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: $2,374 in Hamar versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,743 in Hamar versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,112 in Hamar versus $3,310 in Phuket.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Hamar is 77% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.11 NOK 238

$4.56 ฿149

450.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$123 NOK 1,165

$46.63 ฿1,519

163.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.06 NOK 143

$8.47 ฿276

77.80%

Cappuccino

$5.01 NOK 47.54

$3.03 ฿98.6

65.35%

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

$4.22 NOK 40.03

$0.69 ฿22.45

511.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 NOK 30.86

$0.37 ฿11.92

778.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.22 NOK 116

$2.49 ฿81.0

390.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.22 NOK 78.1

$3.66 ฿119

124.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 NOK 19.95

$2.18 ฿71.0

-3.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.99 NOK 28.38

$1.90 ฿62.0

57.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.04 NOK 19.36

$2.20 ฿71.6

-7.27%

Eggs

$4.95 NOK 46.99

$2.22 ฿72.4

122.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.38 NOK 98.5

$19.99 ฿651

-48.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.90 NOK 113

$3.66 ฿119

225.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$30.60 NOK 290

$13.25 ฿432

130.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.58 NOK 33.97

$3.23 ฿105

10.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.53 NOK 23.97

$1.70 ฿55.3

48.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 NOK 27.50

$2.39 ฿78.0

21.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.08 NOK 48.27

$2.08 ฿67.7

144.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.37 NOK 22.46

$1.59 ฿51.8

49.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 NOK 22.38

$1.48 ฿48.31

59.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 NOK 19.31

$1.03 ฿33.54

97.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 NOK 18.54

$0.52 ฿16.83

275.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.52 NOK 166

$4.25 ฿138

312.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.70 NOK 177

$18.79 ฿612

-0.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.48 NOK 33.02

$1.76 ฿57.2

97.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.18 NOK 39.66

$2.76 ฿89.8

51.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.56 NOK 43.25

$1.36 ฿44.32

235.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.1 NOK 609

$11.36 ฿370

464.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.94 NOK 94.3

$3.14 ฿102

216.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 NOK 13.16

$1.04 ฿33.74

33.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.55 NOK 404

$13.77 ฿448

209.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.12 NOK 20.16

$1.34 ฿43.79

58.21%

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

$36.3K NOK 344.7K

$27.7K ฿901.4K

31.23%

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

$42.7K NOK 405.3K

$33.9K ฿1.1M

26.11%

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

$217 NOK 2,063

$124 ฿4,025

75.88%

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

$30.76 NOK 292

$13.52 ฿440

127.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.4 NOK 536

$18.69 ฿609

201.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.5 NOK 536

$61.8 ฿2,013

-8.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.99 NOK 266

$17.25 ฿562

62.26%

Cinema Ticket

$18.07 NOK 172

$9.14 ฿298

97.70%

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

$206 NOK 1,960

$703 ฿22.9K

-70.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K NOK 140.2K

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-6.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 NOK 985

$59.5 ฿1,937

74.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.2 NOK 572

$35.07 ฿1,142

71.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 NOK 1,185

$115 ฿3,754

8.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.8 NOK 947

$84.1 ฿2,737

18.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,171 NOK 11.1K

$619 ฿20.1K

89.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$820 NOK 7,783

$433 ฿14.1K

89.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,528 NOK 14.5K

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-25.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,423 NOK 13.5K

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-5.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,022 NOK 57.2K

$3,646 ฿118.7K

65.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,514 NOK 42.8K

$2,626 ฿85.5K

71.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,257 NOK 40.4K

$507 ฿16.5K

739.66%

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: June 9, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,171 in Hamar and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamar pays 740% 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: $123 in Hamar vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $438 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

Hamar vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hamar and Phuket differ by about 88% in total monthly costs ($2,374 vs $1,261 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Hamar pays 740% 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: $1,171 in Hamar versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% 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 $123 in Hamar. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $2,374 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.