Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamar and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamar and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,379 in Hamar versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,737 in Hamar versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,095 in Hamar versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Hamar is roughly 88% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hamar is 79% above, Phuket is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.39 NOK 244

$4.48 ฿150

466.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 NOK 1,170

$45.59 ฿1,525

167.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.27 NOK 147

$8.76 ฿293

74.32%

Cappuccino

$5.07 NOK 48.59

$2.97 ฿99.3

70.71%

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

$4.21 NOK 40.39

$0.69 ฿22.96

510.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 NOK 30.47

$0.39 ฿13.07

715.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.96 NOK 115

$2.53 ฿84.7

372.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.19 NOK 78.5

$3.75 ฿125

118.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 NOK 20.16

$2.15 ฿71.8

-2.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.84 NOK 27.29

$1.82 ฿60.7

56.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 NOK 19.63

$2.18 ฿73.1

-5.96%

Eggs

$5.20 NOK 49.84

$2.25 ฿75.2

131.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 NOK 99.9

$20.00 ฿669

-47.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.20 NOK 117

$3.63 ฿121

236.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$31.13 NOK 299

$13.56 ฿453

129.57%

Apples (1kg)

$3.44 NOK 33.04

$3.24 ฿109

6.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.50 NOK 23.96

$1.64 ฿54.7

52.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 NOK 27.69

$2.33 ฿78.0

24.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.08 NOK 48.77

$2.07 ฿69.3

145.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.38 NOK 22.81

$1.55 ฿51.8

53.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 NOK 22.95

$1.46 ฿48.67

63.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 NOK 19.18

$0.98 ฿32.94

104.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 NOK 18.12

$0.48 ฿16.13

293.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.40 NOK 167

$4.35 ฿146

300.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.04 NOK 173

$18.57 ฿621

-2.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.52 NOK 33.75

$1.86 ฿62.1

89.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 NOK 40.80

$2.65 ฿88.8

60.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.48 NOK 43.02

$1.42 ฿47.40

215.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.5 NOK 619

$11.57 ฿387

457.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.97 NOK 95.7

$3.17 ฿106

214.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 NOK 13.27

$1.03 ฿34.51

33.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.66 NOK 409

$13.89 ฿465

207.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 NOK 20.20

$1.34 ฿44.96

57.46%

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

$35.9K NOK 344.4K

$27.8K ฿929.6K

29.17%

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

$43.2K NOK 414.6K

$33.4K ฿1.1M

29.47%

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

$218 NOK 2,096

$123 ฿4,116

77.55%

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

$31.47 NOK 302

$13.77 ฿461

128.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.2 NOK 539

$18.33 ฿613

206.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.7 NOK 534

$60.7 ฿2,030

-8.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.97 NOK 268

$17.16 ฿574

63.00%

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 NOK 173

$8.87 ฿297

103.16%

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

$203 NOK 1,944

$688 ฿23.0K

-70.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K NOK 140.2K

$15.8K ฿527.8K

-7.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 NOK 1,014

$59.3 ฿1,984

78.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.4 NOK 580

$34.69 ฿1,160

74.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 NOK 1,161

$115 ฿3,853

5.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 NOK 988

$83.8 ฿2,802

22.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,160 NOK 11.1K

$621 ฿20.8K

86.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$824 NOK 7,902

$446 ฿14.9K

84.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 NOK 14.3K

$2,034 ฿68.0K

-26.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,445 NOK 13.9K

$1,496 ฿50.0K

-3.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,211 NOK 40.4K

$3,455 ฿115.6K

21.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,448 NOK 33.1K

$2,531 ฿84.7K

36.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,111 NOK 39.4K

$494 ฿16.5K

732.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.08

5.33

-4.69%

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

Last update for Hamar: July 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,160 in Hamar and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamar pays 733% 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: $122 in Hamar vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $438 vs $291 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

Hamar vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hamar and Phuket differ by about 88% in total monthly costs ($2,379 vs $1,264 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 733% higher in Hamar, 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: $1,160 in Hamar versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 51% higher in Hamar. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $122 in Hamar. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $2,379 in Hamar, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Hamar. 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, Hamar 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 88% less than in Hamar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.