Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Mo i Rana Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Mo i Rana

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $2,406 in Mo i Rana.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $3,701 in Mo i Rana.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $4,997 in Mo i Rana.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 47% less than in Mo i Rana, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 5% below, Mo i Rana is 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$25.41 NOK 241

-82.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$99.4 NOK 943

-54.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$13.56 NOK 129

-35.40%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$5.06 NOK 48.02

-41.30%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$3.11 NOK 29.51

-77.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$2.92 NOK 27.70

-86.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$10.19 NOK 96.6

-75.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$9.87 NOK 93.6

-62.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$2.00 NOK 18.93

7.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$3.40 NOK 32.23

-46.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$3.32 NOK 31.46

-34.34%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$4.22 NOK 40.04

-46.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$11.86 NOK 113

68.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$14.69 NOK 139

-75.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$28.96 NOK 275

-53.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$3.54 NOK 33.61

-8.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$2.49 NOK 23.65

-34.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$3.41 NOK 32.33

-31.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$4.54 NOK 43.07

-54.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$2.50 NOK 23.67

-38.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$2.51 NOK 23.79

-41.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$2.73 NOK 25.90

-64.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$1.82 NOK 17.21

-73.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$15.32 NOK 145

-71.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$17.25 NOK 164

7.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$3.37 NOK 31.99

-44.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$4.09 NOK 38.74

-35.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$4.32 NOK 40.97

-67.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$72.3 NOK 686

-84.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$10.25 NOK 97.2

-69.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$1.40 NOK 13.24

-26.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$47.22 NOK 448

-70.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$2.68 NOK 25.42

-50.00%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$35.2K NOK 333.9K

-21.09%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$38.4K NOK 363.8K

-12.99%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$238 NOK 2,258

-48.33%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$39.08 NOK 371

-64.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$54.7 NOK 518

-66.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$49.98 NOK 474

21.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$36.07 NOK 342

-52.43%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$16.47 NOK 156

-46.14%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$285 NOK 2,704

141.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$10.2K NOK 96.9K

54.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$95.8 NOK 909

-38.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$52.4 NOK 497

-33.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$109 NOK 1,033

5.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$153 NOK 1,454

-45.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$1,204 NOK 11.4K

-48.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$910 NOK 8,629

-50.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$1,803 NOK 17.1K

12.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$1,541 NOK 14.6K

-2.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$5,874 NOK 55.7K

-41.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$3,703 NOK 35.1K

-31.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Mo i Rana: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $1,204 in Mo i Rana. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $99.0 in Mo i Rana for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $454 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 Mo i Rana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 90% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,896 in Phuket and $3,608 in Mo i Rana 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: $621 in Phuket versus $1,204 in Mo i Rana. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 525% less than in Mo i Rana. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $285 in Mo i Rana. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $2,406 in Mo i Rana, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Mo i Rana. 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 Mo i Rana, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Mo i Rana 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 90% less than in Mo i Rana. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.