Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Grimstad

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,179 in Grimstad, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
104

Cost of Living Index in Grimstad
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Grimstad Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Grimstad

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,179

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Grimstad

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $2,179 in Grimstad.

Phuket $1,278
Grimstad $2,179

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $3,734 in Grimstad.

Phuket $2,216
Grimstad $3,734

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $5,290 in Grimstad.

Phuket $3,154
Grimstad $5,290

Living in Phuket costs roughly 41% less than in Grimstad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Grimstad is 60% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$21.29 NOK 197

-79.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,092

$79.4 NOK 734

-59.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$15.38 NOK 142

-42.72%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.3

$4.87 NOK 45.06

-41.89%

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

$0.87 ฿29.37

$4.20 NOK 38.82

-79.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.64

$3.41 NOK 31.51

-85.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.2

$11.76 NOK 109

-78.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$10.54 NOK 97.5

-65.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$2.65 NOK 24.48

-37.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.25

$3.74 NOK 34.55

-60.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.4

$3.24 NOK 29.94

-53.70%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.4

$3.60 NOK 33.27

-41.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿642

$12.94 NOK 120

47.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$14.43 NOK 133

-77.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$24.57 NOK 227

-55.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.7

$2.17 NOK 20.10

35.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.9

$2.47 NOK 22.83

-31.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

$3.57 NOK 33.05

-36.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$4.38 NOK 40.54

-52.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.9

$2.73 NOK 25.26

-44.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.47

$2.92 NOK 27.00

-52.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.91

$3.25 NOK 30.05

-67.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.49

$1.86 NOK 17.18

-72.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$19.23 NOK 178

-78.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿633

$16.29 NOK 151

15.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

$3.52 NOK 32.57

-48.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.7

$4.28 NOK 39.60

-33.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$5.27 NOK 48.74

-72.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,909

$92.6 NOK 856

-38.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$12.16 NOK 112

-75.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.29

$1.84 NOK 17.01

-44.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿124

$72.4 NOK 670

-94.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.70

$2.36 NOK 21.79

-37.71%

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

$26.8K ฿902.4K

$50.2K NOK 464.2K

-46.64%

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

$26.7K ฿899.5K

$45.0K NOK 416.7K

-40.74%

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

$96.4 ฿3,247

$314 NOK 2,900

-69.27%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$34.50 NOK 319

-67.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$55.8 NOK 516

-69.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,266

$43.72 NOK 404

53.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿361

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$16.41 NOK 152

-54.30%

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

$476 ฿16.0K

$242 NOK 2,242

96.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.6K

$15.9K NOK 147.5K

-29.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,102

$94.8 NOK 877

-34.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿957

$53.1 NOK 491

-46.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,178

$106 NOK 981

-11.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,892

$163 NOK 1,504

-47.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.1K

$902 NOK 8,346

-20.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.5K

$545 NOK 5,041

-9.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿64.9K

$1,988 NOK 18.4K

-3.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.2K

$1,825 NOK 16.9K

-21.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.7K

$4,724 NOK 43.7K

-11.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.6K

$3,502 NOK 32.4K

-13.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$4,577 NOK 42.3K

-89.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.9

13.67%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Grimstad: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Grimstad

$545 25% 11% $54

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Grimstad

$446 20.5% 67.4% $180

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Grimstad

$404 18.5% 224% $279

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Grimstad

$187 8.6% 53.8% $66

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Grimstad

$385 17.7% 217% $264

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Grimstad

$77 3.5% 6.9% $5.7

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Grimstad

$135 6.2% 91.3% $64

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $902 in Grimstad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Grimstad pays about 9.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $79 in Grimstad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $446 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇳🇴 Grimstad

🕒 Local time

11:24 11:24 AM

05:24 5:24 AM

6 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

25,093

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

100 NOK = 10.81 USD

100 NOK = 9.71 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 October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 9.25 NOK (1 NOK = 0.108 USD). 1 EUR = 10.3 NOK (100 NOK = 9.71 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Grimstad 9,250 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Grimstad

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 Grimstad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is about 41% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 89% lower in Phuket. 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: $716 in Phuket versus $902 in Grimstad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,278 per month in Phuket versus $2,179 in Grimstad – Phuket is about 41% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 39% less than in Grimstad. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $1,278 in Phuket versus $2,179 in Grimstad, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Grimstad. 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 Grimstad are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 41% less than in Grimstad. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.