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: $2,432 in Hamar versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,812 in Hamar versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,191 in Hamar versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Hamar is roughly 92% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hamar is 76% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.31 NOK 198

$4.66 ฿154

357.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$132 NOK 1,222

$32.22 ฿1,065

308.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.33 NOK 152

$8.68 ฿287

88.13%

Cappuccino

$6.11 NOK 56.6

$2.90 ฿95.8

110.69%

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

$4.19 NOK 38.87

$0.84 ฿27.89

398.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 NOK 32.35

$0.49 ฿16.16

612.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.95 NOK 111

$2.48 ฿82.0

381.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.59 NOK 79.7

$3.73 ฿123

130.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.58 NOK 23.97

$1.89 ฿62.3

36.51%

White Bread (500g)

$3.03 NOK 28.15

$1.41 ฿46.54

114.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.11 NOK 19.57

$1.62 ฿53.6

30.25%

Eggs

$6.15 NOK 57.1

$2.24 ฿74.1

174.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.28 NOK 105

$19.84 ฿656

-43.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.96 NOK 120

$3.48 ฿115

272.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$29.84 NOK 277

$11.37 ฿376

162.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 NOK 30.86

$2.90 ฿95.8

14.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.66 NOK 24.70

$1.72 ฿57.0

54.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.12 NOK 28.91

$2.27 ฿75.1

37.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.93 NOK 55.0

$2.13 ฿70.4

178.40%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 NOK 23.65

$1.47 ฿48.72

73.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.61 NOK 24.22

$1.42 ฿46.92

83.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 NOK 20.51

$1.10 ฿36.25

100.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 NOK 19.37

$0.60 ฿19.76

248.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.10 NOK 177

$4.31 ฿142

343.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.83 NOK 156

$18.60 ฿615

-9.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.51 NOK 32.52

$1.80 ฿59.5

95.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.31 NOK 39.94

$2.97 ฿98.0

45.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.71 NOK 43.66

$2.25 ฿74.2

109.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.0 NOK 649

$23.49 ฿776

197.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.43 NOK 115

$3.10 ฿102

300.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 NOK 17.81

$1.08 ฿35.56

77.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$72.0 NOK 668

$3.87 ฿128

1759.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.29 NOK 21.29

$1.43 ฿47.16

60.14%

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

$50.3K NOK 466.4K

$27.8K ฿918.0K

80.96%

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

$45.4K NOK 420.9K

$27.0K ฿891.5K

68.15%

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

$229 NOK 2,128

$105 ฿3,462

118.85%

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

$33.05 NOK 307

$11.39 ฿376

190.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.2 NOK 540

$17.54 ฿580

231.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.8 NOK 545

$54.3 ฿1,795

8.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.84 NOK 277

$11.44 ฿378

160.84%

Cinema Ticket

$19.63 NOK 182

$7.78 ฿257

152.31%

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

$212 NOK 1,969

$576 ฿19.0K

-63.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K NOK 150.5K

$11.6K ฿382.7K

40.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 NOK 942

$63.6 ฿2,103

59.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.7 NOK 573

$29.10 ฿961

112.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$134 NOK 1,240

$96.2 ฿3,179

38.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 NOK 998

$90.0 ฿2,974

19.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,250 NOK 11.6K

$733 ฿24.2K

70.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$885 NOK 8,209

$501 ฿16.5K

76.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,637 NOK 15.2K

$2,126 ฿70.2K

-22.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,519 NOK 14.1K

$1,252 ฿41.4K

21.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,488 NOK 41.6K

$3,534 ฿116.8K

26.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,585 NOK 33.3K

$2,622 ฿86.6K

36.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,278 NOK 39.7K

$508 ฿16.8K

742.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.96

5.57

-10.95%

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

Last update for Hamar: September 7, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,250 in Hamar and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamar pays 743% 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: $132 in Hamar vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $459 vs $275 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 92% in total monthly costs ($2,432 vs $1,265 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 743% 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: $1,250 in Hamar versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 67% 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 $32.00 versus $132 in Hamar. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,432 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 92% less than in Hamar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.