Cost of Living Comparison Between Karmøy and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Karmøy and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,422 in Karmøy versus $1,270 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,792 in Karmøy versus $2,304 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,161 in Karmøy versus $3,339 in Phuket.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Karmøy is 81% above, Phuket is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.28 NOK 235

$4.66 ฿150

442.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 NOK 945

$46.44 ฿1,496

118.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.41 NOK 125

$8.68 ฿280

54.49%

Cappuccino

$4.88 NOK 45.36

$2.95 ฿95.0

65.42%

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

$3.12 NOK 29.04

$0.70 ฿22.52

345.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 NOK 26.51

$0.39 ฿12.70

630.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.03 NOK 93.2

$2.53 ฿81.6

296.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.37 NOK 87.1

$3.78 ฿122

147.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 NOK 20.38

$2.22 ฿71.5

-1.35%

White Bread (500g)

$3.37 NOK 31.37

$1.80 ฿57.8

87.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.20 NOK 29.75

$2.19 ฿70.4

46.12%

Eggs

$4.32 NOK 40.17

$2.31 ฿74.5

87.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.83 NOK 110

$19.34 ฿623

-38.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.67 NOK 136

$3.77 ฿121

289.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.42 NOK 264

$13.22 ฿426

114.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 NOK 32.25

$3.33 ฿107

4.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.46 NOK 22.85

$1.65 ฿53.1

49.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.25 NOK 30.20

$2.29 ฿73.7

41.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 NOK 40.36

$1.99 ฿64.1

118.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.44 NOK 22.73

$1.53 ฿49.24

59.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.58 NOK 24.01

$1.51 ฿48.77

70.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.79 NOK 25.93

$1.03 ฿33.12

170.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 NOK 17.52

$0.51 ฿16.57

268.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.77 NOK 128

$4.41 ฿142

212.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.22 NOK 169

$19.41 ฿625

-6.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.35 NOK 31.12

$1.80 ฿58.0

86.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.93 NOK 36.57

$2.68 ฿86.4

46.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.28 NOK 39.80

$1.43 ฿46.11

199.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.7 NOK 686

$11.70 ฿377

530.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.28 NOK 95.6

$3.04 ฿97.9

238.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 NOK 13.06

$1.04 ฿33.37

34.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$47.28 NOK 440

$13.68 ฿441

245.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 NOK 18.57

$1.30 ฿41.85

53.85%

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

$34.8K NOK 323.6K

$27.9K ฿898.9K

24.71%

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

$38.2K NOK 355.1K

$33.0K ฿1.1M

15.57%

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

$238 NOK 2,210

$123 ฿3,962

93.23%

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

$37.95 NOK 353

$13.82 ฿445

174.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.9 NOK 510

$18.86 ฿608

190.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 NOK 467

$61.2 ฿1,970

-17.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.73 NOK 323

$16.81 ฿541

106.60%

Cinema Ticket

$16.37 NOK 152

$8.87 ฿286

84.55%

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

$287 NOK 2,674

$696 ฿22.4K

-58.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.0K NOK 93.2K

$16.1K ฿517.4K

-37.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.6 NOK 889

$59.3 ฿1,910

61.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.9 NOK 483

$34.85 ฿1,123

48.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 NOK 1,011

$113 ฿3,646

-3.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$151 NOK 1,401

$85.1 ฿2,740

77.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,206 NOK 11.2K

$615 ฿19.8K

95.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$903 NOK 8,396

$448 ฿14.4K

101.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,792 NOK 16.7K

$2,085 ฿67.2K

-14.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 NOK 14.4K

$1,496 ฿48.2K

3.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,458 NOK 50.8K

$3,734 ฿120.3K

46.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,019 NOK 37.4K

$2,662 ฿85.8K

50.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,995 NOK 37.2K

$534 ฿17.2K

648.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.38

5.33

-17.82%

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

Last update for Karmøy: April 20, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,206 in Karmøy and $615 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Karmøy pays 649% 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: $102 in Karmøy vs $46 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $454 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

Karmøy vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Karmøy and Phuket differ by about 91% in total monthly costs ($2,422 vs $1,270 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Karmøy pays 649% 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: $1,206 in Karmøy versus $615 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 530% less than in Karmøy. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $287 in Karmøy versus $696 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,270 in Phuket versus $2,422 in Karmøy, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Karmøy. 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, Karmøy 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 Karmøy. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.