Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Drangsnes Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Drangsnes

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,602 in Drangsnes.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $2,826 in Drangsnes.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $4,050 in Drangsnes.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 21% less than in Drangsnes, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 5% below, Drangsnes is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$27.09 ISK 3,349

-83.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$146 ISK 18.0K

-68.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$22.43 ISK 2,772

-60.95%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$6.21 ISK 767

-52.17%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$3.37 ISK 416

-79.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$2.56 ISK 316

-84.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$12.80 ISK 1,582

-80.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$11.29 ISK 1,396

-66.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.96 ISK 243

9.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$4.35 ISK 537

-58.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$3.67 ISK 453

-40.60%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$6.48 ISK 801

-65.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$18.10 ISK 2,237

10.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$24.54 ISK 3,033

-85.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$41.85 ISK 5,172

-67.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$3.21 ISK 397

0.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$2.46 ISK 304

-33.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$3.11 ISK 384

-25.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$5.14 ISK 636

-59.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$3.72 ISK 459

-58.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$2.32 ISK 286

-37.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$3.04 ISK 376

-67.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$2.01 ISK 249

-76.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$13.39 ISK 1,655

-67.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$23.52 ISK 2,907

-21.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$3.57 ISK 441

-47.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$3.26 ISK 403

-18.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$6.33 ISK 782

-49.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$2.65 ISK 327

-61.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$85.5 ISK 10.6K

-83.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$2.53 ISK 313

-47.04%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$46.9K ISK 5.8M

-40.69%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$52.7K ISK 6.5M

-36.70%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$86.7 ISK 10.7K

41.93%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$27.67 ISK 3,420

-50.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$85.9 ISK 10.6K

-78.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$17.91 ISK 2,213

-50.47%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$315 ISK 38.9K

118.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$29.5K ISK 3.6M

-46.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$139 ISK 17.2K

-57.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$60.9 ISK 7,523

-43.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$184 ISK 22.8K

-37.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$266 ISK 32.9K

-68.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$5,921 ISK 731.8K

-91.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

9.63

-44.65%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Drangsnes: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Drangsnes pays 1100% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $146 in Drangsnes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $599 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 Drangsnes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 27% lower than in Drangsnes. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 1100% lower in Drangsnes. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $315 in Drangsnes. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $146 in Drangsnes. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,602 in Drangsnes, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Drangsnes. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,264 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Drangsnes 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 27% less than in Drangsnes. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.