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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,422 in Harstad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $3,693 in Harstad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $4,965 in Harstad.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Harstad is 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$13.57 NOK 128

-65.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,489

$119 NOK 1,129

-62.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿277

$15.33 NOK 145

-45.01%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿96.1

$6.05 NOK 57.2

-51.57%

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

$0.69 ฿22.50

$3.45 NOK 32.61

-80.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.04

$2.99 NOK 28.30

-87.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$11.22 NOK 106

-78.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$11.32 NOK 107

-67.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.3

$2.32 NOK 21.90

-3.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿60.1

$3.15 NOK 29.82

-41.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿71.1

$3.00 NOK 28.35

-27.67%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.6

$4.18 NOK 39.48

-47.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿648

$10.56 NOK 99.9

86.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$14.92 NOK 141

-75.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿444

$37.12 NOK 351

-63.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿108

$4.06 NOK 38.37

-19.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.9

$2.68 NOK 25.35

-39.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$3.46 NOK 32.74

-30.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$4.67 NOK 44.15

-55.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿50.2

$1.99 NOK 18.86

-23.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.58

$1.98 NOK 18.72

-25.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.44

$2.77 NOK 26.23

-64.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.74

$1.79 NOK 16.90

-71.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿145

$15.21 NOK 144

-71.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿636

$16.00 NOK 151

21.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.4

$3.56 NOK 33.64

-50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿89.0

$4.50 NOK 42.56

-39.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.99

$5.95 NOK 56.3

-76.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿374

$81.5 NOK 771

-86.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿99.1

$12.47 NOK 118

-75.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.63

$1.44 NOK 13.57

-31.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿463

$51.3 NOK 485

-72.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.71

$2.11 NOK 19.96

-35.55%

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

$28.2K ฿925.3K

$33.6K NOK 317.9K

-16.12%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$30.8K NOK 291.6K

6.66%

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

$122 ฿3,993

$160 NOK 1,509

-23.76%

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

$13.57 ฿445

$33.10 NOK 313

-59.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿601

$77.0 NOK 728

-76.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,976

$49.67 NOK 470

21.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿562

$36.08 NOK 341

-52.49%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿285

$16.99 NOK 161

-48.85%

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

$693 ฿22.8K

$329 NOK 3,110

110.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿514.7K

$5,131 NOK 48.5K

205.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,953

$77.2 NOK 730

-22.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,141

$33.44 NOK 316

3.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,760

$118 NOK 1,113

-2.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,733

$134 NOK 1,269

-37.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.1K

$1,330 NOK 12.6K

-53.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$1,004 NOK 9,490

-56.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.7K

$2,212 NOK 20.9K

-5.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.5K

$1,494 NOK 14.1K

1.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿123.0K

$6,005 NOK 56.8K

-37.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.8K

$4,540 NOK 42.9K

-42.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.7K

$3,581 NOK 33.9K

-85.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.27

24.82%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Harstad: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $1,330 in Harstad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Harstad pays 605% 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: $45.00 in Phuket vs $119 in Harstad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $476 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, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 91% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Harstad earns 605% 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: $613 in Phuket versus $1,330 in Harstad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 62% 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 $45.00 versus $119 in Harstad. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,422 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 91% less than in Harstad. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.