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: $2,626 in Harstad versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,908 in Harstad versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,189 in Harstad versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Harstad is roughly 113% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Harstad is 92% above, Phuket is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.17 NOK 134

$4.41 ฿147

221.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$109 NOK 1,027

$32.26 ฿1,077

237.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.17 NOK 152

$8.93 ฿298

81.08%

Cappuccino

$6.56 NOK 61.9

$2.90 ฿96.6

126.21%

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

$3.84 NOK 36.18

$0.88 ฿29.38

336.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 NOK 29.98

$0.48 ฿16.06

562.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.72 NOK 120

$2.35 ฿78.5

441.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.91 NOK 131

$3.72 ฿124

273.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.58 NOK 24.32

$1.87 ฿62.3

37.97%

White Bread (500g)

$3.48 NOK 32.77

$1.47 ฿48.94

136.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.30 NOK 31.06

$1.55 ฿51.8

112.90%

Eggs

$4.58 NOK 43.18

$2.10 ฿70.1

118.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.19 NOK 105

$19.59 ฿654

-42.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.09 NOK 142

$3.42 ฿114

341.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.47 NOK 400

$11.38 ฿380

273.20%

Apples (1kg)

$4.24 NOK 39.94

$2.98 ฿99.6

42.28%

Banana (1kg)

$2.94 NOK 27.73

$1.68 ฿56.2

75.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.82 NOK 35.95

$2.21 ฿73.7

72.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.79 NOK 45.12

$2.16 ฿72.1

121.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 NOK 20.37

$1.52 ฿50.9

42.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 NOK 20.48

$1.34 ฿44.67

61.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.02 NOK 28.50

$1.13 ฿37.67

167.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 NOK 22.71

$0.55 ฿18.24

338.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.82 NOK 158

$4.26 ฿142

294.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.81 NOK 149

$19.09 ฿637

-17.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.04 NOK 38.03

$1.78 ฿59.4

126.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.98 NOK 46.97

$2.78 ฿92.9

79.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$6.22 NOK 58.6

$2.23 ฿74.4

178.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.4 NOK 796

$22.74 ฿759

271.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$16.02 NOK 151

$3.03 ฿101

428.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 NOK 17.32

$1.02 ฿34.15

80.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$56.9 NOK 536

$3.89 ฿130

1363.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 NOK 21.20

$1.49 ฿49.77

51.01%

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

$37.6K NOK 354.3K

$26.6K ฿887.3K

41.44%

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

$32.0K NOK 301.4K

$27.0K ฿902.2K

18.35%

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

$168 NOK 1,582

$102 ฿3,420

63.82%

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

$34.80 NOK 328

$11.33 ฿378

207.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$81.9 NOK 771

$17.40 ฿581

370.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.1 NOK 482

$52.1 ฿1,738

-1.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.78 NOK 356

$11.07 ฿370

241.28%

Cinema Ticket

$17.55 NOK 165

$7.69 ฿257

128.22%

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

$246 NOK 2,319

$561 ฿18.7K

-56.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,377 NOK 50.7K

$11.5K ฿384.1K

-53.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.7 NOK 647

$63.0 ฿2,104

8.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.02 NOK 339

$29.52 ฿986

22.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 NOK 1,170

$98.0 ฿3,272

26.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$168 NOK 1,580

$88.5 ฿2,954

89.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,387 NOK 13.1K

$738 ฿24.6K

87.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,092 NOK 10.3K

$482 ฿16.1K

126.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,321 NOK 21.9K

$2,107 ฿70.3K

10.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,530 NOK 14.4K

$1,226 ฿40.9K

24.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,192 NOK 58.3K

$3,617 ฿120.7K

71.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,126 NOK 38.9K

$2,603 ฿86.9K

58.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,607 NOK 34.0K

$494 ฿16.5K

630.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-10.23%

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

Last update for Harstad: September 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,387 in Harstad and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Harstad pays 631% 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: $109 in Harstad vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $520 vs $274 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 113% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 631% higher in Harstad, 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: $1,387 in Harstad versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 90% 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 $32.00 versus $109 in Harstad. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,626 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 113% less than in Harstad. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.