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: $2,489 in Mandal versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,859 in Mandal versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,229 in Mandal versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Mandal is roughly 102% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mandal is 86% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.16 NOK 234

$4.63 ฿151

443.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 NOK 1,119

$46.84 ฿1,523

156.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.03 NOK 140

$8.84 ฿287

70.02%

Cappuccino

$5.07 NOK 47.23

$3.00 ฿97.4

69.00%

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

$3.88 NOK 36.12

$0.74 ฿24.11

424.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 NOK 31.60

$0.37 ฿11.88

816.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.09 NOK 103

$2.44 ฿79.3

354.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.14 NOK 94.5

$3.61 ฿117

180.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.09 NOK 19.49

$2.26 ฿73.5

-7.52%

White Bread (500g)

$3.15 NOK 29.34

$1.84 ฿59.8

71.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.46 NOK 41.54

$2.24 ฿73.0

99.11%

Eggs

$2.99 NOK 27.90

$2.32 ฿75.3

28.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.32 NOK 124

$19.67 ฿639

-32.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.78 NOK 147

$3.65 ฿119

332.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.97 NOK 251

$13.10 ฿426

105.88%

Apples (1kg)

$3.42 NOK 31.92

$3.39 ฿110

0.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.62 NOK 24.39

$1.64 ฿53.4

59.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 NOK 27.93

$2.41 ฿78.5

24.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.64 NOK 43.23

$2.03 ฿66.0

128.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 NOK 19.23

$1.56 ฿50.6

32.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.95 NOK 27.48

$1.50 ฿48.66

96.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 NOK 13.76

$1.02 ฿33.30

45.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 NOK 17.15

$0.49 ฿15.91

275.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.40 NOK 143

$4.45 ฿145

246.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.20 NOK 179

$18.88 ฿614

1.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.11 NOK 28.96

$1.78 ฿57.7

74.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 NOK 27.27

$2.75 ฿89.5

6.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.13 NOK 38.47

$1.40 ฿45.54

195.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 NOK 677

$11.48 ฿373

532.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.70 NOK 53.1

$3.12 ฿101

82.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 NOK 9.80

$1.00 ฿32.48

5.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$99.6 NOK 928

$14.09 ฿458

606.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 NOK 19.61

$1.35 ฿43.93

55.56%

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

$34.7K NOK 323.2K

$27.2K ฿883.7K

27.56%

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

$32.1K NOK 299.6K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-2.37%

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

$194 NOK 1,805

$125 ฿4,063

54.99%

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

$32.72 NOK 305

$13.57 ฿441

141.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.7 NOK 752

$18.52 ฿602

335.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.72 NOK 454

$61.5 ฿1,999

-20.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.29 NOK 329

$16.84 ฿547

109.56%

Cinema Ticket

$18.92 NOK 176

$9.19 ฿299

105.88%

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

$320 NOK 2,985

$698 ฿22.7K

-54.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K NOK 120.9K

$15.6K ฿506.9K

-16.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$116 NOK 1,079

$57.8 ฿1,878

100.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.0 NOK 559

$35.24 ฿1,146

70.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 NOK 969

$113 ฿3,677

-8.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$161 NOK 1,499

$86.4 ฿2,808

86.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,210 NOK 11.3K

$616 ฿20.0K

96.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$888 NOK 8,280

$446 ฿14.5K

99.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,805 NOK 16.8K

$2,048 ฿66.6K

-11.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,551 NOK 14.5K

$1,492 ฿48.5K

3.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,484 NOK 51.1K

$3,779 ฿122.8K

45.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,627 NOK 43.1K

$2,649 ฿86.1K

74.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,425 NOK 41.2K

$524 ฿17.0K

744.79%

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: April 28, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,210 in Mandal and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mandal pays 745% 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: $120 in Mandal vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $450 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

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 102% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Mandal pays 745% 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: $1,210 in Mandal versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,489 per month in Mandal versus $1,232 in Phuket – a 102% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 532% less than in Mandal. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,489 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 102% less than in Mandal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.