Cost of Living Comparison Between Molde and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Molde and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,410 in Molde versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,669 in Molde versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,929 in Molde versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Molde is roughly 91% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Molde is 79% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.59 NOK 243

$4.56 ฿149

461.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.4 NOK 754

$46.63 ฿1,519

70.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.54 NOK 129

$8.47 ฿276

59.86%

Cappuccino

$5.18 NOK 49.13

$3.03 ฿98.6

70.96%

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

$2.88 NOK 27.32

$0.69 ฿22.45

317.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 NOK 25.26

$0.37 ฿11.92

618.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.06 NOK 86.0

$2.49 ฿81.0

263.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.96 NOK 94.6

$3.66 ฿119

172.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 NOK 20.87

$2.18 ฿71.0

0.92%

White Bread (500g)

$3.01 NOK 28.58

$1.90 ฿62.0

58.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.87 NOK 36.76

$2.20 ฿71.6

75.91%

Eggs

$3.09 NOK 29.28

$2.22 ฿72.4

39.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 NOK 85.9

$19.99 ฿651

-54.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.79 NOK 159

$3.66 ฿119

358.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.72 NOK 263

$13.25 ฿432

109.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.50 NOK 23.75

$3.23 ฿105

-22.60%

Banana (1kg)

$3.06 NOK 29.03

$1.70 ฿55.3

80.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.38 NOK 32.13

$2.39 ฿78.0

41.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.55 NOK 52.6

$2.08 ฿67.7

166.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 NOK 14.56

$1.59 ฿51.8

-3.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 NOK 21.70

$1.48 ฿48.31

54.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.58 NOK 24.46

$1.03 ฿33.54

150.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 NOK 17.51

$0.52 ฿16.83

253.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.27 NOK 173

$4.25 ฿138

329.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.17 NOK 173

$18.79 ฿612

-3.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 NOK 27.65

$1.76 ฿57.2

65.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.01 NOK 38.06

$2.76 ฿89.8

45.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.31 NOK 40.89

$1.36 ฿44.32

216.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.8 NOK 786

$11.36 ฿370

629.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.18 NOK 96.6

$3.14 ฿102

224.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 NOK 13.10

$1.04 ฿33.74

32.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$47.05 NOK 447

$13.77 ฿448

241.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 NOK 21.31

$1.34 ฿43.79

67.16%

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

$35.9K NOK 340.5K

$27.7K ฿901.4K

29.61%

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

$39.0K NOK 370.5K

$33.9K ฿1.1M

15.28%

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

$241 NOK 2,291

$124 ฿4,025

95.32%

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

$37.92 NOK 360

$13.52 ฿440

180.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.6 NOK 518

$18.69 ฿609

192.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.0 NOK 475

$61.8 ฿2,013

-19.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.26 NOK 335

$17.25 ฿562

104.41%

Cinema Ticket

$16.69 NOK 158

$9.14 ฿298

82.60%

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

$200 NOK 1,901

$703 ฿22.9K

-71.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K NOK 97.5K

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-35.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.7 NOK 927

$59.5 ฿1,937

64.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.3 NOK 497

$35.07 ฿1,142

49.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 NOK 964

$115 ฿3,754

-11.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$151 NOK 1,434

$84.1 ฿2,737

79.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,174 NOK 11.1K

$619 ฿20.1K

89.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$903 NOK 8,574

$433 ฿14.1K

108.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,439 NOK 13.7K

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-30.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,456 NOK 13.8K

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-3.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,190 NOK 58.8K

$3,646 ฿118.7K

69.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,482 NOK 42.5K

$2,626 ฿85.5K

70.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,624 NOK 34.4K

$507 ฿16.5K

614.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.75

5.33

-29.64%

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

Last update for Molde: June 7, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,174 in Molde and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Molde pays 615% 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: $79.0 in Molde vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $447 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

Molde vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 91% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Molde pays 615% 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: $1,174 in Molde versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $200 in Molde versus $703 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 53% higher in Molde. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $2,410 in Molde, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Molde. 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 Molde, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Molde 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 91% less than in Molde. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.