Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Mo i Rana

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,294 a month against $2,681 in Mo i Rana, rent and utilities included – about $16,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Mo i Rana
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Mo i Rana Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Mo i Rana

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,681

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Mo i Rana

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Mo i Rana actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Phuket versus $2,681 in Mo i Rana.

Phuket $1,294
Mo i Rana $2,681

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,204 in Phuket versus $3,987 in Mo i Rana.

Phuket $2,204
Mo i Rana $3,987

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,115 in Phuket versus $5,294 in Mo i Rana.

Phuket $3,115
Mo i Rana $5,294

Living in Phuket costs roughly 52% less than in Mo i Rana, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 4% below, Mo i Rana is 98% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ฿147

$16.28 NOK 151

-73.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.31 ฿1,080

$74.7 NOK 694

-56.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿291

$16.36 NOK 152

-46.82%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.1

$5.25 NOK 48.83

-48.19%

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

$0.93 ฿31.11

$2.65 NOK 24.64

-64.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.70

$1.73 NOK 16.05

-71.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.6

$11.70 NOK 109

-78.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿121

$10.67 NOK 99.3

-65.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.2

$2.38 NOK 22.15

-26.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.51

$4.40 NOK 40.95

-67.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.2

$3.94 NOK 36.63

-61.93%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.6

$5.00 NOK 46.52

-56.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.09 ฿638

$14.16 NOK 132

34.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿114

$19.14 NOK 178

-82.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿364

$31.53 NOK 293

-65.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿98.3

$3.46 NOK 32.17

-15.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.6

$2.90 NOK 26.97

-41.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.4

$3.59 NOK 33.35

-39.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ฿71.0

$4.87 NOK 45.28

-56.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.77

$3.02 NOK 28.11

-51.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿45.74

$2.88 NOK 26.81

-52.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ฿35.98

$2.98 NOK 27.70

-63.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$2.30 NOK 21.39

-76.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ฿148

$17.67 NOK 164

-74.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.25 ฿610

$17.08 NOK 159

6.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.3

$3.60 NOK 33.45

-50.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ฿96.3

$4.46 NOK 41.48

-35.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.40

$4.70 NOK 43.76

-69.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,835

$85.2 NOK 792

-35.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$12.34 NOK 115

-87.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ฿25.94

$1.93 NOK 17.94

-59.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ฿128

$72.1 NOK 670

-94.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.74

$2.40 NOK 22.29

-37.92%

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

$26.9K ฿898.9K

$49.9K NOK 463.9K

-46.10%

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

$26.3K ฿881.0K

$44.5K NOK 413.8K

-40.79%

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

$97.8 ฿3,271

$277 NOK 2,575

-64.67%

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

$11.29 ฿378

$33.64 NOK 313

-66.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.19 ฿575

$53.8 NOK 500

-68.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ฿2,285

$50.5 NOK 469

35.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿365

$36.90 NOK 343

-70.41%

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 ฿248

$17.88 NOK 166

-58.45%

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

$530 ฿17.7K

$242 NOK 2,253

118.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K ฿628.1K

$13.2K NOK 122.5K

42.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ฿2,062

$102 NOK 950

-39.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.25 ฿945

$57.4 NOK 534

-50.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,210

$129 NOK 1,203

-25.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 ฿2,903

$161 NOK 1,501

-46.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.1K

$1,246 NOK 11.6K

-42.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.0K

$1,037 NOK 9,643

-50.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 ฿65.2K

$2,082 NOK 19.4K

-6.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 ฿46.7K

$1,724 NOK 16.0K

-18.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿140.2K

$6,545 NOK 60.9K

-35.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿110.3K

$4,360 NOK 40.6K

-24.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.94

12.75%

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Mo i Rana: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$509 39.3%

Mo i Rana

$1K 38.7% 104% $528

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$267 20.6%

Mo i Rana

$525 19.6% 96.8% $258

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$126 9.8%

Mo i Rana

$364 13.6% 188% $238

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$123 9.5%

Mo i Rana

$203 7.6% 65.1% $80

Eating Out

Phuket

$120 9.2%

Mo i Rana

$340 12.7% 184% $220

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$83 6.4%

Mo i Rana

$86 3.2% 3.7% $3

Getting Around

Phuket

$66 5.1%

Mo i Rana

$126 4.7% 90.7% $60

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $721 in Phuket and $1,246 in Mo i Rana. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $75 in Mo i Rana for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $525 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇳🇴 Mo i Rana

🕒 Local time

16:49 4:49 PM

10:49 10:49 AM

6 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

18,755

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 NOK = 10.75 USD

100 NOK = 9.57 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NOK, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 33.44 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.56 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 9.3 NOK (1 NOK = 0.108 USD). 1 EUR = 10.45 NOK (100 NOK = 9.57 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Mo i Rana 8,950 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Mo i Rana

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 about 52% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,940 in Phuket and $4,021 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: $721 in Phuket versus $1,246 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 36% less than in Mo i Rana. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $530 in Phuket versus $242 in Mo i Rana. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,294 in Phuket versus $2,681 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.

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 Mo i Rana are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 52% less than in Mo i Rana. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.