A guide to serviced offices and office space for rent in Oslo, as well as general information that may be useful if you are thinking of renting office space in Oslo.
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History & Geography
Norway’s capital sits on a narrow strip of land at the northernmost point of the Oslofjord, which the Nesodden Peninsula opposite nearly cuts in half. Oslo reflects Norway’s unique geography, surrounded by rolling green hills and forests, with 40 islands and 343 lakes within the city limits. The city was founded around 1049 by King Harald Hardrada and has been Norway’s capital since King Hakon V became the first to reside there permanently in the early 14th century. Hakon V also built Akershus Fortress in Oslo, enhancing the city’s strategic value. It was said that whoever held Akershus also ruled Norway. In the 15th century, Norway joined Denmark, and Oslo’s political role shrank; however, the city continued to grow in importance as a centre of commerce.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the city was almost completely destroyed by fire several times and was also ravaged by plague; however, it was always rebuilt and continued to prosper from trade and shipbuilding, an industry in which Oslo became prominent. And when the union with Denmark broke up in 1814, the city regained its status as the capital of Norway.
In the 19th century, Oslo expanded further, with many important landmarks built, such as the Royal Palace, Stortinget, and the National Theatre. This period also saw many famous artists settling in Oslo, such as Henrik Ibsen and Knut Hamsun.
However, approximately 900,000 Norwegians emigrated to other countries between the years 1830 and 1920, representing one of the highest emigration rates relative to population of any European country. Much of the emigration originated in relatively overpopulated rural areas and was also driven by religious reasons. Many were drawn by the allure of fertile land in America, although many moved to other countries, including the UK.
In the 20th century, many suburbs grew up on the outskirts of the city, and the municipality of Aker was incorporated into the city. During the same period, the city opened its first metro line, and in 1950, Oslo City Hall was opened.
Economy
Oslo has a thriving economy, much of which is based around the maritime industry. Some of the world’s largest shipping companies, shipbrokers and insurance brokers have their headquarters in the city, and it has become Europe’s leading centre of maritime knowledge. One of the world’s three major maritime classification societies, Det Norske Veritas, is headquartered in Oslo, and the city’s port is the country’s largest cargo and passenger port. Over six million tonnes of cargo pass through the port annually, along with more than five million passengers.
Also predominant in Oslo is the oil and gas industry. The city is the centre of Norwegian energy research and offshore petroleum development. Oslo alone accounts for approximately 20 per cent of Norway’s GDP.
Norway ranks among the wealthiest countries in Europe, with the fourth-highest GDP per capita at approximately €80,000 in 2024.
The city is also well-known as one of the most expensive in the world. Prices of goods and services, as well as property, remain among the highest, rivalling cities such as London, Moscow and Paris. Nevertheless, Oslo is also consistently ranked among the world’s greenest cities and is a world leader in sustainable technology. The city is also usually ranked among Europe’s most livable cities.
Norway had a population of approximately 5.6 million as of 2025, of which around 1.5 million resided in the Greater Oslo region.
Norway maintains its own currency, the Norwegian krone (NOK). In November 2026, the exchange rate was approximately EUR/NOK 10.39 and USD/NOK 9.27. Although Norway is not a member of the European Union, it participates in the European Economic Area (EEA), ensuring close economic integration with the EU single market.
Norway’s labour force totalled roughly 3 million people in 2025, with more than 0.8 million jobs located in the Greater Oslo region. Nearly half of these positions were within office-intensive sectors.
Tourism
Oslo is not among Europe’s foremost tourist destinations; however, it has become more popular of late for city breaks, especially among Europeans.
Oslo Cruise Terminal is a port of call for many ships on Norwegian Fjords cruises, and is within walking distance of the city’s historic core, opera house and museums. Official figures from the Port of Oslo revealed that circa 330,00 cruise passengers visited the port in 2025.
Oslo attracts visitors for its cultural and historical sites as well as its natural environment. Famous artist Edward Munch donated all his works to the city, and many, including The Scream, can be seen in the Munch Museum. Several museums are located around the city, including the Viking Ship Museum, the Oslo City Museum, the National Museum, and the Kon-Tiki Museum, which holds records and the actual ships from famed Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl’s expeditions.
Oslo also hosts many festivals and other events, the most popular being the rock and roll concert Oslo Live and the Oya Festival, held in Tøyen Park, which annually draws about 100,000 people and lasts four days.
The Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony is also held in Oslo every year and takes place in the City Hall. The 2026 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to South African jurist and human rights advocate Navanethem ‘Navi’ Pillay for her efforts to promote peace and international law.
Oslo is also famous for its many parks and green areas. Frogner Park is close to the city centre and is Norway’s largest and most famous park, followed by Bygdøy, which is surrounded by the sea on all sides and is Oslo’s most expensive district.
Transportation
Oslo is one of Europe’s most compact cities and is easy to get around by public transportation. The Oslo Metro and the Oslo Tramway cover most of the city.
The city is easily accessible by bike, a popular mode of transport among Oslo residents. The app-based Oslo City Bike (Oslo Bysykkel or OCB) system was launched in 2016, replacing the existing traditional bike-sharing scheme.
The fleet comprises a mix of 3,000 manual (blue) and electric (white) bikes spread across approximately 270 docking stations, primarily concentrated within the Ring 3 area.
Oslo Central Station offers services to other major cities in Norway as well as Stockholm and Gothenburg in Sweden. Oslo also runs daily ferry services to Copenhagen, Frederikshavn and Kiel.
Oslo Airport Gardermoen, located about 29 miles from the city centre, serves the city and is accessible by the Airport Express Train. The airport served 27.1 million passengers in 2025, a 2.4 per cent increase on 2024.
Office Space to Rent in Oslo
In 2013, Oslo had a vacancy rate of approximately seven per cent, and demand was healthy despite turmoil across many economies globally. Leasing activity in Oslo was focused in the CBD or the western fringes of the city. Much of the leasing was driven by the public sector. Demand was expected to increase further over the rest of the year as Oslo’s employment gradually improves. Prime rents stood at NOK 3,600 per square metre per year and were expected to continue climbing into the new year.
Oslo’s office market comprises the following areas or submarkets:
• Aker Brygge & Tjuvholmen – These are upscale waterfront districts popular with finance, law firms, and national and international corporate headquarters.
• Barcode & Bjørvika – These are described as modern architectural districts near the central station, popular with tech, media, and multinational commercial tenants.
• Kvadraturen & Sentrum: These make up the historic downtown core and feature boutique spaces and occupiers from the creative and cultural sectors.
• Majorstuen & Skøyen: These are well-linked business hubs offering a mix of classic offices and smaller office suites.
Total take-up in the Oslo office market, including renegotiations, reached approximately 710,000 square metres in 2025. Annual take-up typically fluctuates between 600,000 and 900,000 square metres in the city.
As with most cities in Europe and worldwide, construction activity in Oslo remained subdued, largely constrained by elevated construction and financing costs.
Leasing activity remained relatively stable during the first half of 2026, although overall occupier demand remained subdued and the overall vacancy rate increased to around 8.1 per cent. The CBD vacancy rate was 7 per cent.
Leasing activity remained stronger in Oslo CBD. PwC signed a lease for approximately 18,400 square metres in a new CBD development. Moving from its long-time offices in Bjørvika (Barcode) to Over Spektrum, a new 26-story landmark building being built right above the Oslo Spektrum cultural and conference arena, due to be completed in 2029.
Several other large occupiers such as Coop and Tine also signed leases for new headquarters offices in central Oslo in the first half of 2026 after relocating and consolidating from locations on the eastern fringe.
Office rents remained broadly flat across most Oslo submarkets since the end of 2024. The exception was the eastern fringe Oslo market, where rising vacancy and weaker tenant demand have resulted in downward pressure on rents.
Rising vacancy and more selective occupier demand are expected to keep pressure on the fringe market, while demand for high-quality offices in Oslo CBD should remain relatively resilient, reflecting the flight to quality seen by occupiers in most major markets worldwide. The gap between central and secondary locations was therefore expected to persist.
At the end of H1 2026, prime office rent in Oslo’s CBD stood at NOK 6,400 per square metre per year; in the rest of the inner city and the outer city west, it stood at NOK 4,000 per square metre and in the outer city east, north and south, it stood at NOK 2,700 per square metre.
As with most office markets, Oslo has a growing number of office providers and workspace operators offering flex space solutions, including Mesh, House of Business, Rebel, Regus, Spaces, WeWork, and Workhouse.
These offer flexible alternatives to leased offices, including fitted and managed offices, serviced offices, private offices, and coworking spaces.
These are available on short-term flexible contracts with all-inclusive rental fees covering items such as utilities and cleaning.
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