Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Lillestrom Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Lillestrom

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $2,472 in Lillestrom.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $3,909 in Lillestrom.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $5,345 in Lillestrom.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Lillestrom is 84% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$20.49 NOK 194

-77.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$102 NOK 971

-54.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$11.08 NOK 105

-23.56%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$4.82 NOK 45.72

-37.14%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$2.52 NOK 23.94

-72.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$2.22 NOK 21.03

-83.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$8.96 NOK 85.0

-72.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$10.18 NOK 96.6

-64.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$2.18 NOK 20.71

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$3.43 NOK 32.55

-44.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$3.20 NOK 30.36

-31.25%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$4.14 NOK 39.28

-46.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$11.46 NOK 109

74.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$13.90 NOK 132

-73.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$24.59 NOK 233

-46.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$3.15 NOK 29.89

2.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$2.24 NOK 21.23

-24.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$3.41 NOK 32.37

-29.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$3.99 NOK 37.86

-47.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$2.30 NOK 21.85

-30.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$2.13 NOK 20.24

-30.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$1.98 NOK 18.81

-47.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$1.82 NOK 17.28

-71.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$14.08 NOK 134

-69.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$17.03 NOK 162

10.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$3.21 NOK 30.47

-45.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$3.87 NOK 36.77

-28.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$4.24 NOK 40.20

-67.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$72.4 NOK 687

-84.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$5.00 NOK 47.44

-37.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$1.45 NOK 13.75

-28.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$61.0 NOK 579

-77.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$2.09 NOK 19.85

-35.89%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$34.4K NOK 326.6K

-19.56%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$30.9K NOK 293.8K

9.42%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$60.9 NOK 578

103.07%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$43.99 NOK 418

-69.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$37.96 NOK 360

-50.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$70.2 NOK 666

-11.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$17.53 NOK 166

-1.60%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$14.60 NOK 139

-37.40%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$234 NOK 2,221

200.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$4,195 NOK 39.8K

278.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$95.0 NOK 902

-37.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$47.87 NOK 454

-26.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$101 NOK 961

13.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$175 NOK 1,662

-52.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$1,233 NOK 11.7K

-49.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$1,233 NOK 11.7K

-64.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$2,486 NOK 23.6K

-17.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$2,234 NOK 21.2K

-32.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$6,932 NOK 65.8K

-47.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$4,024 NOK 38.2K

-34.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$3,793 NOK 36.0K

-86.63%

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 7, 2026

Last update for Lillestrom: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $1,233 in Lillestrom. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lillestrom pays 648% 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $102 in Lillestrom for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $425 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 Lillestrom: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 96% lower than in Lillestrom. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Lillestrom earns 648% 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: $619 in Phuket versus $1,233 in Lillestrom. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $234 in Lillestrom. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 45% higher in Lillestrom. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $2,472 in Lillestrom, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Lillestrom. 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 $1,261 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Lillestrom 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 96% less than in Lillestrom. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.