Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Hamar Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Hamar

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $2,374 in Hamar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $3,743 in Hamar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $5,112 in Hamar.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 47% less than in Hamar, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Hamar is 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$25.11 NOK 238

-81.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$123 NOK 1,165

-62.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$15.06 NOK 143

-43.76%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$5.01 NOK 47.54

-39.52%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$4.22 NOK 40.03

-83.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$3.25 NOK 30.86

-88.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$12.22 NOK 116

-79.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$8.22 NOK 78.1

-55.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$2.10 NOK 19.95

3.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$2.99 NOK 28.38

-36.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$2.04 NOK 19.36

7.84%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$4.95 NOK 46.99

-55.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$10.38 NOK 98.5

92.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$11.90 NOK 113

-69.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$30.60 NOK 290

-56.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$3.58 NOK 33.97

-9.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$2.53 NOK 23.97

-32.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$2.90 NOK 27.50

-17.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$5.08 NOK 48.27

-59.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$2.37 NOK 22.46

-32.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$2.36 NOK 22.38

-37.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$2.03 NOK 19.31

-49.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$1.95 NOK 18.54

-73.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$17.52 NOK 166

-75.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$18.70 NOK 177

0.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$3.48 NOK 33.02

-49.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$4.18 NOK 39.66

-33.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$4.56 NOK 43.25

-70.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$64.1 NOK 609

-82.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$9.94 NOK 94.3

-68.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$1.39 NOK 13.16

-25.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$42.55 NOK 404

-67.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$2.12 NOK 20.16

-36.79%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$36.3K NOK 344.7K

-23.80%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$42.7K NOK 405.3K

-20.70%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$217 NOK 2,063

-43.14%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$30.76 NOK 292

-56.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$56.4 NOK 536

-66.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$56.5 NOK 536

9.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$27.99 NOK 266

-38.37%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$18.07 NOK 172

-49.42%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$206 NOK 1,960

240.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$14.8K NOK 140.2K

7.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$104 NOK 985

-42.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$60.2 NOK 572

-41.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$125 NOK 1,185

-7.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$99.8 NOK 947

-15.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$1,171 NOK 11.1K

-47.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$820 NOK 7,783

-47.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$1,528 NOK 14.5K

34.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$1,423 NOK 13.5K

6.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$6,022 NOK 57.2K

-39.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$4,514 NOK 42.8K

-41.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$4,257 NOK 40.4K

-88.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

5.08

4.92%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Hamar: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $1,171 in Hamar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamar pays 740% 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 $123 in Hamar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $438 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 Hamar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Hamar differ by about 88% in total monthly costs ($1,261 vs $2,374 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Hamar earns 740% less. 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: $619 in Phuket versus $1,171 in Hamar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Hamar. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $123 in Hamar. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $2,374 in Hamar, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Hamar. 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 Hamar 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 88% less than in Hamar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.