Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ulsteinvik Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ulsteinvik

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $2,421 in Ulsteinvik.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $3,717 in Ulsteinvik.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $5,013 in Ulsteinvik.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 48% less than in Ulsteinvik, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Ulsteinvik is 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$25.34 NOK 244

-82.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,554

$101 NOK 977

-54.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿298

$13.79 NOK 133

-35.90%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$4.85 NOK 46.80

-36.91%

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

$0.73 ฿24.42

$3.07 NOK 29.61

-76.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.40

$2.79 NOK 26.94

-85.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$10.16 NOK 98.0

-76.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$9.61 NOK 92.7

-60.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$2.27 NOK 21.90

-0.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$3.40 NOK 32.76

-46.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$3.15 NOK 30.38

-28.57%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.6

$4.44 NOK 42.78

-49.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$12.09 NOK 117

61.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$14.71 NOK 142

-75.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$27.40 NOK 264

-52.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$3.52 NOK 33.97

-8.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$2.39 NOK 23.04

-32.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.2

$3.36 NOK 32.39

-29.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.2

$4.52 NOK 43.56

-55.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$2.46 NOK 23.72

-37.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$2.48 NOK 23.93

-39.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.93

$2.80 NOK 26.98

-65.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.40

$1.83 NOK 17.67

-71.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$15.45 NOK 149

-71.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$17.08 NOK 165

7.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$3.41 NOK 32.93

-45.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.2

$3.96 NOK 38.20

-32.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.49

$4.33 NOK 41.75

-67.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿394

$73.4 NOK 708

-84.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$10.10 NOK 97.4

-69.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.08

$1.39 NOK 13.37

-25.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿475

$46.69 NOK 450

-69.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.13

$2.15 NOK 20.71

-39.07%

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

$27.8K ฿936.0K

$34.9K NOK 336.6K

-20.32%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$38.9K NOK 374.9K

-14.57%

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

$122 ฿4,120

$238 NOK 2,299

-48.64%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$37.91 NOK 366

-64.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$55.4 NOK 535

-66.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,035

$49.12 NOK 474

23.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿572

$36.10 NOK 348

-52.96%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$16.64 NOK 160

-45.49%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$279 NOK 2,691

153.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.8K

$10.1K NOK 97.3K

56.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,970

$95.6 NOK 922

-38.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,190

$52.7 NOK 508

-32.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,885

$110 NOK 1,059

5.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,818

$152 NOK 1,463

-44.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.1K

$1,206 NOK 11.6K

-48.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$911 NOK 8,781

-51.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.7K

$1,848 NOK 17.8K

10.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$1,542 NOK 14.9K

-3.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.2K

$5,806 NOK 56.0K

-40.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$3,524 NOK 34.0K

-26.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.38

21.69%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Ulsteinvik: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $1,206 in Ulsteinvik. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $101 in Ulsteinvik for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $452 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 Ulsteinvik: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 94% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,875 in Phuket and $3,631 in Ulsteinvik to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $626 in Phuket versus $1,206 in Ulsteinvik. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $279 in Ulsteinvik. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 56% higher in Ulsteinvik. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $2,421 in Ulsteinvik, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Ulsteinvik. 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 Ulsteinvik, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Ulsteinvik 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 94% less than in Ulsteinvik. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.