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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,583 in Drangsnes.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $2,763 in Drangsnes.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $3,943 in Drangsnes.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 22% less than in Drangsnes, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, Drangsnes is 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$26.38 ISK 3,230

-82.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$143 ISK 17.6K

-67.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$22.74 ISK 2,785

-61.13%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$6.21 ISK 761

-51.69%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$3.36 ISK 411

-77.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$2.64 ISK 324

-85.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$12.89 ISK 1,578

-81.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$11.15 ISK 1,366

-67.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.92 ISK 236

17.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$4.21 ISK 516

-56.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$3.55 ISK 435

-36.90%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$6.19 ISK 758

-62.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$18.04 ISK 2,209

9.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$24.15 ISK 2,957

-84.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$42.81 ISK 5,242

-69.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$3.22 ISK 394

5.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$2.41 ISK 295

-31.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$3.11 ISK 380

-22.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$5.04 ISK 617

-59.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$3.59 ISK 440

-56.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$2.32 ISK 284

-35.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$3.13 ISK 384

-67.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$1.94 ISK 237

-74.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$13.63 ISK 1,669

-67.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$22.76 ISK 2,787

-17.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$3.58 ISK 438

-50.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$3.22 ISK 394

-14.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$6.42 ISK 786

-51.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$2.51 ISK 308

-60.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$85.4 ISK 10.5K

-83.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$2.48 ISK 304

-45.56%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$47.2K ISK 5.8M

-42.40%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$52.2K ISK 6.4M

-36.91%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$88.2 ISK 10.8K

41.72%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$27.68 ISK 3,390

-50.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$84.6 ISK 10.4K

-78.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$17.39 ISK 2,129

-47.15%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$319 ISK 39.1K

118.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$30.4K ISK 3.7M

-48.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$137 ISK 16.8K

-57.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$62.4 ISK 7,642

-43.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$183 ISK 22.4K

-38.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$268 ISK 32.9K

-67.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$6,054 ISK 741.2K

-91.35%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Drangsnes: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Drangsnes pays 1056% 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 $143 in Drangsnes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $593 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 29% 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, Drangsnes earns 1056% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $319 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 $47.00 versus $143 in Drangsnes. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,583 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 $1,232 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 29% less than in Drangsnes. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.