Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Akureyri and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $3,106 in Akureyri, rent and utilities included – about $21,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Akureyri

🇮🇸 Iceland

$3,106

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Akureyri and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Akureyri and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,106 per month in Akureyri vs $1,278 in Phuket, rent included.

Akureyri $3,106
Phuket $1,278

A couple spends around $4,176 per month in Akureyri vs $2,216 in Phuket, rent included.

Akureyri $4,176
Phuket $2,216

A family of three spends $5,246 per month in Akureyri vs $3,154 in Phuket, rent included.

Akureyri $5,246
Phuket $3,154

Akureyri costs about 143% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Akureyri sits 128% above the global median, while Phuket is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.94 ISK 3,028

$4.47 ฿151

457.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$129 ISK 15.6K

$32.41 ฿1,093

297.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$22.63 ISK 2,748

$8.81 ฿297

156.87%

Cappuccino

$5.04 ISK 611

$2.83 ฿95.4

78.09%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 ISK 406

$0.87 ฿29.41

285.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 ISK 363

$0.49 ฿16.65

510.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.22 ISK 1,362

$2.56 ฿86.3

338.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.62 ISK 1,168

$3.68 ฿124

161.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.77 ISK 337

$1.66 ฿55.9

66.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.32 ISK 282

$1.46 ฿49.31

58.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.14 ISK 382

$1.50 ฿50.5

109.33%

Eggs

$7.65 ISK 928

$2.09 ฿70.5

266.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.85 ISK 1,925

$19.07 ฿643

-16.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$24.82 ISK 3,013

$3.30 ฿111

652.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

Banana (1kg)

$2.92 ISK 354

$1.69 ฿57.0

72.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.45 ISK 419

$2.25 ฿75.8

53.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.08 ISK 738

$2.08 ฿70.0

192.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.52

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.96

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.71 ISK 1,664

$4.20 ฿142

226.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.98

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.33

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.59 ISK 314

$1.47 ฿49.76

76.19%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$41.3K ISK 5.0M

$26.8K ฿903.4K

54.13%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$65.2K ISK 7.9M

$26.7K ฿900.5K

144.24%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$121 ISK 14.7K

$96.4 ฿3,251

25.38%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$25.21 ISK 3,061

$11.26 ฿380

123.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$165 ISK 20.0K

$16.85 ฿568

877.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$84.3 ISK 10.2K

$67.2 ฿2,268

25.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$15.53 ISK 1,885

$7.50 ฿253

107.07%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$367 ISK 44.6K

$476 ฿16.1K

-22.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.8 ISK 9,810

$62.4 ฿2,104

29.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 ISK 14.8K

$94.3 ฿3,181

29.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,895

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,835 ISK 222.7K

$716 ฿24.2K

156.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,833 ISK 222.5K

$491 ฿16.6K

273.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,186 ISK 265.4K

$1,431 ฿48.3K

52.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,596 ISK 800.8K

$4,175 ฿140.9K

57.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,483 ISK 787.1K

$3,045 ฿102.7K

112.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.4

5.57

68.76%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Akureyri: October 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Akureyri

–

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Groceries & Markets

Akureyri

–

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Akureyri

–

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Clothing & Footwear

Akureyri

–

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Eating Out

Akureyri

–

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Sport & Entertainment

Akureyri

–

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Getting Around

Akureyri

–

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,835 in Akureyri versus $716 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $129 in Akureyri versus $32 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $327 vs $266 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇸 Akureyri

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

20:55 8:55 PM

03:55 3:55 AM

7 h ahead of Akureyri

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,219

79,308

💱 Currency

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.38 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to ISK – Icelandic Króna Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇸 Icelandic Króna (kr)

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 121 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD). 1 EUR = 136 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.38 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to ISK in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Akureyri Phuket 10,370 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Akureyri
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Akureyri vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Akureyri is pricier by about 143%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,659 per month in Akureyri and $1,917 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $716 there versus $1,835 in Akureyri.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $129 in Akureyri and $32 in Phuket. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 23% more in Akureyri, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,278, than in Akureyri at $3,106. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Akureyri it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Phuket costs $1,278 versus $3,106 in Akureyri. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.