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: $1,253 in Phuket versus $2,751 in Ulsteinvik.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $4,113 in Ulsteinvik.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $5,476 in Ulsteinvik.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 9% below, Ulsteinvik is 100% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$20.97 NOK 195

-78.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,073

$114 NOK 1,055

-71.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$13.88 NOK 129

-35.88%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.2

$4.96 NOK 46.05

-43.55%

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

$0.88 ฿28.94

$4.33 NOK 40.22

-79.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$3.02 NOK 28.06

-83.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

$11.05 NOK 103

-78.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$11.92 NOK 111

-68.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.8

$2.49 NOK 23.07

-28.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.40

$3.73 NOK 34.67

-61.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$3.84 NOK 35.64

-58.85%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$4.92 NOK 45.66

-56.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$13.33 NOK 124

49.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$15.73 NOK 146

-78.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

$30.44 NOK 283

-62.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿97.0

$3.49 NOK 32.41

-15.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$2.75 NOK 25.56

-37.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.5

$3.64 NOK 33.82

-36.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$5.15 NOK 47.84

-59.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.34

$2.68 NOK 24.89

-45.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.65

$2.84 NOK 26.41

-52.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.13

$3.09 NOK 28.65

-64.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.89

$2.60 NOK 24.13

-78.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$18.16 NOK 169

-76.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿606

$16.85 NOK 156

9.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

$3.52 NOK 32.71

-46.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.1

$4.85 NOK 45.01

-39.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿73.0

$4.24 NOK 39.41

-47.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

$85.1 NOK 790

-73.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.6

$13.47 NOK 125

-77.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.32

$1.78 NOK 16.55

-39.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$72.3 NOK 671

-94.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.06

$2.40 NOK 22.24

-37.92%

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

$27.1K ฿892.0K

$45.7K NOK 423.8K

-40.57%

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

$27.5K ฿902.6K

$40.5K NOK 375.8K

-32.18%

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

$103 ฿3,380

$273 NOK 2,530

-62.28%

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

$10.99 ฿361

$28.09 NOK 261

-60.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$58.6 NOK 544

-70.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

$50.5 NOK 469

6.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

$39.37 NOK 365

-71.55%

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$16.27 NOK 151

-54.03%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

$246 NOK 2,282

126.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.7K

$12.8K NOK 119.0K

-7.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,107

$93.7 NOK 870

-31.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿956

$54.5 NOK 506

-46.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,155

$127 NOK 1,178

-24.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,970

$148 NOK 1,376

-39.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

$1,329 NOK 12.3K

-45.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

$1,127 NOK 10.5K

-55.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.7K

$1,777 NOK 16.5K

17.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.8K

$1,726 NOK 16.0K

-29.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

$6,426 NOK 59.7K

-44.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

$4,719 NOK 43.8K

-46.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.96

12.30%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Last update for Ulsteinvik: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $730 in Phuket and $1,329 in Ulsteinvik. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Phuket vs $114 in Ulsteinvik for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $500 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, Getting Around. The 120% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,880 in Phuket and $4,126 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: $730 in Phuket versus $1,329 in Ulsteinvik. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $557 in Phuket versus $246 in Ulsteinvik. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 83% higher in Ulsteinvik. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,253 in Phuket versus $2,751 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 120% less than in Ulsteinvik. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.