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: $3,203 in Oslo versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,686 in Oslo versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,170 in Oslo versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Oslo is roughly 156% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Oslo is 140% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.37 NOK 245

$4.55 ฿153

457.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 NOK 1,164

$46.18 ฿1,553

160.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.96 NOK 145

$8.84 ฿297

69.23%

Cappuccino

$5.08 NOK 49.07

$3.06 ฿103

66.01%

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

$4.10 NOK 39.66

$0.73 ฿24.40

461.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 NOK 30.85

$0.40 ฿13.39

697.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.37 NOK 120

$2.43 ฿81.8

409.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.03 NOK 107

$3.78 ฿127

191.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.40 NOK 23.24

$2.26 ฿76.0

6.19%

White Bread (500g)

$4.03 NOK 39.00

$1.81 ฿60.9

122.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.67 NOK 35.50

$2.25 ฿75.8

63.11%

Eggs

$4.95 NOK 47.82

$2.25 ฿75.5

120.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.66 NOK 132

$19.51 ฿656

-29.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.41 NOK 159

$3.65 ฿123

349.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$31.39 NOK 303

$13.05 ฿439

140.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 NOK 34.85

$3.23 ฿109

11.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.63 NOK 25.44

$1.62 ฿54.4

62.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.45 NOK 33.39

$2.38 ฿80.1

44.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.07 NOK 48.98

$2.03 ฿68.1

149.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.51 NOK 24.22

$1.53 ฿51.6

64.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.71 NOK 26.22

$1.50 ฿50.5

80.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 NOK 26.83

$0.98 ฿32.91

183.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 NOK 23.25

$0.52 ฿17.39

363.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.46 NOK 169

$4.44 ฿149

293.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.64 NOK 180

$18.32 ฿616

1.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.41 NOK 33.00

$1.86 ฿62.7

83.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 NOK 42.06

$2.68 ฿90.1

62.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.18 NOK 40.44

$1.41 ฿47.46

196.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.6 NOK 769

$11.70 ฿393

580.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.20 NOK 98.6

$3.11 ฿105

227.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 NOK 13.60

$1.04 ฿35.06

35.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.75 NOK 404

$14.11 ฿474

195.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.27 NOK 21.96

$1.31 ฿44.10

73.28%

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

$36.7K NOK 354.3K

$27.8K ฿935.4K

31.76%

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

$42.3K NOK 409.3K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

27.47%

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

$296 NOK 2,863

$122 ฿4,118

141.84%

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

$31.29 NOK 302

$13.59 ฿457

130.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.5 NOK 536

$18.70 ฿629

196.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 NOK 554

$60.5 ฿2,034

-5.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.40 NOK 275

$16.98 ฿571

67.26%

Cinema Ticket

$18.01 NOK 174

$9.07 ฿305

98.57%

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

$274 NOK 2,653

$706 ฿23.8K

-61.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K NOK 141.9K

$15.8K ฿531.5K

-7.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 NOK 999

$58.6 ฿1,969

76.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.5 NOK 623

$35.36 ฿1,189

82.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 NOK 1,169

$115 ฿3,883

4.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$168 NOK 1,620

$83.7 ฿2,816

100.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,700 NOK 16.4K

$626 ฿21.0K

171.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,441 NOK 13.9K

$445 ฿15.0K

223.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,677 NOK 25.9K

$2,040 ฿68.6K

31.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,180 NOK 21.1K

$1,492 ฿50.2K

46.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.5K NOK 111.3K

$3,483 ฿117.1K

230.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,961 NOK 67.3K

$2,577 ฿86.7K

170.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,256 NOK 41.1K

$500 ฿16.8K

751.42%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,700 in Oslo and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oslo pays 751% 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 Oslo vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $505 vs $289 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 156% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 751% 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: $1,700 in Oslo versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $3,203 per month in Oslo versus $1,250 in Phuket – a 156% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 580% less than in Oslo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $3,203 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 156% less than in Oslo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.