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: $1,223 in Phuket versus $2,773 in Stavanger.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Phuket versus $4,172 in Stavanger.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Phuket versus $5,570 in Stavanger.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 56% less than in Stavanger, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, Stavanger is 108% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿147

$25.16 NOK 238

-82.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,515

$120 NOK 1,137

-61.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿276

$14.88 NOK 141

-42.94%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿100

$5.21 NOK 49.33

-40.88%

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

$0.68 ฿22.07

$3.91 NOK 37.04

-82.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.75

$3.35 NOK 31.75

-89.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿78.8

$10.96 NOK 104

-77.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿118

$10.32 NOK 97.8

-64.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.1

$2.34 NOK 22.21

-6.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.0

$3.14 NOK 29.78

-42.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿72.5

$4.45 NOK 42.15

-49.89%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿72.7

$4.47 NOK 42.30

-49.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿637

$13.02 NOK 123

50.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿121

$16.38 NOK 155

-77.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿438

$27.93 NOK 265

-51.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿109

$3.59 NOK 34.00

-6.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿52.5

$2.55 NOK 24.13

-36.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.3

$3.06 NOK 28.99

-21.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.6

$4.74 NOK 44.89

-58.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.76

$2.15 NOK 20.36

-28.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.19

$2.91 NOK 27.57

-50.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿32.96

$2.53 NOK 23.96

-60.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.73

$1.74 NOK 16.51

-72.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿139

$14.98 NOK 142

-71.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿621

$18.43 NOK 175

3.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿59.7

$3.62 NOK 34.32

-49.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.1

$4.14 NOK 39.23

-33.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.06

$4.45 NOK 42.11

-68.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿381

$68.1 NOK 645

-82.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿97.6

$15.31 NOK 145

-80.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.00

$2.13 NOK 20.21

-50.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿452

$100 NOK 951

-86.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿41.94

$2.22 NOK 21.07

-41.89%

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

$28.0K ฿911.1K

$34.2K NOK 324.3K

-18.12%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$33.3K NOK 315.6K

0.55%

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

$122 ฿3,964

$191 NOK 1,812

-36.23%

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

$13.93 ฿453

$42.07 NOK 398

-66.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿613

$81.5 NOK 772

-76.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿1,992

$55.9 NOK 530

9.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

$35.10 NOK 332

-52.02%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿289

$18.95 NOK 180

-53.09%

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

$691 ฿22.5K

$314 NOK 2,976

120.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿525.2K

$12.8K NOK 121.5K

25.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,878

$117 NOK 1,110

-50.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,150

$60.1 NOK 569

-41.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,685

$105 NOK 994

8.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,698

$156 NOK 1,480

-46.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.7K

$1,591 NOK 15.1K

-61.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.6K

$1,148 NOK 10.9K

-60.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.0K

$2,775 NOK 26.3K

-26.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.5K

$1,773 NOK 16.8K

-15.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿116.5K

$6,070 NOK 57.5K

-40.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.0K

$5,176 NOK 49.0K

-50.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.4K

$4,897 NOK 46.4K

-89.69%

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: June 13, 2026

Last update for Stavanger: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Phuket and $1,591 in Stavanger. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stavanger pays 870% 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 $120 in Stavanger for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $471 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 127% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Stavanger earns 870% 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 $1,591 in Stavanger. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $691 in Phuket versus $314 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 $1,223 in Phuket versus $2,773 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 127% less than in Stavanger. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.