Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Karmøy Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Karmøy

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,687 in Karmøy.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $4,109 in Karmøy.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $5,530 in Karmøy.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 54% less than in Karmøy, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 10% below, Karmøy is 96% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$22.10 NOK 208

-80.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,073

$95.4 NOK 898

-66.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$14.10 NOK 133

-36.67%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.3

$4.76 NOK 44.85

-39.08%

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

$0.88 ฿29.27

$3.87 NOK 36.42

-77.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.00

$3.33 NOK 31.36

-85.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.2

$12.29 NOK 116

-80.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$10.31 NOK 97.1

-63.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.0

$2.42 NOK 22.81

-22.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.75

$3.76 NOK 35.45

-60.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$4.29 NOK 40.40

-63.87%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿69.9

$4.54 NOK 42.80

-53.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿651

$13.61 NOK 128

43.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$14.06 NOK 132

-75.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿378

$33.34 NOK 314

-65.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.2

$3.61 NOK 34.02

-17.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.0

$2.68 NOK 25.25

-37.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$4.05 NOK 38.19

-45.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿71.9

$4.93 NOK 46.42

-56.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$2.36 NOK 22.20

-35.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.49

$3.16 NOK 29.74

-57.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.53

$3.14 NOK 29.53

-64.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.17

$2.72 NOK 25.58

-79.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$17.27 NOK 163

-75.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$16.86 NOK 159

13.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$3.61 NOK 34.01

-50.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.5

$4.67 NOK 44.02

-40.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.1

$4.60 NOK 43.32

-51.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿756

$86.0 NOK 810

-73.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$13.33 NOK 126

-77.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.02

$1.83 NOK 17.25

-44.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿129

$61.0 NOK 574

-93.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.57

$2.11 NOK 19.85

-29.38%

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

$26.6K ฿883.8K

$56.0K NOK 527.6K

-52.54%

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

$27.0K ฿898.7K

$48.0K NOK 451.9K

-43.65%

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

$102 ฿3,407

$317 NOK 2,987

-67.68%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$33.04 NOK 311

-65.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿578

$65.5 NOK 617

-73.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,732

$51.4 NOK 484

1.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿368

$39.27 NOK 370

-71.81%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$20.09 NOK 189

-61.72%

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

$561 ฿18.6K

$223 NOK 2,098

151.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿382.6K

$12.9K NOK 121.8K

-11.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,096

$92.5 NOK 871

-31.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿982

$64.9 NOK 611

-54.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,259

$144 NOK 1,355

-31.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,943

$153 NOK 1,440

-42.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.5K

$1,218 NOK 11.5K

-39.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.0K

$1,045 NOK 9,848

-53.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.0K

$2,052 NOK 19.3K

2.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$1,685 NOK 15.9K

-27.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.3K

$6,768 NOK 63.8K

-46.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.5K

$4,771 NOK 44.9K

-45.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

$4,154 NOK 39.1K

-88.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.98

11.85%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Karmøy: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $1,218 in Karmøy. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Karmøy pays 742% 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 $95.0 in Karmøy for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $503 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 Karmøy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Karmøy differ by about 118% in total monthly costs ($1,232 vs $2,687 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 742% lower in Karmøy. 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 $1,218 in Karmøy. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 278% less than in Karmøy. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $223 in Karmøy. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,687 in Karmøy, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Karmøy. 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 Karmøy 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 118% less than in Karmøy. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.