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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,432 in Hamar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $3,812 in Hamar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $5,191 in Hamar.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 48% less than in Hamar, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, Hamar is 76% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$21.31 NOK 198

-78.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$132 NOK 1,222

-75.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$16.33 NOK 152

-46.85%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$6.11 NOK 56.6

-52.54%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$4.19 NOK 38.87

-79.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$3.49 NOK 32.35

-85.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$11.95 NOK 111

-79.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$8.59 NOK 79.7

-56.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$2.58 NOK 23.97

-26.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$3.03 NOK 28.15

-53.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$2.11 NOK 19.57

-23.22%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$6.15 NOK 57.1

-63.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$11.28 NOK 105

75.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$12.96 NOK 120

-73.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$29.84 NOK 277

-61.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$3.33 NOK 30.86

-12.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$2.66 NOK 24.70

-35.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$3.12 NOK 28.91

-27.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$5.93 NOK 55.0

-64.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$2.55 NOK 23.65

-42.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$2.61 NOK 24.22

-45.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$2.21 NOK 20.51

-50.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$2.09 NOK 19.37

-71.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$19.10 NOK 177

-77.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$16.83 NOK 156

10.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$3.51 NOK 32.52

-48.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$4.31 NOK 39.94

-31.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$4.71 NOK 43.66

-52.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

$70.0 NOK 649

-66.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$12.43 NOK 115

-75.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$1.92 NOK 17.81

-43.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$72.0 NOK 668

-94.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$2.29 NOK 21.29

-37.55%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$50.3K NOK 466.4K

-44.74%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$45.4K NOK 420.9K

-40.53%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$229 NOK 2,128

-54.31%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$33.05 NOK 307

-65.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$58.2 NOK 540

-69.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$58.8 NOK 545

-7.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

$29.84 NOK 277

-61.66%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$19.63 NOK 182

-60.37%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$212 NOK 1,969

171.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$16.2K NOK 150.5K

-28.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$102 NOK 942

-37.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$61.7 NOK 573

-52.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$134 NOK 1,240

-28.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$108 NOK 998

-16.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$1,250 NOK 11.6K

-41.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$885 NOK 8,209

-43.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$1,637 NOK 15.2K

29.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$1,519 NOK 14.1K

-17.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$4,488 NOK 41.6K

-21.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$3,585 NOK 33.3K

-26.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$4,278 NOK 39.7K

-88.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.96

12.30%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Hamar: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $1,250 in Hamar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamar pays 743% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $132 in Hamar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $459 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 92% in total monthly costs ($1,265 vs $2,432 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 743% lower in Hamar. 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: $733 in Phuket versus $1,250 in Hamar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 67% 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 $32.00 versus $132 in Hamar. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,432 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 92% less than in Hamar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.