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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,430 in Ulsteinvik.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $3,741 in Ulsteinvik.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $5,052 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

$4.70 ฿153

$25.66 NOK 238

-81.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$103 NOK 957

-55.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$13.92 NOK 129

-39.44%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$5.02 NOK 46.64

-41.63%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$3.21 NOK 29.81

-78.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$2.92 NOK 27.16

-87.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$10.24 NOK 95.1

-76.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$9.64 NOK 89.5

-61.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$2.19 NOK 20.35

1.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$3.33 NOK 30.95

-45.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$3.28 NOK 30.44

-33.84%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$4.33 NOK 40.21

-48.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$11.82 NOK 110

67.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$14.52 NOK 135

-75.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$27.67 NOK 257

-51.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$3.45 NOK 32.01

-4.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$2.37 NOK 21.98

-32.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$3.24 NOK 30.10

-25.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$4.56 NOK 42.38

-54.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$2.45 NOK 22.78

-37.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$2.50 NOK 23.21

-40.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$2.82 NOK 26.20

-64.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$1.83 NOK 16.99

-72.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$15.10 NOK 140

-70.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$18.31 NOK 170

5.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$3.33 NOK 30.95

-46.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$3.99 NOK 37.02

-32.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$4.37 NOK 40.61

-68.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$74.2 NOK 689

-84.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$10.27 NOK 95.4

-70.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$1.41 NOK 13.06

-29.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$46.03 NOK 428

-69.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$2.14 NOK 19.90

-36.45%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$35.7K NOK 331.9K

-21.06%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$38.6K NOK 358.4K

-14.73%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$241 NOK 2,238

-49.47%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$38.38 NOK 357

-64.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$55.1 NOK 512

-66.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$48.91 NOK 454

23.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$35.72 NOK 332

-52.02%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$16.69 NOK 155

-47.93%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$285 NOK 2,650

143.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$10.0K NOK 92.9K

56.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$94.3 NOK 876

-36.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$51.4 NOK 477

-32.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$110 NOK 1,018

4.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$153 NOK 1,424

-45.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$1,220 NOK 11.3K

-49.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$897 NOK 8,332

-51.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$1,846 NOK 17.1K

13.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$1,559 NOK 14.5K

-3.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$5,240 NOK 48.7K

-28.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$4,283 NOK 39.8K

-38.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Ulsteinvik: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $1,220 in Ulsteinvik. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $103 in Ulsteinvik for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $451 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 92% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,898 in Phuket and $3,645 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: $613 in Phuket versus $1,220 in Ulsteinvik. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $285 in Ulsteinvik. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 54% higher in Ulsteinvik. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,430 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 92% less than in Ulsteinvik. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.