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: $3,387 in Oslo versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,974 in Oslo versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,560 in Oslo versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Oslo is roughly 168% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Oslo is 146% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.27 NOK 197

$4.66 ฿154

356.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$128 NOK 1,185

$32.22 ฿1,065

296.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.44 NOK 153

$8.68 ฿287

89.40%

Cappuccino

$5.90 NOK 54.7

$2.90 ฿95.8

103.45%

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

$4.24 NOK 39.33

$0.84 ฿27.89

404.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 NOK 33.09

$0.49 ฿16.16

628.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.07 NOK 112

$2.48 ฿82.0

386.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.80 NOK 119

$3.73 ฿123

243.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.58 NOK 23.90

$1.89 ฿62.3

36.51%

White Bread (500g)

$4.34 NOK 40.29

$1.41 ฿46.54

207.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.62 NOK 42.88

$1.62 ฿53.6

185.19%

Eggs

$6.15 NOK 57.1

$2.24 ฿74.1

174.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.72 NOK 137

$19.84 ฿656

-25.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.54 NOK 144

$3.48 ฿115

346.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$30.93 NOK 287

$11.37 ฿376

172.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.35 NOK 31.04

$2.90 ฿95.8

15.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.79 NOK 25.89

$1.72 ฿57.0

62.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 NOK 32.23

$2.27 ฿75.1

52.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.99 NOK 55.5

$2.13 ฿70.4

181.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 NOK 24.95

$1.47 ฿48.72

82.99%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 NOK 26.76

$1.42 ฿46.92

102.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.26 NOK 30.22

$1.10 ฿36.25

196.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.56 NOK 23.76

$0.60 ฿19.76

326.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.43 NOK 180

$4.31 ฿142

350.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.04 NOK 158

$18.60 ฿615

-8.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.60 NOK 33.38

$1.80 ฿59.5

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 NOK 40.08

$2.97 ฿98.0

45.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.98 NOK 46.20

$2.25 ฿74.2

121.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.3 NOK 800

$23.49 ฿776

267.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.52 NOK 116

$3.10 ฿102

303.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 NOK 17.80

$1.08 ฿35.56

77.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$70.6 NOK 655

$3.87 ฿128

1724.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.26 NOK 20.96

$1.43 ฿47.16

58.04%

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

$48.7K NOK 451.7K

$27.8K ฿918.0K

75.26%

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

$45.3K NOK 420.1K

$27.0K ฿891.5K

67.84%

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

$424 NOK 3,932

$105 ฿3,462

304.46%

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

$32.72 NOK 304

$11.39 ฿376

187.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.1 NOK 530

$17.54 ฿580

225.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.3 NOK 559

$54.3 ฿1,795

10.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.67 NOK 275

$11.44 ฿378

159.35%

Cinema Ticket

$19.71 NOK 183

$7.78 ฿257

153.34%

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

$252 NOK 2,336

$576 ฿19.0K

-56.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K NOK 150.6K

$11.6K ฿382.7K

40.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 NOK 963

$63.6 ฿2,103

63.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.7 NOK 582

$29.10 ฿961

115.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$134 NOK 1,247

$96.2 ฿3,179

39.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 NOK 1,502

$90.0 ฿2,974

79.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,043 NOK 19.0K

$733 ฿24.2K

178.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,543 NOK 14.3K

$501 ฿16.5K

207.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,027 NOK 28.1K

$2,126 ฿70.2K

42.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,304 NOK 21.4K

$1,252 ฿41.4K

83.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.2K NOK 113.6K

$3,534 ฿116.8K

246.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,156 NOK 66.4K

$2,622 ฿86.6K

172.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,594 NOK 42.6K

$508 ฿16.8K

805.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.96

5.57

-10.95%

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

Last update for Oslo: September 7, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,043 in Oslo and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oslo pays 805% 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: $128 in Oslo vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $523 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

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 168% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 805% higher in Oslo, 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: $2,043 in Oslo versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $3,387 per month in Oslo versus $1,265 in Phuket – a 168% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 267% 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 $3,387 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 168% less than in Oslo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.