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: $2,842 in Mandal versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,323 in Mandal versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,805 in Mandal versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Mandal is roughly 125% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mandal is 106% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.74 NOK 239

$4.66 ฿154

452.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.0 NOK 919

$32.22 ฿1,066

207.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.23 NOK 151

$8.68 ฿287

86.98%

Cappuccino

$6.42 NOK 59.7

$2.90 ฿95.9

121.38%

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

$5.36 NOK 49.79

$0.84 ฿27.91

538.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 NOK 40.37

$0.49 ฿16.17

787.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.73 NOK 128

$2.48 ฿82.1

453.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.09 NOK 112

$3.73 ฿123

224.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 NOK 20.88

$1.89 ฿62.3

19.05%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 NOK 34.54

$1.41 ฿46.58

163.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.81 NOK 35.42

$1.62 ฿53.6

135.19%

Eggs

$3.27 NOK 30.38

$2.24 ฿74.1

45.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.93 NOK 129

$19.84 ฿656

-29.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.21 NOK 160

$3.48 ฿115

394.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$35.53 NOK 330

$11.37 ฿376

212.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.56 NOK 33.04

$2.90 ฿95.9

22.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.77 NOK 25.77

$1.72 ฿57.0

61.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.59 NOK 33.35

$2.27 ฿75.2

58.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 NOK 44.89

$2.13 ฿70.5

126.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 NOK 23.93

$1.47 ฿48.77

75.51%

Onion (1kg)

$3.16 NOK 29.35

$1.42 ฿46.96

122.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 NOK 14.57

$1.10 ฿36.29

42.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.32 NOK 21.57

$0.60 ฿19.78

286.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.60 NOK 164

$4.31 ฿142

308.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.97 NOK 176

$18.60 ฿615

1.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.17 NOK 29.44

$1.80 ฿59.6

76.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 NOK 28.53

$2.97 ฿98.1

3.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.85 NOK 45.03

$2.25 ฿74.3

115.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.9 NOK 789

$23.49 ฿777

261.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.06 NOK 56.3

$3.10 ฿103

95.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.25 NOK 11.63

$1.08 ฿35.59

15.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$104 NOK 970

$3.87 ฿128

2599.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.27 NOK 21.13

$1.43 ฿47.20

58.74%

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

$49.8K NOK 462.5K

$27.8K ฿918.9K

79.19%

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

$42.5K NOK 394.6K

$27.0K ฿892.4K

57.43%

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

$243 NOK 2,258

$105 ฿3,466

131.93%

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

$34.78 NOK 323

$11.39 ฿377

205.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.7 NOK 787

$17.54 ฿580

382.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.5 NOK 478

$54.3 ฿1,797

-5.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.11 NOK 345

$11.44 ฿378

224.39%

Cinema Ticket

$22.10 NOK 205

$7.78 ฿257

184.06%

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

$321 NOK 2,980

$576 ฿19.1K

-44.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.3K NOK 132.7K

$11.6K ฿383.0K

23.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$129 NOK 1,198

$63.6 ฿2,104

102.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.1 NOK 577

$29.10 ฿962

113.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$156 NOK 1,453

$96.2 ฿3,182

62.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$203 NOK 1,888

$90.0 ฿2,977

125.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,229 NOK 11.4K

$733 ฿24.2K

67.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,038 NOK 9,645

$501 ฿16.6K

107.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 NOK 19.0K

$2,126 ฿70.3K

-3.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,702 NOK 15.8K

$1,252 ฿41.4K

35.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,369 NOK 59.2K

$3,534 ฿116.9K

80.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,272 NOK 39.7K

$2,622 ฿86.7K

62.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,365 NOK 40.5K

$508 ฿16.8K

759.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.27

5.57

-5.39%

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

Last update for Mandal: September 8, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,229 in Mandal and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mandal pays 760% 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: $99.0 in Mandal vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $503 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

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 125% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 760% higher in Mandal, 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: $1,229 in Mandal versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,842 per month in Mandal versus $1,265 in Phuket – a 125% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 261% less than in Mandal. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,842 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 125% less than in Mandal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.