Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Elverum

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,805 in Elverum, rent and utilities included – about $18,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Elverum, Norway
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Elverum
🇳🇴 Norway
$2,805
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Elverum

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

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $2,805 in Elverum, rent included.

  • Phuket $1,278
  • Elverum $2,805

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $4,229 in Elverum, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,216
  • Elverum $4,229

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $5,654 in Elverum, rent included.

  • Phuket $3,154
  • Elverum $5,654

Phuket is about 54% cheaper than Elverum, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Phuket sits 6% below the global median, while Elverum is 106% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Elverum
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ฿151
$21.64 NOK 201
-79.34%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.41 ฿1,094
$110 NOK 1,024
-70.61%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 ฿297
$16.40 NOK 152
-46.28%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.5
$5.58 NOK 51.8
-49.28%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 ฿29.43
$5.64 NOK 52.4
-84.57%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.67
$4.26 NOK 39.56
-88.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 ฿86.4
$13.68 NOK 127
-81.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 ฿124
$13.07 NOK 121
-71.84%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Elverum
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ฿56.0
$2.63 NOK 24.47
-36.88%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿49.35
$3.61 NOK 33.50
-59.56%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.6
$3.73 NOK 34.63
-59.79%
Eggs
$2.09 ฿70.5
$4.93 NOK 45.84
-57.61%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.07 ฿644
$13.56 NOK 126
40.63%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$16.69 NOK 155
-80.23%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.91 ฿368
$32.85 NOK 305
-66.79%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 ฿99.0
$3.92 NOK 36.45
-25.26%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿57.1
$2.94 NOK 27.33
-42.52%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 ฿75.8
$3.82 NOK 35.50
-41.10%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿70.1
$5.64 NOK 52.4
-63.12%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 ฿51.0
$2.98 NOK 27.67
-49.33%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.56
$3.11 NOK 28.86
-55.63%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.99
$2.88 NOK 26.76
-62.85%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.52
$2.27 NOK 21.12
-77.09%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 ฿142
$17.64 NOK 164
-76.19%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿634
$18.67 NOK 173
0.64%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ฿61.5
$3.53 NOK 32.82
-48.44%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.9
$4.57 NOK 42.43
-37.86%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Elverum
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿49.03
$4.17 NOK 38.74
-65.23%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.7 ฿1,913
$81.5 NOK 757
-30.49%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿102
$9.49 NOK 88.1
-68.18%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ฿34.36
$1.66 NOK 15.46
-38.55%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ฿125
$60.4 NOK 562
-93.89%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.81
$2.60 NOK 24.20
-43.46%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K ฿904.3K
$47.4K NOK 440.7K
-43.55%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿901.3K
$46.5K NOK 432.4K
-42.66%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Elverum
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,254
$275 NOK 2,556
-64.98%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.26 ฿380
$35.85 NOK 333
-68.59%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.85 ฿569
$83.0 NOK 771
-79.69%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Elverum
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 ฿2,270
$56.1 NOK 521
19.82%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.73 ฿362
$38.16 NOK 355
-71.88%
Cinema Ticket
$7.50 ฿253
$19.20 NOK 178
-60.94%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Elverum
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 ฿16.1K
$301 NOK 2,793
58.31%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K ฿380.4K
$4,543 NOK 42.2K
147.90%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Elverum
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 ฿2,106
$111 NOK 1,029
-43.69%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.41 ฿959
$52.2 NOK 485
-45.62%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.3 ฿3,184
$122 NOK 1,137
-22.97%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8 ฿2,898
$157 NOK 1,462
-45.46%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Elverum
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$716 ฿24.2K
$1,228 NOK 11.4K
-41.73%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$491 ฿16.6K
$1,059 NOK 9,838
-53.64%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,927 ฿65.1K
$2,054 NOK 19.1K
-6.18%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 ฿48.3K
$1,735 NOK 16.1K
-17.55%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,175 ฿141.0K
$6,437 NOK 59.8K
-35.13%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,045 ฿102.8K
$4,241 NOK 39.4K
-28.20%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Elverum
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$502 ฿17.0K
$4,272 NOK 39.7K
-88.24%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
5.32
4.70%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Elverum: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$491
Elverum
$1.1K 116% $568
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$266
Elverum
$519 94.8% $252
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$124
Elverum
$394 217% $269
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$122
Elverum
$199 63.4% $77
Eating Out
Phuket
$122
Elverum
$423 248% $302
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$82
Elverum
$95 14.9% $12
Getting Around
Phuket
$71
Elverum
$116 64.4% $45

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $1,228 in Elverum. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Elverum are about 8.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $110 in Elverum. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $519 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇳🇴 Elverum
🕒 Local time
06:02 6:02 AM
00:02 12:02 AM
6 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
21,775
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

NOK, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 9.29 NOK (1 NOK = 0.108 USD). 1 EUR = 10.34 NOK (100 NOK = 9.67 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Elverum 9,060 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Elverum

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 Elverum: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Phuket cheaper than Elverum?
Yes – Elverum is pricier by about 119%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $4,207 in Elverum. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $716 there versus $1,228 in Elverum.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $476 per month in Phuket and $301 in Elverum. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Phuket and in Elverum?
Groceries cost about 95% more in Elverum, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Phuket or in Elverum?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,278, than in Elverum at $2,805. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Elverum it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is it better to live in Phuket or in Elverum?
It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,278 in Phuket to $2,805 in Elverum. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is safer, Phuket or Elverum?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Elverum makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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