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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,666 in Mo i Rana.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $4,008 in Mo i Rana.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $5,350 in Mo i Rana.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 54% less than in Mo i Rana, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 10% below, Mo i Rana is 95% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$16.37 NOK 154

-73.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$73.8 NOK 695

-56.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$15.15 NOK 143

-41.06%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$5.23 NOK 49.29

-44.55%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$2.69 NOK 25.32

-67.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$1.72 NOK 16.20

-72.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$11.93 NOK 112

-80.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$10.55 NOK 99.4

-64.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$2.30 NOK 21.68

-18.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$4.17 NOK 39.28

-64.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$3.82 NOK 36.00

-59.42%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$4.91 NOK 46.27

-57.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$14.25 NOK 134

37.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$18.95 NOK 179

-81.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$29.91 NOK 282

-61.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$3.30 NOK 31.06

-9.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$2.90 NOK 27.36

-42.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$3.51 NOK 33.09

-37.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$4.89 NOK 46.07

-55.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$2.87 NOK 27.07

-47.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$3.01 NOK 28.38

-55.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$3.08 NOK 29.00

-63.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$2.17 NOK 20.47

-74.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$15.54 NOK 146

-72.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$16.88 NOK 159

13.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$3.65 NOK 34.42

-51.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$4.06 NOK 38.22

-31.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$4.68 NOK 44.12

-52.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$86.2 NOK 812

-73.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$11.51 NOK 108

-73.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$1.97 NOK 18.60

-48.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$61.3 NOK 578

-93.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$2.34 NOK 22.01

-36.32%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$44.1K NOK 415.8K

-39.77%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$50.6K NOK 476.5K

-46.55%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$249 NOK 2,351

-58.92%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$33.66 NOK 317

-66.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$52.3 NOK 493

-66.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$50.1 NOK 472

3.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$37.65 NOK 355

-70.60%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$17.29 NOK 163

-55.52%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$252 NOK 2,375

122.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$11.6K NOK 109.1K

-0.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$104 NOK 980

-39.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$63.3 NOK 596

-53.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$111 NOK 1,042

-11.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$145 NOK 1,364

-38.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$1,228 NOK 11.6K

-39.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$1,176 NOK 11.1K

-58.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$2,017 NOK 19.0K

4.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$1,475 NOK 13.9K

-16.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$6,598 NOK 62.2K

-45.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$4,753 NOK 44.8K

-45.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

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 Mo i Rana: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $1,228 in Mo i Rana. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $74.0 in Mo i Rana for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $512 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, Getting Around. The 117% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $4,000 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: $738 in Phuket versus $1,228 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 279% less than in Mo i Rana. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $252 in Mo i Rana. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,666 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 117% less than in Mo i Rana. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.