Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mandal and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,725 in Mandal, rent and utilities included – about $17,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

136

Cost of Living Index in Mandal
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Mandal Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Mandal

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,725

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mandal and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mandal and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,725 in Mandal versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Mandal $2,725
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,267 in Mandal versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Mandal $4,267
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,809 in Mandal versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Mandal $5,809
Phuket $3,154

Living in Mandal is roughly 113% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mandal is 100% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.01 NOK 231

$4.47 ฿151

459.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.7 NOK 913

$32.41 ฿1,092

204.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.02 NOK 148

$8.81 ฿297

81.84%

Cappuccino

$6.34 NOK 58.6

$2.83 ฿95.3

124.03%

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

$5.72 NOK 52.9

$0.87 ฿29.37

557.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 NOK 43.37

$0.49 ฿16.64

857.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.93 NOK 129

$2.56 ฿86.2

444.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.59 NOK 97.9

$3.68 ฿124

187.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.24 NOK 20.71

$1.66 ฿55.9

34.94%

White Bread (500g)

$3.50 NOK 32.36

$1.46 ฿49.25

139.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.90 NOK 36.05

$1.50 ฿50.4

160.00%

Eggs

$3.20 NOK 29.59

$2.09 ฿70.4

53.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.80 NOK 128

$19.07 ฿642

-27.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.23 NOK 159

$3.30 ฿111

422.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$36.02 NOK 333

$10.91 ฿368

230.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.69 NOK 34.15

$2.93 ฿98.7

25.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.79 NOK 25.81

$1.69 ฿56.9

65.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.51 NOK 32.50

$2.25 ฿75.7

56.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.06 NOK 46.79

$2.08 ฿70.0

143.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 NOK 24.66

$1.51 ฿50.9

76.82%

Onion (1kg)

$3.20 NOK 29.60

$1.38 ฿46.47

131.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.60 NOK 14.77

$1.07 ฿35.91

49.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 NOK 21.33

$0.52 ฿17.49

344.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.32 NOK 169

$4.20 ฿142

336.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.74 NOK 173

$18.79 ฿633

-0.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.26 NOK 30.20

$1.82 ฿61.4

79.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 NOK 27.78

$2.84 ฿95.7

5.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.18 NOK 38.71

$1.45 ฿48.93

188.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.6 NOK 903

$56.7 ฿1,909

72.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 NOK 56.2

$3.02 ฿102

100.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.28 NOK 11.83

$1.02 ฿34.29

25.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$106 NOK 977

$3.69 ฿124

2762.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 NOK 21.06

$1.47 ฿49.70

55.10%

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

$49.7K NOK 460.0K

$26.8K ฿902.4K

85.71%

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

$42.6K NOK 394.4K

$26.7K ฿899.5K

59.73%

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

$247 NOK 2,284

$96.4 ฿3,247

156.20%

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

$34.68 NOK 321

$11.26 ฿380

207.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.0 NOK 740

$16.85 ฿568

374.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.47 NOK 458

$67.2 ฿2,266

-26.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.91 NOK 360

$10.73 ฿361

262.63%

Cinema Ticket

$22.61 NOK 209

$7.50 ฿253

201.47%

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

$333 NOK 3,080

$476 ฿16.0K

-30.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K NOK 134.8K

$11.3K ฿379.6K

29.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$130 NOK 1,203

$62.4 ฿2,102

108.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.2 NOK 576

$28.41 ฿957

119.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$147 NOK 1,357

$94.3 ฿3,178

55.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$202 NOK 1,868

$85.8 ฿2,892

135.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,277 NOK 11.8K

$716 ฿24.1K

78.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$937 NOK 8,669

$491 ฿16.5K

90.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 NOK 18.6K

$1,927 ฿64.9K

4.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,819 NOK 16.8K

$1,431 ฿48.2K

27.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,862 NOK 54.2K

$4,175 ฿140.7K

40.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,360 NOK 40.3K

$3,045 ฿102.6K

43.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,450 NOK 41.2K

$502 ฿16.9K

785.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.24

5.57

-5.92%

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

Last update for Mandal: October 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mandal

$937 34.4%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 47.6% $446

Groceries & Markets

Mandal

$504 18.5%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 47.2% $238

Eating Out

Mandal

$457 16.8%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 73.4% $335

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mandal

$362 13.3%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 65.6% $237

Clothing & Footwear

Mandal

$243 8.9%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 49.9% $122

Getting Around

Mandal

$127 4.7%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 44.3% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Mandal

$95 3.5%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 13.2% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,277 in Mandal and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mandal pays about 8.9 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $99 in Mandal vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $504 vs $266 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇴 Mandal

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

05:25 5:25 AM

11:25 11:25 AM

6 h ahead of Mandal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,477

79,308

💱 Currency

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 NOK = 10.81 USD

100 NOK = 9.71 EUR

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to NOK – Norwegian Krone Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇴 Norwegian Krone (kr)

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 9.25 NOK (1 NOK = 0.108 USD). 1 EUR = 10.3 NOK (100 NOK = 9.71 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

USD to NOK in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Mandal Phuket 9,320 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Mandal
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 about 53% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Mandal is about 8.9 times higher, 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: $1,277 in Mandal versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,725 per month in Mandal versus $1,278 in Phuket – Phuket is about 53% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 42% less than in Mandal. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $1,278 in Phuket versus $2,725 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.

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, Mandal and Phuket are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53% less than in Mandal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.