Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Askim Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Askim

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $2,641 in Askim.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $4,014 in Askim.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $5,387 in Askim.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 52% less than in Askim, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Askim is 96% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$25.47 NOK 242

-82.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$120 NOK 1,141

-61.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$15.44 NOK 147

-45.14%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$4.81 NOK 45.70

-37.01%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$4.06 NOK 38.49

-83.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$3.18 NOK 30.15

-88.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$12.04 NOK 114

-79.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$11.30 NOK 107

-67.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$2.38 NOK 22.54

-8.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$4.13 NOK 39.24

-54.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$3.52 NOK 33.39

-37.50%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$5.12 NOK 48.56

-56.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$13.26 NOK 126

50.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$16.48 NOK 156

-77.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$31.70 NOK 301

-58.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$3.58 NOK 33.94

-9.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$2.51 NOK 23.80

-32.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$3.28 NOK 31.16

-27.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$5.15 NOK 48.84

-59.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$2.52 NOK 23.90

-36.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$2.68 NOK 25.40

-44.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$2.84 NOK 26.99

-63.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$2.40 NOK 22.79

-78.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$16.92 NOK 161

-74.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$19.18 NOK 182

-2.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$3.52 NOK 33.45

-50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$4.36 NOK 41.37

-36.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$4.14 NOK 39.28

-67.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$74.0 NOK 703

-84.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$10.09 NOK 95.8

-68.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$1.46 NOK 13.86

-28.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$42.48 NOK 403

-67.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$2.17 NOK 20.58

-38.25%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$36.0K NOK 341.7K

-23.11%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$36.9K NOK 350.3K

-8.26%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$300 NOK 2,845

-58.77%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$31.25 NOK 297

-56.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$55.7 NOK 528

-66.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$49.99 NOK 474

23.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$35.77 NOK 340

-51.78%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$14.97 NOK 142

-38.94%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$273 NOK 2,591

157.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$14.6K NOK 138.8K

8.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$103 NOK 977

-42.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$64.9 NOK 616

-45.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$124 NOK 1,178

-7.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$166 NOK 1,576

-49.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$1,198 NOK 11.4K

-48.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$882 NOK 8,371

-50.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$1,827 NOK 17.3K

12.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$1,522 NOK 14.5K

-0.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$6,010 NOK 57.0K

-39.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$4,498 NOK 42.7K

-41.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$4,186 NOK 39.7K

-87.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

5.08

4.92%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Askim: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $1,198 in Askim. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Askim pays 726% 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $120 in Askim for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $506 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

Phuket vs Askim: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Askim differ by about 109% in total monthly costs ($1,261 vs $2,641 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Askim earns 726% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $619 in Phuket versus $1,198 in Askim. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $120 in Askim. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,261 per month in Phuket versus $2,641 in Askim – a 109% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $2,641 in Askim, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Askim. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Askim 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 109% less than in Askim. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.