Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Baerum

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $3,200 in Baerum, rent and utilities included – about $23,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
154

Cost of Living Index in Baerum
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Baerum Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Baerum

🇳🇴 Norway

$3,200

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Baerum

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

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $3,200 in Baerum, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
Baerum $3,200

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $4,976 in Baerum, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
Baerum $4,976

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $6,752 in Baerum, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
Baerum $6,752

Phuket is about 60% cheaper than Baerum, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Phuket sits 6% below the global median, while Baerum is 135% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$21.48 NOK 197

-79.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$131 NOK 1,203

-75.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$16.27 NOK 149

-45.85%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$6.07 NOK 55.7

-53.38%

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

$0.87 ฿29.41

$4.30 NOK 39.52

-79.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$3.35 NOK 30.77

-85.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$11.64 NOK 107

-78.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$13.09 NOK 120

-71.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$2.49 NOK 22.83

-33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.31

$3.67 NOK 33.75

-60.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$4.92 NOK 45.22

-69.51%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$5.89 NOK 54.1

-64.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$10.74 NOK 98.7

77.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$15.80 NOK 145

-79.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$32.14 NOK 295

-66.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$2.70 NOK 24.78

8.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$2.09 NOK 19.23

-19.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$2.10 NOK 19.28

7.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$4.39 NOK 40.29

-52.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.74 NOK 16.02

-13.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.52

$2.87 NOK 26.34

-51.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.96

$3.29 NOK 30.19

-67.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$2.53 NOK 23.24

-79.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$19.05 NOK 175

-77.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$17.01 NOK 156

10.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$3.64 NOK 33.43

-50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$4.46 NOK 41.01

-36.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.98

$4.40 NOK 40.44

-67.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$12.34 NOK 113

-75.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.33

$1.83 NOK 16.77

-44.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$70.7 NOK 649

-94.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.76

$2.35 NOK 21.59

-37.45%

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

$26.8K ฿903.4K

$29.2K NOK 268.3K

-8.30%

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

$26.7K ฿900.5K

$26.1K NOK 239.6K

2.34%

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

$96.4 ฿3,251

$340 NOK 3,119

-71.62%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$34.21 NOK 314

-67.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$55.3 NOK 508

-69.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$54.7 NOK 502

22.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$15.85 NOK 146

-52.68%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$245 NOK 2,253

94.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.0K

$16.0K NOK 146.5K

-29.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,104

$103 NOK 946

-39.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$62.4 NOK 574

-54.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,181

$135 NOK 1,241

-30.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,895

$160 NOK 1,466

-46.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$1,747 NOK 16.0K

-59.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$1,546 NOK 14.2K

-68.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$3,538 NOK 32.5K

-45.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$2,995 NOK 27.5K

-52.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$11.3K NOK 104.2K

-63.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

$10.1K NOK 93.0K

-69.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$5,569 NOK 51.2K

-90.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.6

21.09%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Baerum: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Baerum

$1.5K 48.3% 215% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Baerum

$484 15.1% 82% $218

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Baerum

$429 13.4% 245% $305

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Baerum

$207 6.5% 69.8% $85

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Baerum

$408 12.8% 236% $287

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Baerum

$86 2.7% 5.1% $4.2

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Baerum

$39 * 1.2% 44.6% $32

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $1,747 in Baerum. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Baerum are about 11 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $131 in Baerum. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $484 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇳🇴 Baerum

🕒 Local time

07:54 7:54 AM

01:54 1:54 AM

6 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

131,136

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100 NOK = 10.88 USD

100 NOK = 9.75 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 9.19 NOK (1 NOK = 0.109 USD). 1 EUR = 10.26 NOK (100 NOK = 9.75 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Baerum 9,130 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Baerum

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 Baerum: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Baerum is pricier by about 150%, 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 $4,800 in Baerum. 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 $1,747 in Baerum.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $3,200 in Baerum. That makes Phuket about 60% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $476 per month in Phuket and $245 in Baerum. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,278, than in Baerum at $3,200. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Baerum it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,278 in Phuket to $3,200 in Baerum. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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

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