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: $2,470 in Harstad versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,732 in Harstad versus $2,276 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,993 in Harstad versus $3,291 in Phuket.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Harstad is 85% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.58 NOK 130

$4.53 ฿152

199.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$121 NOK 1,156

$46.36 ฿1,558

160.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.25 NOK 146

$8.65 ฿291

76.30%

Cappuccino

$6.21 NOK 59.4

$3.09 ฿104

100.97%

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

$3.62 NOK 34.61

$0.68 ฿22.79

432.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 NOK 29.83

$0.37 ฿12.38

743.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.99 NOK 105

$2.42 ฿81.2

354.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.23 NOK 108

$3.81 ฿128

194.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.45 NOK 23.41

$2.18 ฿73.2

12.39%

White Bread (500g)

$3.30 NOK 31.58

$1.82 ฿61.1

81.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.02 NOK 28.88

$2.18 ฿73.2

38.53%

Eggs

$4.14 NOK 39.66

$2.24 ฿75.1

84.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.47 NOK 100

$19.93 ฿670

-47.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.42 NOK 148

$3.64 ฿122

323.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$37.05 NOK 355

$13.56 ฿456

173.23%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 NOK 38.80

$3.29 ฿111

23.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.66 NOK 25.51

$1.69 ฿56.6

57.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.53 NOK 33.77

$2.33 ฿78.4

51.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.65 NOK 44.48

$2.03 ฿68.1

129.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 NOK 19.70

$1.60 ฿53.8

28.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 NOK 18.93

$1.49 ฿50.2

32.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.67 NOK 25.57

$1.01 ฿34.02

164.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 NOK 16.85

$0.48 ฿16.02

266.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.92 NOK 143

$4.45 ฿150

235.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.83 NOK 152

$18.63 ฿626

-15.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.48 NOK 33.29

$1.79 ฿60.0

94.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.70 NOK 44.96

$2.80 ฿94.0

67.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$6.11 NOK 58.5

$1.42 ฿47.69

330.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.3 NOK 759

$11.33 ฿381

600.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.53 NOK 120

$3.09 ฿104

305.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 NOK 13.42

$1.04 ฿35.03

34.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$50.8 NOK 486

$13.63 ฿458

272.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 NOK 20.50

$1.31 ฿44.03

63.36%

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

$33.3K NOK 319.0K

$27.3K ฿916.6K

22.19%

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

$30.4K NOK 291.0K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-8.50%

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

$162 NOK 1,552

$123 ฿4,138

31.65%

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

$32.24 NOK 309

$13.81 ฿464

133.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.7 NOK 734

$18.52 ฿622

314.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.64 NOK 466

$60.4 ฿2,028

-19.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.38 NOK 339

$16.80 ฿564

110.60%

Cinema Ticket

$16.78 NOK 161

$8.89 ฿299

88.75%

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

$334 NOK 3,194

$687 ฿23.1K

-51.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,159 NOK 49.4K

$15.6K ฿522.5K

-66.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.0 NOK 718

$57.6 ฿1,936

30.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.21 NOK 318

$34.66 ฿1,165

-4.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 NOK 1,131

$115 ฿3,861

2.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 NOK 1,303

$84.9 ฿2,853

60.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,298 NOK 12.4K

$618 ฿20.7K

110.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 NOK 9,627

$443 ฿14.9K

127.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,189 NOK 20.9K

$2,047 ฿68.8K

6.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,471 NOK 14.1K

$1,506 ฿50.6K

-2.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,805 NOK 55.6K

$3,568 ฿119.9K

62.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,967 NOK 38.0K

$2,511 ฿84.4K

58.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,370 NOK 32.3K

$503 ฿16.9K

570.25%

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: July 20, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,298 in Harstad and $618 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Harstad pays 570% 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 Harstad vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $480 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

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.

Average pay runs 570% 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: $1,298 in Harstad versus $618 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 64% 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 $121 in Harstad. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $2,470 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.