Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kolbotn Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kolbotn

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,393 in Kolbotn.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $3,702 in Kolbotn.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $5,012 in Kolbotn.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, Kolbotn is 79% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$25.01 NOK 233

-81.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,523

$101 NOK 939

-53.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿287

$13.62 NOK 127

-35.10%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿97.4

$5.06 NOK 47.16

-40.71%

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

$0.74 ฿24.11

$2.43 NOK 22.69

-69.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.88

$2.17 NOK 20.19

-82.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.3

$9.03 NOK 84.1

-72.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿117

$9.48 NOK 88.3

-61.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.5

$2.19 NOK 20.39

3.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿59.8

$3.28 NOK 30.54

-43.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.0

$3.31 NOK 30.85

-32.33%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.3

$4.84 NOK 45.11

-52.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿639

$11.39 NOK 106

72.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$14.20 NOK 132

-74.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿426

$31.33 NOK 292

-58.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿110

$3.57 NOK 33.23

-5.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.4

$2.25 NOK 20.95

-27.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.5

$3.31 NOK 30.83

-27.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.0

$4.71 NOK 43.93

-56.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.6

$2.29 NOK 21.38

-31.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.66

$2.25 NOK 20.99

-33.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.30

$2.85 NOK 26.58

-64.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿15.91

$1.89 NOK 17.62

-74.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$14.01 NOK 131

-68.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿614

$19.10 NOK 178

-1.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿57.7

$3.23 NOK 30.08

-44.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿89.5

$4.07 NOK 37.98

-32.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.54

$4.37 NOK 40.74

-67.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿373

$73.9 NOK 689

-84.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿101

$10.26 NOK 95.6

-69.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.48

$1.45 NOK 13.55

-31.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿458

$42.02 NOK 392

-66.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿43.93

$2.16 NOK 20.10

-37.50%

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

$27.2K ฿883.7K

$36.0K NOK 335.5K

-24.48%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$41.9K NOK 390.4K

-21.41%

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

$125 ฿4,063

$216 NOK 2,015

-42.20%

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

$13.57 ฿441

$31.72 NOK 296

-57.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿602

$37.78 NOK 352

-50.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿1,999

$49.42 NOK 461

24.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

$34.98 NOK 326

-51.86%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿299

$14.79 NOK 138

-37.86%

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

$698 ฿22.7K

$267 NOK 2,484

161.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿506.9K

$14.5K NOK 135.2K

7.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,878

$116 NOK 1,081

-50.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,146

$48.17 NOK 449

-26.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,677

$99.1 NOK 923

14.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,808

$151 NOK 1,412

-42.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.0K

$1,206 NOK 11.2K

-48.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.5K

$878 NOK 8,179

-49.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿66.6K

$1,799 NOK 16.8K

13.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.5K

$1,559 NOK 14.5K

-4.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿122.8K

$6,091 NOK 56.8K

-37.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.1K

$4,372 NOK 40.7K

-39.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

5.02

6.18%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Kolbotn: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $1,206 in Kolbotn. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $101 in Kolbotn for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $462 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 Kolbotn: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 94% lower than in Kolbotn. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $3,589 in Kolbotn to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $616 in Phuket versus $1,206 in Kolbotn. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 544% less than in Kolbotn. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $267 in Kolbotn. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,393 in Kolbotn, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Kolbotn. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,232 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Kolbotn 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 94% less than in Kolbotn. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.