Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Narvik Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Narvik

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,281 in Narvik.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $3,445 in Narvik.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $4,609 in Narvik.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 46% less than in Narvik, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, Narvik is 70% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$20.04 NOK 187

-76.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$92.2 NOK 860

-49.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$15.01 NOK 140

-41.11%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$5.45 NOK 50.8

-44.95%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$2.54 NOK 23.71

-70.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$2.56 NOK 23.82

-85.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$11.00 NOK 102

-77.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$11.20 NOK 104

-67.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$2.39 NOK 22.25

-5.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$3.30 NOK 30.77

-44.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$2.48 NOK 23.12

-9.68%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$4.81 NOK 44.80

-51.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$11.42 NOK 106

72.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$15.34 NOK 143

-76.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$21.71 NOK 202

-39.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$3.28 NOK 30.59

3.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$2.06 NOK 19.20

-20.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$3.55 NOK 33.12

-32.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$4.24 NOK 39.54

-52.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$2.49 NOK 23.24

-37.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$3.63 NOK 33.86

-58.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$2.73 NOK 25.45

-62.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$1.76 NOK 16.45

-72.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$15.26 NOK 142

-70.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$19.75 NOK 184

-4.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$3.34 NOK 31.12

-46.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$3.52 NOK 32.84

-21.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$5.16 NOK 48.11

-72.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$85.5 NOK 797

-86.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$12.90 NOK 120

-75.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$1.38 NOK 12.91

-27.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$51.2 NOK 477

-72.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$2.08 NOK 19.43

-35.10%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$30.2K NOK 281.5K

-9.99%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$30.9K NOK 288.2K

6.48%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$250 NOK 2,332

-50.06%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$48.29 NOK 450

-71.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$75.7 NOK 705

-75.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$55.0 NOK 512

11.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$25.69 NOK 239

-34.45%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$17.03 NOK 159

-46.04%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$335 NOK 3,123

108.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$7,159 NOK 66.7K

117.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$90.7 NOK 845

-36.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$33.34 NOK 311

5.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$132 NOK 1,233

-14.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$136 NOK 1,264

-36.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$938 NOK 8,738

-34.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$694 NOK 6,465

-35.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$1,557 NOK 14.5K

31.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$1,174 NOK 10.9K

27.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$5,382 NOK 50.2K

-29.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$4,879 NOK 45.5K

-45.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$3,657 NOK 34.1K

-85.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.27

24.82%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Narvik: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $938 in Narvik. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Narvik pays 598% 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 $92.0 in Narvik for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $436 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 Narvik: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 85% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Narvik earns 598% 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: $616 in Phuket versus $938 in Narvik. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,232 per month in Phuket versus $2,281 in Narvik – a 85% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 644% less than in Narvik. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,281 in Narvik, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Narvik. 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 Narvik, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Narvik 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 85% less than in Narvik. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.