Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Stavanger Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Stavanger

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,695 in Stavanger.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $4,140 in Stavanger.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $5,584 in Stavanger.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 54% less than in Stavanger, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, Stavanger is 101% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$25.22 NOK 235

-81.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$119 NOK 1,113

-60.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$15.32 NOK 143

-42.30%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$5.05 NOK 47.09

-40.59%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$4.01 NOK 37.36

-81.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$3.46 NOK 32.25

-89.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$11.16 NOK 104

-78.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$9.94 NOK 92.7

-63.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$2.45 NOK 22.84

-7.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$3.10 NOK 28.90

-40.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$4.61 NOK 42.97

-51.41%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$4.34 NOK 40.44

-46.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$12.93 NOK 120

52.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$16.27 NOK 152

-77.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$27.67 NOK 258

-52.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$3.41 NOK 31.76

-0.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$2.62 NOK 24.42

-37.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$3.01 NOK 28.07

-19.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$4.55 NOK 42.42

-55.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$2.07 NOK 19.28

-24.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$2.99 NOK 27.85

-49.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$2.47 NOK 23.00

-58.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$1.84 NOK 17.14

-73.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$15.09 NOK 141

-70.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$19.20 NOK 179

-1.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$3.55 NOK 33.07

-49.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$4.01 NOK 37.39

-31.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$4.48 NOK 41.78

-68.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$66.9 NOK 623

-82.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$15.00 NOK 140

-79.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$2.09 NOK 19.44

-52.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$102 NOK 951

-86.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$2.11 NOK 19.66

-36.02%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$33.8K NOK 315.5K

-19.69%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$33.0K NOK 307.7K

-0.30%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$191 NOK 1,782

-34.62%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$43.15 NOK 402

-68.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$80.5 NOK 750

-76.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$56.0 NOK 522

9.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$35.16 NOK 328

-52.10%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$19.31 NOK 180

-52.41%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$322 NOK 2,998

117.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$13.2K NOK 123.5K

17.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$117 NOK 1,087

-50.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$58.7 NOK 547

-39.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$107 NOK 994

6.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$159 NOK 1,484

-45.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$1,580 NOK 14.7K

-61.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$1,123 NOK 10.5K

-60.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$2,783 NOK 25.9K

-26.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$1,781 NOK 16.6K

-16.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$5,940 NOK 55.4K

-36.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$5,361 NOK 50.0K

-50.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$5,014 NOK 46.7K

-89.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.51

18.18%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Stavanger: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $1,580 in Stavanger. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stavanger pays 857% 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 $119 in Stavanger for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $470 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 Stavanger: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 119% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Stavanger earns 857% 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 $1,580 in Stavanger. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $322 in Stavanger. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 61% higher in Stavanger. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,695 in Stavanger, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Stavanger. 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 Stavanger, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Stavanger 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 119% less than in Stavanger. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.