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: $2,370 in Hamar versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,691 in Hamar versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,011 in Hamar versus $3,279 in Phuket.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Hamar is 77% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.45 NOK 237

$4.63 ฿151

449.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$121 NOK 1,128

$46.84 ฿1,523

158.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.88 NOK 139

$8.84 ฿287

68.33%

Cappuccino

$5.05 NOK 47.02

$3.00 ฿97.4

68.33%

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

$4.10 NOK 38.25

$0.74 ฿24.11

454.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 NOK 29.62

$0.37 ฿11.88

759.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.08 NOK 113

$2.44 ฿79.3

395.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.94 NOK 74.0

$3.61 ฿117

119.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.07 NOK 19.32

$2.26 ฿73.5

-8.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 NOK 26.79

$1.84 ฿59.8

55.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 NOK 19.30

$2.24 ฿73.0

-7.59%

Eggs

$4.97 NOK 46.29

$2.32 ฿75.3

114.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.69 NOK 99.6

$19.67 ฿639

-45.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.99 NOK 112

$3.65 ฿119

228.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$31.44 NOK 293

$13.10 ฿426

140.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.48 NOK 32.45

$3.39 ฿110

2.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.61 NOK 24.32

$1.64 ฿53.4

59.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.88 NOK 26.81

$2.41 ฿78.5

19.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.16 NOK 48.05

$2.03 ฿66.0

154.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.39 NOK 22.24

$1.56 ฿50.6

53.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.45 NOK 22.84

$1.50 ฿48.66

63.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 NOK 18.73

$1.02 ฿33.30

97.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 NOK 18.10

$0.49 ฿15.91

295.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.88 NOK 157

$4.45 ฿145

279.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.77 NOK 175

$18.88 ฿614

-0.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.40 NOK 31.68

$1.78 ฿57.7

91.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 NOK 38.80

$2.75 ฿89.5

51.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.48 NOK 41.76

$1.40 ฿45.54

220.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 NOK 607

$11.48 ฿373

467.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.20 NOK 95.1

$3.12 ฿101

226.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 NOK 13.07

$1.00 ฿32.48

40.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.35 NOK 395

$14.09 ฿458

200.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 NOK 19.60

$1.35 ฿43.93

55.56%

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

$36.9K NOK 344.0K

$27.2K ฿883.7K

35.77%

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

$43.4K NOK 404.4K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

31.80%

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

$215 NOK 2,007

$125 ฿4,063

72.34%

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

$31.45 NOK 293

$13.57 ฿441

131.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.0 NOK 521

$18.52 ฿602

202.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 NOK 521

$61.5 ฿1,999

-9.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.85 NOK 260

$16.84 ฿547

65.38%

Cinema Ticket

$17.91 NOK 167

$9.19 ฿299

94.89%

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

$199 NOK 1,856

$698 ฿22.7K

-71.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K NOK 138.5K

$15.6K ฿506.9K

-4.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 NOK 982

$57.8 ฿1,878

82.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.6 NOK 574

$35.24 ฿1,146

74.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 NOK 1,157

$113 ฿3,677

9.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.8 NOK 930

$86.4 ฿2,808

15.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,168 NOK 10.9K

$616 ฿20.0K

89.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$847 NOK 7,898

$446 ฿14.5K

90.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,489 NOK 13.9K

$2,048 ฿66.6K

-27.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,435 NOK 13.4K

$1,492 ฿48.5K

-3.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,391 NOK 40.9K

$3,779 ฿122.8K

16.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,528 NOK 32.9K

$2,649 ฿86.1K

33.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,348 NOK 40.5K

$524 ฿17.0K

730.12%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,168 in Hamar and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamar pays 730% 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: $121 in Hamar vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $441 vs $292 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 ($2,370 vs $1,232 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Hamar pays 730% 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: $1,168 in Hamar versus $616 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 $47.00 versus $121 in Hamar. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,370 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.