Some interesting statistics have been published in the past couple of weeks on two of my favourite things.

Oslo is now the most expensive city in the world according to an annual survey of over 130 cities by the Economist. After fourteen years, Tokyo has been knocked back to the second-most expensive in the world. Reykjavik in neighbouring Iceland is now third.

I must admit to not feeling the prices that badly. Fafo is sponsoring me in an apartment nearby meaning I can avoid public transport, which costs min. NOK 20 ($3) a pop. I’m cooking at home and not eating out plus lunch is free every day in the work canteen. Best of all, there’s a yummy coffee machine downstairs that’s also free, which brings me to the next stat…

According to the governmental statistics agency SSB, Norwegians drink more coffee per capita than any other country in the world. Last year nearly 41 tons of coffee was imported into the country, which has a population of 4.5 million people. On a per capita basis, Norwegians therefore consume an average of 8.8 kilos of coffee per person meaning every Norwegian over the age of 15 drinks around four cups of coffee a day.

And the best thing I learned this week??? There is not a single Starbucks in this country!