Cost of Living Comparison Between Mandal and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Mandal and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,463 in Mandal versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,836 in Mandal versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,210 in Mandal versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Mandal is roughly 95% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mandal is 83% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.33 NOK 240

$4.56 ฿149

455.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$119 NOK 1,133

$46.63 ฿1,519

156.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.88 NOK 141

$8.47 ฿276

75.68%

Cappuccino

$5.03 NOK 47.74

$3.03 ฿98.6

66.01%

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

$4.05 NOK 38.49

$0.69 ฿22.45

486.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 NOK 31.35

$0.37 ฿11.92

791.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.95 NOK 104

$2.49 ฿81.0

339.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.28 NOK 97.5

$3.66 ฿119

180.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 NOK 20.05

$2.18 ฿71.0

-3.21%

White Bread (500g)

$3.11 NOK 29.51

$1.90 ฿62.0

63.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.57 NOK 43.40

$2.20 ฿71.6

107.73%

Eggs

$3.11 NOK 29.51

$2.22 ฿72.4

40.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 NOK 123

$19.99 ฿651

-35.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.29 NOK 155

$3.66 ฿119

345.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.67 NOK 263

$13.25 ฿432

108.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.58 NOK 33.95

$3.23 ฿105

10.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.56 NOK 24.25

$1.70 ฿55.3

50.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.02 NOK 28.66

$2.39 ฿78.0

26.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.80 NOK 45.59

$2.08 ฿67.7

130.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 NOK 19.56

$1.59 ฿51.8

29.56%

Onion (1kg)

$3.03 NOK 28.75

$1.48 ฿48.31

104.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 NOK 14.77

$1.03 ฿33.54

51.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 NOK 16.67

$0.52 ฿16.83

238.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.45 NOK 147

$4.25 ฿138

263.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.75 NOK 178

$18.79 ฿612

-0.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.99 NOK 28.34

$1.76 ฿57.2

69.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 NOK 27.97

$2.76 ฿89.8

6.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.14 NOK 39.32

$1.36 ฿44.32

204.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.9 NOK 692

$11.36 ฿370

542.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.59 NOK 53.1

$3.14 ฿102

78.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 NOK 10.05

$1.04 ฿33.74

1.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$103 NOK 978

$13.77 ฿448

648.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.16 NOK 20.54

$1.34 ฿43.79

61.19%

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

$34.7K NOK 329.6K

$27.7K ฿901.4K

25.47%

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

$33.4K NOK 317.2K

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-1.32%

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

$187 NOK 1,773

$124 ฿4,025

51.14%

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

$33.56 NOK 319

$13.52 ฿440

148.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$83.0 NOK 788

$18.69 ฿609

344.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.88 NOK 464

$61.8 ฿2,013

-20.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.60 NOK 338

$17.25 ฿562

106.38%

Cinema Ticket

$19.07 NOK 181

$9.14 ฿298

108.64%

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

$320 NOK 3,040

$703 ฿22.9K

-54.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.1K NOK 124.5K

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-17.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$117 NOK 1,113

$59.5 ฿1,937

97.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.1 NOK 551

$35.07 ฿1,142

65.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 NOK 1,000

$115 ฿3,754

-8.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 NOK 1,538

$84.1 ฿2,737

92.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 NOK 11.7K

$619 ฿20.1K

98.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$887 NOK 8,415

$433 ฿14.1K

104.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,792 NOK 17.0K

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-13.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,537 NOK 14.6K

$1,511 ฿49.2K

1.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,808 NOK 64.6K

$3,646 ฿118.7K

86.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,481 NOK 42.5K

$2,626 ฿85.5K

70.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,425 NOK 42.0K

$507 ฿16.5K

772.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

5.33

-15.38%

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

Last update for Mandal: June 7, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,228 in Mandal and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mandal pays 773% 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 Mandal vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $454 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

Mandal vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 95% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Mandal pays 773% 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: $1,228 in Mandal versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,463 per month in Mandal versus $1,261 in Phuket – a 95% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 542% less than in Mandal. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $2,463 in Mandal, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Mandal. 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 Mandal, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Mandal 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 95% less than in Mandal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.