dhabi is $157, Hong Kong is $144, and NYC is a whopping $71. And here I thought New York was expensive. Ha! Thankfully, I am staying with family and have many meals at home.

One however, must go out and experience the nightlife and even daylife. On the first day here, my brother took me to a spot that could be compared to Scottsdale. A number of restaurants to chose from, some higher class than others all in a row set in with nice modern (expensive) condos along a cobblestone road. We went to one that was very casual called the Beach Club. He said it was neither the cheapest nor the most expensive. So we ordered our first afternoon beer. When I calculated the conversion, I realized that it was just over $11 USD. Once you factor in tip (tax is included) it is a $12 beer. By the way, tip is a lot less here, 10% would be generous. Nice. Being the trooper that I am, I ponied up time after time. After all, I am saving money on lodging right? 

The silver lining is that every place after this will seem very inexpensive! Yay!