Cost of Living Comparison Between Harstad and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Harstad and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,485 in Harstad versus $1,270 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,699 in Harstad versus $2,304 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,912 in Harstad versus $3,339 in Phuket.

Living in Harstad is roughly 96% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Harstad is 85% above, Phuket is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.48 NOK 125

$4.66 ฿150

189.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$123 NOK 1,145

$46.44 ฿1,496

165.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.11 NOK 140

$8.68 ฿280

74.08%

Cappuccino

$5.99 NOK 55.7

$2.95 ฿95.0

103.05%

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

$3.44 NOK 31.99

$0.70 ฿22.52

391.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 NOK 28.55

$0.39 ฿12.70

687.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.11 NOK 103

$2.53 ฿81.6

339.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.20 NOK 104

$3.78 ฿122

196.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.33 NOK 21.67

$2.22 ฿71.5

4.95%

White Bread (500g)

$3.16 NOK 29.38

$1.80 ฿57.8

75.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.10 NOK 28.84

$2.19 ฿70.4

41.55%

Eggs

$4.28 NOK 39.79

$2.31 ฿74.5

85.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.56 NOK 98.2

$19.34 ฿623

-45.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.15 NOK 141

$3.77 ฿121

301.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$38.04 NOK 354

$13.22 ฿426

187.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.88 NOK 36.12

$3.33 ฿107

16.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.77 NOK 25.80

$1.65 ฿53.1

67.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.52 NOK 32.72

$2.29 ฿73.7

53.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.64 NOK 43.16

$1.99 ฿64.1

133.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 NOK 18.54

$1.53 ฿49.24

30.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 NOK 19.10

$1.51 ฿48.77

35.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.68 NOK 24.91

$1.03 ฿33.12

160.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 NOK 16.40

$0.51 ฿16.57

245.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.25 NOK 142

$4.41 ฿142

245.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.36 NOK 152

$19.41 ฿625

-15.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.62 NOK 33.66

$1.80 ฿58.0

101.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 NOK 42.14

$2.68 ฿86.4

69.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$6.03 NOK 56.1

$1.43 ฿46.11

321.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.3 NOK 737

$11.70 ฿377

577.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.82 NOK 119

$3.04 ฿97.9

321.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 NOK 13.41

$1.04 ฿33.37

38.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$50.5 NOK 470

$13.68 ฿441

269.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 NOK 19.78

$1.30 ฿41.85

63.85%

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

$33.5K NOK 311.9K

$27.9K ฿898.9K

20.21%

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

$30.4K NOK 282.3K

$33.0K ฿1.1M

-8.12%

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

$159 NOK 1,480

$123 ฿3,962

29.44%

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

$33.50 NOK 312

$13.82 ฿445

142.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.7 NOK 714

$18.86 ฿608

306.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.47 NOK 451

$61.2 ฿1,970

-20.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.46 NOK 330

$16.81 ฿541

110.95%

Cinema Ticket

$16.65 NOK 155

$8.87 ฿286

87.71%

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

$336 NOK 3,125

$696 ฿22.4K

-51.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,048 NOK 47.0K

$16.1K ฿517.4K

-68.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.2 NOK 718

$59.3 ฿1,910

30.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.68 NOK 304

$34.85 ฿1,123

-6.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 NOK 1,089

$113 ฿3,646

3.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 NOK 1,260

$85.1 ฿2,740

59.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 NOK 12.4K

$615 ฿19.8K

116.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,021 NOK 9,498

$448 ฿14.4K

127.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,200 NOK 20.5K

$2,085 ฿67.2K

5.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,443 NOK 13.4K

$1,496 ฿48.2K

-3.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,987 NOK 55.7K

$3,734 ฿120.3K

60.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,636 NOK 43.1K

$2,662 ฿85.8K

74.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,563 NOK 33.1K

$534 ฿17.2K

567.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.27

5.33

-19.89%

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

Last update for Harstad: April 19, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,331 in Harstad and $615 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Harstad pays 568% 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 Harstad vs $46 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $481 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

Harstad vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 96% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Harstad pays 568% 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: $1,331 in Harstad versus $615 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 65% higher in Harstad. 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 $123 in Harstad. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,270 in Phuket versus $2,485 in Harstad, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Harstad. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Harstad, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Harstad 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 96% less than in Harstad. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.