Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Skien Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Skien

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $2,347 in Skien.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $3,223 in Skien.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $4,098 in Skien.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Skien is 76% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$28.93 NOK 279

-84.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,554

$99.7 NOK 961

-53.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿298

$13.15 NOK 127

-32.78%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$4.94 NOK 47.68

-38.06%

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

$0.73 ฿24.42

$2.52 NOK 24.31

-71.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.40

$2.23 NOK 21.50

-82.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$9.22 NOK 88.9

-73.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$9.88 NOK 95.2

-61.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.94 NOK 18.68

16.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$3.41 NOK 32.91

-46.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$3.33 NOK 32.11

-32.43%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.6

$4.22 NOK 40.65

-46.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$11.58 NOK 112

68.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$14.14 NOK 136

-74.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$25.44 NOK 245

-48.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$3.75 NOK 36.15

-13.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$2.26 NOK 21.76

-28.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.2

$3.27 NOK 31.49

-27.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.2

$4.02 NOK 38.77

-49.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$2.22 NOK 21.44

-31.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$2.12 NOK 20.42

-29.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.93

$3.00 NOK 28.90

-67.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.40

$1.89 NOK 18.26

-72.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$19.24 NOK 185

-76.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$15.31 NOK 148

19.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$3.29 NOK 31.75

-43.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.2

$3.86 NOK 37.21

-30.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.49

$2.67 NOK 25.76

-47.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿394

$43.34 NOK 418

-73.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$35.68 NOK 344

-91.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.08

$1.45 NOK 13.93

-28.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿475

$100 NOK 967

-85.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.13

$2.18 NOK 21.01

-39.91%

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

$27.8K ฿936.0K

$25.6K NOK 247.1K

8.56%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$35.6K NOK 343.7K

-6.80%

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

$122 ฿4,120

$98.7 NOK 951

24.12%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$38.06 NOK 367

-64.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$38.32 NOK 370

-51.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,035

$37.33 NOK 360

62.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿572

$35.73 NOK 345

-52.48%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$13.95 NOK 135

-34.98%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$307 NOK 2,957

130.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.8K

$10.2K NOK 98.4K

54.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,970

$39.71 NOK 383

47.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,190

$35.38 NOK 341

-0.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,885

$90.2 NOK 869

28.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,818

$152 NOK 1,464

-44.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.1K

$971 NOK 9,366

-35.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$976 NOK 9,407

-54.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.7K

$1,122 NOK 10.8K

81.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$914 NOK 8,817

63.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.2K

$3,335 NOK 32.2K

4.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$3,041 NOK 29.3K

-15.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$4,036 NOK 38.9K

-87.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

3.8

40.26%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Skien: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $971 in Skien. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Skien pays 707% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $100 in Skien for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $431 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 Skien: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 88% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 707% lower in Skien. 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: $626 in Phuket versus $971 in Skien. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $307 in Skien. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 49% higher in Skien. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $2,347 in Skien, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Skien. 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 Skien, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Skien 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 88% less than in Skien. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.