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: $2,436 in Karmøy versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,783 in Karmøy versus $2,276 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,130 in Karmøy versus $3,291 in Phuket.

Living in Karmøy is roughly 93% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Karmøy is 82% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.53 NOK 245

$4.53 ฿153

463.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 NOK 971

$46.36 ฿1,565

118.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.68 NOK 131

$8.65 ฿292

58.15%

Cappuccino

$5.01 NOK 48.06

$3.09 ฿104

62.14%

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

$3.18 NOK 30.52

$0.68 ฿22.89

367.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 NOK 26.92

$0.37 ฿12.44

659.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.17 NOK 97.6

$2.42 ฿81.6

320.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.45 NOK 90.7

$3.81 ฿129

148.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 NOK 21.03

$2.18 ฿73.5

0.46%

White Bread (500g)

$3.41 NOK 32.74

$1.82 ฿61.3

87.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 NOK 31.74

$2.18 ฿73.5

51.83%

Eggs

$4.32 NOK 41.41

$2.24 ฿75.4

92.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.23 NOK 117

$19.93 ฿673

-38.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.75 NOK 141

$3.64 ฿123

305.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.84 NOK 267

$13.56 ฿458

105.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 NOK 33.25

$3.29 ฿111

5.47%

Banana (1kg)

$2.49 NOK 23.88

$1.69 ฿56.9

47.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.33 NOK 31.90

$2.33 ฿78.8

42.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.49 NOK 43.04

$2.03 ฿68.4

121.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.40 NOK 23.07

$1.60 ฿54.0

50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.45 NOK 23.53

$1.49 ฿50.5

64.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.82 NOK 27.08

$1.01 ฿34.17

179.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 NOK 17.73

$0.48 ฿16.09

285.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.12 NOK 135

$4.45 ฿150

217.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.83 NOK 171

$18.63 ฿629

-4.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 NOK 33.11

$1.79 ฿60.3

92.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.11 NOK 39.38

$2.80 ฿94.4

46.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.16 NOK 39.91

$1.42 ฿47.90

192.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.5 NOK 696

$11.33 ฿382

540.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.09 NOK 96.8

$3.09 ฿104

226.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 NOK 13.36

$1.04 ฿35.19

33.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$45.94 NOK 441

$13.63 ฿460

237.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 NOK 20.07

$1.31 ฿44.23

59.54%

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

$35.7K NOK 342.0K

$27.3K ฿920.7K

30.73%

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

$38.7K NOK 371.3K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

16.55%

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

$240 NOK 2,301

$123 ฿4,157

94.79%

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

$37.78 NOK 362

$13.81 ฿466

173.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.0 NOK 528

$18.52 ฿625

197.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.1 NOK 480

$60.4 ฿2,037

-17.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.57 NOK 341

$16.80 ฿567

111.73%

Cinema Ticket

$16.74 NOK 161

$8.89 ฿300

88.30%

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

$282 NOK 2,708

$687 ฿23.2K

-58.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.2K NOK 97.8K

$15.6K ฿524.8K

-34.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.1 NOK 922

$57.6 ฿1,945

66.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.7 NOK 506

$34.66 ฿1,170

52.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 NOK 1,028

$115 ฿3,879

-6.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$150 NOK 1,440

$84.9 ฿2,865

76.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,192 NOK 11.4K

$618 ฿20.8K

93.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$900 NOK 8,634

$443 ฿15.0K

103.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,823 NOK 17.5K

$2,047 ฿69.1K

-10.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,555 NOK 14.9K

$1,506 ฿50.8K

3.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,139 NOK 49.3K

$3,568 ฿120.4K

44.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,582 NOK 34.3K

$2,511 ฿84.7K

42.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,029 NOK 38.6K

$503 ฿17.0K

701.53%

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: July 20, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,192 in Karmøy and $618 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Karmøy pays 702% 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: $101 in Karmøy vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $455 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

Karmøy vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Karmøy and Phuket differ by about 93% in total monthly costs ($2,436 vs $1,261 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 702% higher in Karmøy, 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: $1,192 in Karmøy versus $618 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 540% less than in Karmøy. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $282 in Karmøy versus $687 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $2,436 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 93% less than in Karmøy. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.