Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Asker

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,208 a month against $2,736 in Asker, rent and utilities included – about $18,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
133

Cost of Living Index in Asker
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Asker Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Asker

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,736

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Asker

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 Asker actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,208 per month in Phuket vs $2,736 in Asker, rent included.

Phuket $1,208
Asker $2,736

A couple spends around $2,027 per month in Phuket vs $3,894 in Asker, rent included.

Phuket $2,027
Asker $3,894

A family of three spends $2,845 per month in Phuket vs $5,053 in Asker, rent included.

Phuket $2,845
Asker $5,053

Phuket is about 56% cheaper than Asker, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Phuket sits 11% below the global median, while Asker is 102% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 ฿147

$20.81 NOK 196

-78.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,078

$62.8 NOK 591

-48.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$12.34 NOK 116

-29.01%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿94.5

$6.05 NOK 57.0

-53.22%

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

$0.90 ฿30.14

$2.82 NOK 26.55

-68.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.56

$1.83 NOK 17.23

-74.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 ฿85.2

$11.85 NOK 112

-78.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$11.43 NOK 108

-66.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.7

$2.30 NOK 21.64

-24.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿49.11

$3.35 NOK 31.56

-56.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$3.67 NOK 34.54

-58.86%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$3.47 NOK 32.70

-37.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.70 ฿658

$3.75 NOK 35.29

425.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ฿112

$11.70 NOK 110

-71.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 ฿373

$8.54 NOK 80.4

30.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ฿95.1

$3.28 NOK 30.87

-13.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿56.9

$2.66 NOK 25.01

-36.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.3

$3.57 NOK 33.60

-38.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$4.64 NOK 43.70

-55.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 ฿48.57

$2.64 NOK 24.85

-45.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.16

$2.92 NOK 27.49

-52.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.69

$1.56 NOK 14.65

-31.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.91

$2.08 NOK 19.55

-75.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$18.51 NOK 174

-76.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.58 ฿621

$16.73 NOK 158

11.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.7

$3.35 NOK 31.52

-46.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.2

$4.15 NOK 39.02

-31.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿75.6

$4.65 NOK 43.77

-51.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

$80.1 NOK 754

-72.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 ฿101

$11.83 NOK 111

-74.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.34

$1.80 NOK 16.95

-41.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 ฿129

$68.2 NOK 642

-94.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.45

$2.25 NOK 21.18

-35.56%

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

$26.3K ฿879.9K

$48.9K NOK 460.1K

-46.13%

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

$26.9K ฿900.4K

$43.8K NOK 412.7K

-38.54%

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

$96.4 ฿3,221

$416 NOK 3,914

-76.82%

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

$11.04 ฿369

$30.73 NOK 289

-64.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.14 ฿573

$31.58 NOK 297

-45.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 ฿1,744

$49.84 NOK 469

4.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

$36.23 NOK 341

-69.20%

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ฿261

$15.45 NOK 145

-49.45%

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

$556 ฿18.6K

$237 NOK 2,231

134.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿387.0K

$15.5K NOK 146.1K

-25.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.2 ฿2,146

$99.8 NOK 940

-35.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.69 ฿959

$60.0 NOK 565

-52.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 ฿3,187

$134 NOK 1,260

-28.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 ฿2,940

$154 NOK 1,452

-42.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 ฿24.6K

$1,505 NOK 14.2K

-51.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ฿15.5K

$1,126 NOK 10.6K

-58.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 ฿70.0K

$2,148 NOK 20.2K

-2.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 ฿40.1K

$1,794 NOK 16.9K

-33.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 ฿116.6K

$6,009 NOK 56.6K

-41.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,523 ฿84.3K

$4,061 NOK 38.2K

-37.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.7K

$3,913 NOK 36.8K

-87.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.87

43.93%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Last update for Asker: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$462 38.3%

Asker

$1.1K 41.1% 144% $663

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$269 22.2%

Asker

$354 12.9% 31.7% $85

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.3%

Asker

$478 17.5% 284% $353

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Asker

$202 7.4% 62.1% $77

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10%

Asker

$377 13.8% 211% $256

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.6%

Asker

$81 3% 19.1% $13

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Asker

$120 4.4% 203% $80

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $737 in Phuket versus $1,505 in Asker. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 681% higher in Asker, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket versus $63.0 in Asker. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $269 vs $354 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇳🇴 Asker

🕒 Local time

13:17 1:17 PM

08:17 8:17 AM

5 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

99,214

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 NOK = 10.62 USD

100 NOK = 9.45 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NOK, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 9.41 NOK (1 NOK = 0.106 USD). 1 EUR = 10.58 NOK (100 NOK = 9.45 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Asker 9,130 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Asker

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 Asker: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Asker costs about 126% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,813 per month in Phuket and $4,104 in Asker. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $556 per month in Phuket and $237 in Asker. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 32% more in Asker, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,208, than in Asker at $2,736. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Asker it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Phuket costs $1,208 versus $2,736 in Asker. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Asker makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.