Cost of Living Comparison Between Arendal and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Arendal and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,218 in Arendal versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,391 in Arendal versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Arendal versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Arendal is roughly 75% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Arendal is 66% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.87 NOK 166

$4.70 ฿153

280.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.4 NOK 700

$45.37 ฿1,482

66.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.93 NOK 139

$8.43 ฿275

77.11%

Cappuccino

$5.17 NOK 48.00

$2.93 ฿95.6

76.45%

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

$3.18 NOK 29.50

$0.69 ฿22.40

360.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 NOK 28.47

$0.37 ฿11.99

727.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.16 NOK 104

$2.41 ฿78.6

363.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.17 NOK 94.5

$3.72 ฿122

173.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.37 NOK 21.98

$2.23 ฿72.9

6.28%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 NOK 28.41

$1.83 ฿59.8

67.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.59 NOK 33.39

$2.17 ฿70.8

65.44%

Eggs

$4.33 NOK 40.26

$2.21 ฿72.3

95.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.22 NOK 123

$19.74 ฿645

-33.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.42 NOK 143

$3.63 ฿119

324.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.81 NOK 258

$13.53 ฿442

105.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.44 NOK 31.98

$3.28 ฿107

4.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.52 NOK 23.40

$1.61 ฿52.6

56.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.01 NOK 27.93

$2.41 ฿78.6

24.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.75 NOK 44.13

$2.08 ฿68.1

128.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 NOK 19.74

$1.53 ฿49.93

38.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.93 NOK 27.17

$1.48 ฿48.36

97.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 NOK 23.45

$0.99 ฿32.29

154.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 NOK 16.52

$0.51 ฿16.67

249.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.98 NOK 139

$4.41 ฿144

239.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.12 NOK 168

$19.38 ฿633

-6.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.33 NOK 30.92

$1.78 ฿58.1

87.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 NOK 37.37

$2.71 ฿88.6

48.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.83 NOK 35.57

$1.37 ฿44.79

179.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$103 NOK 957

$11.39 ฿372

804.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.88 NOK 73.2

$3.02 ฿98.6

160.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 NOK 19.02

$0.99 ฿32.48

107.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.93 NOK 278

$14.10 ฿461

112.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 NOK 19.55

$1.36 ฿44.51

54.41%

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

$34.5K NOK 320.8K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

22.44%

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

$32.7K NOK 304.1K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-0.52%

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

$187 NOK 1,734

$122 ฿3,975

53.39%

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

$35.07 NOK 326

$13.57 ฿443

158.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.6 NOK 683

$18.31 ฿598

301.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.98 NOK 409

$60.2 ฿1,967

-26.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$53.8 NOK 499

$17.14 ฿560

213.59%

Cinema Ticket

$11.98 NOK 111

$8.69 ฿284

37.86%

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

$302 NOK 2,801

$693 ฿22.6K

-56.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K NOK 93.6K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-35.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.5 NOK 887

$59.5 ฿1,944

60.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.1 NOK 549

$34.77 ฿1,136

70.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 NOK 973

$115 ฿3,743

-8.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$156 NOK 1,449

$83.3 ฿2,720

87.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,100 NOK 10.2K

$613 ฿20.0K

79.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$695 NOK 6,455

$437 ฿14.3K

58.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 NOK 12.0K

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-38.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,145 NOK 10.6K

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-24.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,174 NOK 29.5K

$3,749 ฿122.5K

-15.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,170 NOK 20.2K

$2,616 ฿85.4K

-17.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,262 NOK 39.6K

$508 ฿16.6K

738.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.6

5.33

-32.46%

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

Last update for Arendal: June 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,100 in Arendal and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Arendal pays 739% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $75.0 in Arendal vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $459 vs $293 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

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

Arendal vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arendal and Phuket differ by about 75% in total monthly costs ($2,218 vs $1,265 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Arendal pays 739% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,100 in Arendal versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $302 in Arendal versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 57% higher in Arendal. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,218 in Arendal, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Arendal. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Arendal and Phuket are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 75% less than in Arendal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.