Cost of Living Comparison Between Oslo and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Oslo and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,141 in Oslo versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,597 in Oslo versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,053 in Oslo versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Oslo is roughly 148% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Oslo is 134% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.53 NOK 238

$4.70 ฿153

443.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$123 NOK 1,144

$45.37 ฿1,482

170.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.15 NOK 141

$8.43 ฿275

79.72%

Cappuccino

$4.86 NOK 45.41

$2.93 ฿95.6

65.87%

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

$4.08 NOK 38.14

$0.69 ฿22.40

491.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 NOK 29.79

$0.37 ฿11.99

762.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.02 NOK 112

$2.41 ฿78.6

398.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.22 NOK 105

$3.72 ฿122

201.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 NOK 22.35

$2.23 ฿72.9

7.17%

White Bread (500g)

$4.09 NOK 38.17

$1.83 ฿59.8

123.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.66 NOK 34.19

$2.17 ฿70.8

68.66%

Eggs

$5.03 NOK 47.00

$2.21 ฿72.3

127.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.46 NOK 126

$19.74 ฿645

-31.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.04 NOK 150

$3.63 ฿119

341.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$30.76 NOK 287

$13.53 ฿442

127.35%

Apples (1kg)

$3.49 NOK 32.63

$3.28 ฿107

6.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.63 NOK 24.53

$1.61 ฿52.6

63.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.35 NOK 31.32

$2.41 ฿78.6

39.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.16 NOK 48.20

$2.08 ฿68.1

148.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.43 NOK 22.69

$1.53 ฿49.93

58.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.71 NOK 25.33

$1.48 ฿48.36

83.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 NOK 26.61

$0.99 ฿32.29

187.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 NOK 21.84

$0.51 ฿16.67

358.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.19 NOK 160

$4.41 ฿144

289.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.93 NOK 177

$19.38 ฿633

-2.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.35 NOK 31.28

$1.78 ฿58.1

88.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 NOK 40.87

$2.71 ฿88.6

61.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.31 NOK 40.20

$1.37 ฿44.79

214.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 NOK 727

$11.39 ฿372

583.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.04 NOK 93.8

$3.02 ฿98.6

232.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 NOK 12.93

$0.99 ฿32.48

39.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.24 NOK 394

$14.10 ฿461

199.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 NOK 20.34

$1.36 ฿44.51

60.29%

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

$36.5K NOK 340.5K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

29.32%

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

$42.7K NOK 398.5K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

29.72%

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

$304 NOK 2,834

$122 ฿3,975

149.47%

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

$31.63 NOK 295

$13.57 ฿443

133.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.0 NOK 532

$18.31 ฿598

211.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.8 NOK 539

$60.2 ฿1,967

-4.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.64 NOK 267

$17.14 ฿560

67.09%

Cinema Ticket

$18.01 NOK 168

$8.69 ฿284

107.25%

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

$274 NOK 2,556

$693 ฿22.6K

-60.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.5K NOK 135.8K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-7.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 NOK 987

$59.5 ฿1,944

77.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.4 NOK 611

$34.77 ฿1,136

88.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 NOK 1,158

$115 ฿3,743

8.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$168 NOK 1,572

$83.3 ฿2,720

102.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,671 NOK 15.6K

$613 ฿20.0K

172.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,446 NOK 13.5K

$437 ฿14.3K

230.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,749 NOK 25.7K

$2,094 ฿68.4K

31.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,165 NOK 20.2K

$1,509 ฿49.3K

43.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.0K NOK 112.2K

$3,749 ฿122.5K

220.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,295 NOK 68.1K

$2,616 ฿85.4K

178.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,411 NOK 41.2K

$508 ฿16.6K

768.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.08

5.33

-4.69%

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

Last update for Oslo: May 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,671 in Oslo and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oslo pays 768% 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: $122 in Oslo vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $500 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

Oslo vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 148% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Oslo pays 768% 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: $1,671 in Oslo versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $3,141 per month in Oslo versus $1,265 in Phuket – a 148% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 584% less than in Oslo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $3,141 in Oslo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Oslo. 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 Oslo, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Oslo 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 148% less than in Oslo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.