Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Molde Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Molde

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,223 in Phuket versus $2,424 in Molde.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Phuket versus $3,663 in Molde.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Phuket versus $4,903 in Molde.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 50% less than in Molde, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, Molde is 82% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿147

$25.62 NOK 243

-82.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,515

$81.9 NOK 776

-43.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿276

$13.39 NOK 127

-36.59%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿100

$5.12 NOK 48.46

-39.84%

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

$0.68 ฿22.07

$2.91 NOK 27.53

-76.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.75

$2.58 NOK 24.45

-86.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿78.8

$9.29 NOK 88.0

-73.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿118

$9.97 NOK 94.4

-63.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.1

$2.19 NOK 20.75

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.0

$3.01 NOK 28.55

-39.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿72.5

$3.94 NOK 37.33

-43.40%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿72.7

$3.10 NOK 29.39

-27.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿637

$8.86 NOK 83.9

121.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿121

$16.82 NOK 159

-77.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿438

$28.38 NOK 269

-52.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿109

$2.59 NOK 24.51

29.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿52.5

$3.03 NOK 28.65

-46.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.3

$3.29 NOK 31.17

-26.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.6

$5.67 NOK 53.7

-64.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.76

$1.54 NOK 14.63

-0.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.19

$2.27 NOK 21.49

-36.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿32.96

$2.68 NOK 25.35

-62.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.73

$1.83 NOK 17.36

-73.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿139

$18.20 NOK 172

-76.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿621

$17.67 NOK 167

8.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿59.7

$2.82 NOK 26.72

-34.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.1

$3.93 NOK 37.24

-30.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.06

$4.20 NOK 39.79

-66.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿381

$81.6 NOK 773

-85.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿97.6

$10.15 NOK 96.2

-70.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.00

$1.41 NOK 13.32

-25.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿452

$47.59 NOK 451

-70.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿41.94

$2.26 NOK 21.37

-42.92%

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

$28.0K ฿911.1K

$35.7K NOK 338.5K

-21.56%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$38.6K NOK 365.4K

-13.14%

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

$122 ฿3,964

$243 NOK 2,299

-49.73%

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

$13.93 ฿453

$37.91 NOK 359

-63.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿613

$55.3 NOK 524

-65.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿1,992

$49.53 NOK 469

23.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

$35.20 NOK 333

-52.16%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿289

$16.49 NOK 156

-46.09%

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

$691 ฿22.5K

$204 NOK 1,928

239.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿525.2K

$10.0K NOK 95.0K

61.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,878

$94.7 NOK 897

-38.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,150

$51.9 NOK 491

-31.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,685

$98.6 NOK 934

15.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,698

$150 NOK 1,420

-44.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.7K

$1,172 NOK 11.1K

-48.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.6K

$884 NOK 8,370

-49.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.0K

$1,443 NOK 13.7K

40.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.5K

$1,460 NOK 13.8K

2.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿116.5K

$5,580 NOK 52.8K

-35.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.0K

$3,745 NOK 35.5K

-30.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.4K

$3,620 NOK 34.3K

-86.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

3.75

42.13%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 13, 2026

Last update for Molde: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Phuket and $1,172 in Molde. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Molde pays 617% 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 $82.0 in Molde for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $448 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 Molde: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 98% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Molde earns 617% 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: $607 in Phuket versus $1,172 in Molde. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $691 in Phuket versus $204 in Molde. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 53% higher in Molde. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,223 in Phuket versus $2,424 in Molde, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Molde. 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 Molde, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Molde 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 98% less than in Molde. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.