Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Akureyri

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $3,106 in Akureyri, rent and utilities included – about $21,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index

Jump to prices

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Akureyri

🇮🇸 Iceland

$3,106

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Akureyri

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

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $3,106 in Akureyri, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
Akureyri $3,106

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $4,176 in Akureyri, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
Akureyri $4,176

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $5,246 in Akureyri, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
Akureyri $5,246

Phuket is about 59% cheaper than Akureyri, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Phuket sits 6% below the global median, while Akureyri is 128% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$24.94 ISK 3,028

-82.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$129 ISK 15.6K

-74.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$22.63 ISK 2,748

-61.07%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$5.04 ISK 611

-43.85%

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

$0.87 ฿29.42

$3.35 ISK 406

-74.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.66

$2.99 ISK 363

-83.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$11.22 ISK 1,362

-77.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$9.62 ISK 1,168

-61.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$2.77 ISK 337

-40.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.32

$2.32 ISK 282

-37.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$3.14 ISK 382

-52.23%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$7.65 ISK 928

-72.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$15.85 ISK 1,925

20.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$24.82 ISK 3,013

-86.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$2.92 ISK 354

-42.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$3.45 ISK 419

-34.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$6.08 ISK 738

-65.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.97

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$13.71 ISK 1,664

-69.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.00

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.34

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.78

$2.59 ISK 314

-43.24%

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

$26.8K ฿903.7K

$41.3K ISK 5.0M

-35.12%

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

$26.7K ฿900.8K

$65.2K ISK 7.9M

-59.06%

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

$96.4 ฿3,252

$121 ISK 14.7K

-20.24%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$25.21 ISK 3,061

-55.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$165 ISK 20.0K

-89.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,269

$84.3 ISK 10.2K

-20.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$15.53 ISK 1,885

-51.71%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$367 ISK 44.6K

29.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,105

$80.8 ISK 9,810

-22.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,182

$122 ISK 14.8K

-22.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,896

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$1,835 ISK 222.7K

-60.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$1,833 ISK 222.5K

-73.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$2,186 ISK 265.4K

-34.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$6,596 ISK 800.8K

-36.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$6,483 ISK 787.1K

-53.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

9.4

-40.74%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Akureyri: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Akureyri

–

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Akureyri

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Akureyri

–

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Akureyri

–

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Akureyri

–

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Akureyri

–

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Akureyri

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $1,835 in Akureyri. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $129 in Akureyri. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $327 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇮🇸 Akureyri

🕒 Local time

15:02 3:02 PM

08:02 8:02 AM

7 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

19,219

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.38 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ISK, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 121 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD). 1 EUR = 135 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.38 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Akureyri 10,370 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Akureyri

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

Phuket vs Akureyri: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Akureyri is pricier by about 143%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $4,659 in Akureyri. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $716 there versus $1,835 in Akureyri.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket and $129 in Akureyri. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 23% more in Akureyri, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,278, than in Akureyri at $3,106. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Akureyri it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Phuket costs $1,278 versus $3,106 in Akureyri. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.