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: $2,422 in Harstad versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,693 in Harstad versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,965 in Harstad versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Harstad is roughly 91% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Harstad is 81% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.57 NOK 128

$4.70 ฿154

188.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$119 NOK 1,129

$45.37 ฿1,489

163.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.33 NOK 145

$8.43 ฿277

81.85%

Cappuccino

$6.05 NOK 57.2

$2.93 ฿96.1

106.48%

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

$3.45 NOK 32.61

$0.69 ฿22.50

400.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 NOK 28.30

$0.37 ฿12.04

708.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.22 NOK 106

$2.41 ฿79.0

365.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.32 NOK 107

$3.72 ฿122

204.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 NOK 21.90

$2.23 ฿73.3

4.04%

White Bread (500g)

$3.15 NOK 29.82

$1.83 ฿60.1

72.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.00 NOK 28.35

$2.17 ฿71.1

38.25%

Eggs

$4.18 NOK 39.48

$2.21 ฿72.6

89.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.56 NOK 99.9

$19.74 ฿648

-46.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.92 NOK 141

$3.63 ฿119

311.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$37.12 NOK 351

$13.53 ฿444

174.35%

Apples (1kg)

$4.06 NOK 38.37

$3.28 ฿108

23.78%

Banana (1kg)

$2.68 NOK 25.35

$1.61 ฿52.9

66.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.46 NOK 32.74

$2.41 ฿79.0

43.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.67 NOK 44.15

$2.08 ฿68.4

124.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 NOK 18.86

$1.53 ฿50.2

30.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 NOK 18.72

$1.48 ฿48.58

33.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.77 NOK 26.23

$0.99 ฿32.44

179.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 NOK 16.90

$0.51 ฿16.74

250.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.21 NOK 144

$4.41 ฿145

244.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.00 NOK 151

$19.38 ฿636

-17.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.56 NOK 33.64

$1.78 ฿58.4

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.50 NOK 42.56

$2.71 ฿89.0

66.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.95 NOK 56.3

$1.37 ฿44.99

334.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.5 NOK 771

$11.39 ฿374

615.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.47 NOK 118

$3.02 ฿99.1

312.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 NOK 13.57

$0.99 ฿32.63

45.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$51.3 NOK 485

$14.10 ฿463

263.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 NOK 19.96

$1.36 ฿44.71

55.15%

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

$33.6K NOK 317.9K

$28.2K ฿925.3K

19.22%

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

$30.8K NOK 291.6K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-6.24%

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

$160 NOK 1,509

$122 ฿3,993

31.17%

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

$33.10 NOK 313

$13.57 ฿445

143.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.0 NOK 728

$18.31 ฿601

320.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.67 NOK 470

$60.2 ฿1,976

-17.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.08 NOK 341

$17.14 ฿562

110.50%

Cinema Ticket

$16.99 NOK 161

$8.69 ฿285

95.51%

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

$329 NOK 3,110

$693 ฿22.8K

-52.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,131 NOK 48.5K

$15.7K ฿514.7K

-67.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.2 NOK 730

$59.5 ฿1,953

29.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.44 NOK 316

$34.77 ฿1,141

-3.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 NOK 1,113

$115 ฿3,760

2.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 NOK 1,269

$83.3 ฿2,733

61.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,330 NOK 12.6K

$613 ฿20.1K

116.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,004 NOK 9,490

$437 ฿14.3K

129.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,212 NOK 20.9K

$2,094 ฿68.7K

5.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,494 NOK 14.1K

$1,509 ฿49.5K

-1.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,005 NOK 56.8K

$3,749 ฿123.0K

60.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,540 NOK 42.9K

$2,616 ฿85.8K

73.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,581 NOK 33.9K

$508 ฿16.7K

604.73%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,330 in Harstad and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Harstad pays 605% 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: $119 in Harstad vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $476 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

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 91% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Harstad pays 605% 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: $1,330 in Harstad versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 62% 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 $45.00 versus $119 in Harstad. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,422 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 91% less than in Harstad. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.