Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Harstad Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Harstad

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,626 in Harstad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $3,908 in Harstad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $5,189 in Harstad.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 53% less than in Harstad, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 10% below, Harstad is 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$14.17 NOK 134

-68.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$109 NOK 1,027

-70.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$16.17 NOK 152

-44.77%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$6.56 NOK 61.9

-55.79%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$3.84 NOK 36.18

-77.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$3.18 NOK 29.98

-84.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$12.72 NOK 120

-81.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$13.91 NOK 131

-73.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$2.58 NOK 24.32

-27.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$3.48 NOK 32.77

-57.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$3.30 NOK 31.06

-53.03%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$4.58 NOK 43.18

-54.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$11.19 NOK 105

75.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$15.09 NOK 142

-77.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$42.47 NOK 400

-73.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$4.24 NOK 39.94

-29.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$2.94 NOK 27.73

-42.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$3.82 NOK 35.95

-42.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$4.79 NOK 45.12

-54.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$2.16 NOK 20.37

-29.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$2.17 NOK 20.48

-38.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$3.02 NOK 28.50

-62.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$2.41 NOK 22.71

-77.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$16.82 NOK 158

-74.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$15.81 NOK 149

20.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$4.04 NOK 38.03

-55.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$4.98 NOK 46.97

-44.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$6.22 NOK 58.6

-64.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$84.4 NOK 796

-73.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$16.02 NOK 151

-81.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$1.84 NOK 17.32

-44.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$56.9 NOK 536

-93.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$2.25 NOK 21.20

-33.78%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$37.6K NOK 354.3K

-29.30%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$32.0K NOK 301.4K

-15.50%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$168 NOK 1,582

-38.96%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$34.80 NOK 328

-67.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$81.9 NOK 771

-78.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$51.1 NOK 482

1.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$37.78 NOK 356

-70.70%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$17.55 NOK 165

-56.18%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$246 NOK 2,319

127.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$5,377 NOK 50.7K

113.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$68.7 NOK 647

-8.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$36.02 NOK 339

-18.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$124 NOK 1,170

-21.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$168 NOK 1,580

-47.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$1,387 NOK 13.1K

-46.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$1,092 NOK 10.3K

-55.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$2,321 NOK 21.9K

-9.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$1,530 NOK 14.4K

-19.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$6,192 NOK 58.3K

-41.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$4,126 NOK 38.9K

-36.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$3,607 NOK 34.0K

-86.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.40%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Harstad: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $1,387 in Harstad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Harstad pays 631% 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 $109 in Harstad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $520 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 Harstad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 113% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 631% lower in Harstad. 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: $738 in Phuket versus $1,387 in Harstad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 90% higher in Harstad. 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 $109 in Harstad. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,626 in Harstad, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Harstad. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Harstad, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Harstad 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 113% less than in Harstad. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.