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: $2,742 in Karmøy versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,097 in Karmøy versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,453 in Karmøy versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Karmøy is roughly 117% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Karmøy is 99% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.51 NOK 200

$4.66 ฿154

361.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$106 NOK 979

$32.22 ฿1,065

227.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.74 NOK 146

$8.68 ฿287

81.34%

Cappuccino

$5.61 NOK 52.1

$2.90 ฿95.8

93.45%

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

$4.25 NOK 39.41

$0.84 ฿27.89

405.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 NOK 28.91

$0.49 ฿16.16

536.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.61 NOK 108

$2.48 ฿82.0

368.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.87 NOK 101

$3.73 ฿123

191.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.60 NOK 24.15

$1.89 ฿62.3

37.57%

White Bread (500g)

$3.58 NOK 33.21

$1.41 ฿46.54

153.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.84 NOK 35.58

$1.62 ฿53.6

137.04%

Eggs

$5.10 NOK 47.35

$2.24 ฿74.1

127.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.47 NOK 125

$19.84 ฿656

-32.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.21 NOK 141

$3.48 ฿115

337.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$30.51 NOK 283

$11.37 ฿376

168.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.48 NOK 32.33

$2.90 ฿95.8

20.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.66 NOK 24.64

$1.72 ฿57.0

54.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.46 NOK 32.06

$2.27 ฿75.1

52.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.23 NOK 48.53

$2.13 ฿70.4

145.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.66 NOK 24.65

$1.47 ฿48.72

80.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.97 NOK 27.57

$1.42 ฿46.92

109.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.11 NOK 28.82

$1.10 ฿36.25

182.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 NOK 22.64

$0.60 ฿19.76

306.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.92 NOK 166

$4.31 ฿142

315.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.56 NOK 154

$18.60 ฿615

-10.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.62 NOK 33.61

$1.80 ฿59.5

101.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 NOK 39.86

$2.97 ฿98.0

44.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.79 NOK 44.39

$2.25 ฿74.2

112.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.6 NOK 785

$23.49 ฿776

260.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.39 NOK 115

$3.10 ฿102

299.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 NOK 17.77

$1.08 ฿35.56

77.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$71.1 NOK 660

$3.87 ฿128

1736.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.30 NOK 21.31

$1.43 ฿47.16

60.84%

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

$48.8K NOK 453.1K

$27.8K ฿918.0K

75.77%

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

$44.5K NOK 412.5K

$27.0K ฿891.5K

64.79%

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

$275 NOK 2,553

$105 ฿3,462

162.60%

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

$33.22 NOK 308

$11.39 ฿376

191.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.1 NOK 529

$17.54 ฿580

225.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.4 NOK 468

$54.3 ฿1,795

-7.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.15 NOK 345

$11.44 ฿378

224.74%

Cinema Ticket

$17.99 NOK 167

$7.78 ฿257

131.23%

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

$245 NOK 2,270

$576 ฿19.0K

-57.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K NOK 112.5K

$11.6K ฿382.7K

4.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 NOK 944

$63.6 ฿2,103

59.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.2 NOK 530

$29.10 ฿961

96.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 NOK 1,173

$96.2 ฿3,179

31.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$160 NOK 1,484

$90.0 ฿2,974

77.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 NOK 11.3K

$733 ฿24.2K

66.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,051 NOK 9,752

$501 ฿16.5K

109.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,025 NOK 18.8K

$2,126 ฿70.2K

-4.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,683 NOK 15.6K

$1,252 ฿41.4K

34.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,326 NOK 58.7K

$3,534 ฿116.8K

79.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,315 NOK 40.0K

$2,622 ฿86.6K

64.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,071 NOK 37.8K

$508 ฿16.8K

702.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.96

5.57

-10.95%

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

Last update for Karmøy: September 7, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,223 in Karmøy and $733 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: $105 in Karmøy vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $494 vs $275 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 117% in total monthly costs ($2,742 vs $1,265 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: $1,223 in Karmøy versus $733 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 260% less than in Karmøy. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $245 in Karmøy versus $576 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,742 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 117% less than in Karmøy. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.