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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,490 in Karmøy.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $3,838 in Karmøy.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $5,185 in Karmøy.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 49% less than in Karmøy, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Karmøy is 86% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$24.81 NOK 235

-81.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,489

$99.6 NOK 941

-54.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿277

$13.60 NOK 129

-38.01%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿96.1

$4.83 NOK 45.66

-39.34%

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

$0.69 ฿22.50

$3.19 NOK 30.20

-78.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.04

$2.94 NOK 27.76

-87.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$9.93 NOK 93.9

-75.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$9.38 NOK 88.7

-60.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.3

$2.25 NOK 21.30

-0.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿60.1

$3.32 NOK 31.41

-44.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿71.1

$3.33 NOK 31.49

-34.83%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.6

$4.42 NOK 41.83

-50.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿648

$12.17 NOK 115

62.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$14.81 NOK 140

-75.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿444

$28.09 NOK 266

-51.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿108

$3.53 NOK 33.35

-7.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.9

$2.50 NOK 23.61

-35.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$3.37 NOK 31.89

-28.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$4.50 NOK 42.53

-53.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿50.2

$2.48 NOK 23.44

-38.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.58

$2.50 NOK 23.59

-40.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.44

$2.76 NOK 26.14

-64.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.74

$1.92 NOK 18.16

-73.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿145

$13.83 NOK 131

-68.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿636

$18.34 NOK 173

5.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.4

$3.26 NOK 30.83

-45.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿89.0

$4.08 NOK 38.61

-33.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.99

$4.31 NOK 40.74

-68.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿374

$72.7 NOK 687

-84.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿99.1

$10.02 NOK 94.7

-69.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.63

$1.45 NOK 13.69

-31.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿463

$46.91 NOK 443

-69.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.71

$2.08 NOK 19.67

-34.62%

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

$28.2K ฿925.3K

$35.1K NOK 331.8K

-19.66%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$39.2K NOK 371.0K

-16.16%

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

$122 ฿3,993

$244 NOK 2,306

-50.11%

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

$13.57 ฿445

$37.96 NOK 359

-64.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿601

$55.4 NOK 523

-66.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,976

$49.25 NOK 466

22.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿562

$34.82 NOK 329

-50.78%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿285

$16.76 NOK 158

-48.15%

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

$693 ฿22.8K

$282 NOK 2,668

145.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿514.7K

$10.3K NOK 97.0K

52.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,953

$95.9 NOK 906

-37.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,141

$51.7 NOK 488

-32.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,760

$107 NOK 1,009

7.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,733

$154 NOK 1,451

-45.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.1K

$1,219 NOK 11.5K

-49.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$877 NOK 8,293

-50.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.7K

$1,789 NOK 16.9K

17.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.5K

$1,532 NOK 14.5K

-1.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿123.0K

$6,260 NOK 59.2K

-40.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.8K

$4,632 NOK 43.8K

-43.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.7K

$4,169 NOK 39.4K

-87.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.38

21.69%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Karmøy: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $1,219 in Karmøy. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Karmøy pays 720% 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 $100 in Karmøy for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $458 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 97% in total monthly costs ($1,265 vs $2,490 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Karmøy earns 720% 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 $1,219 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 538% less than in Karmøy. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $282 in Karmøy. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,490 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 97% less than in Karmøy. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.