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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,699 in Stavanger versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,150 in Stavanger versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,601 in Stavanger versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Stavanger is roughly 114% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Stavanger is 103% above, Phuket is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.22 NOK 242

$4.48 ฿150

462.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$123 NOK 1,180

$45.59 ฿1,525

169.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.08 NOK 145

$8.76 ฿293

72.15%

Cappuccino

$5.02 NOK 48.16

$2.97 ฿99.3

69.02%

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

$3.89 NOK 37.28

$0.69 ฿22.96

463.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 NOK 32.64

$0.39 ฿13.07

771.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.99 NOK 105

$2.53 ฿84.7

334.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.26 NOK 98.4

$3.75 ฿125

173.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.40 NOK 22.99

$2.15 ฿71.8

11.63%

White Bread (500g)

$3.11 NOK 29.80

$1.82 ฿60.7

70.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.64 NOK 44.54

$2.18 ฿73.1

112.84%

Eggs

$4.52 NOK 43.38

$2.25 ฿75.2

100.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 NOK 124

$20.00 ฿669

-35.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.24 NOK 156

$3.63 ฿121

347.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.67 NOK 265

$13.56 ฿453

104.06%

Apples (1kg)

$3.53 NOK 33.83

$3.24 ฿109

8.95%

Banana (1kg)

$2.52 NOK 24.20

$1.64 ฿54.7

53.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.05 NOK 29.27

$2.33 ฿78.0

30.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.66 NOK 44.68

$2.07 ฿69.3

125.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 NOK 19.66

$1.55 ฿51.8

32.26%

Onion (1kg)

$3.04 NOK 29.20

$1.46 ฿48.67

108.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.58 NOK 24.76

$0.98 ฿32.94

163.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 NOK 16.75

$0.48 ฿16.13

264.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.11 NOK 145

$4.35 ฿146

247.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.96 NOK 172

$18.57 ฿621

-3.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.54 NOK 33.99

$1.86 ฿62.1

90.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 NOK 39.14

$2.65 ฿88.8

53.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.58 NOK 43.95

$1.42 ฿47.40

222.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.1 NOK 663

$11.57 ฿387

497.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.37 NOK 147

$3.17 ฿106

384.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 NOK 19.85

$1.03 ฿34.51

100.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$103 NOK 983

$13.89 ฿465

637.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 NOK 21.17

$1.34 ฿44.96

64.93%

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

$34.7K NOK 333.0K

$27.8K ฿929.6K

24.93%

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

$32.7K NOK 313.8K

$33.4K ฿1.1M

-1.99%

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

$192 NOK 1,842

$123 ฿4,116

56.09%

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

$42.41 NOK 407

$13.77 ฿461

207.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.9 NOK 776

$18.33 ฿613

341.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 NOK 535

$60.7 ฿2,030

-8.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.17 NOK 337

$17.16 ฿574

104.95%

Cinema Ticket

$19.02 NOK 182

$8.87 ฿297

114.43%

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

$314 NOK 3,010

$688 ฿23.0K

-54.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K NOK 123.6K

$15.8K ฿527.8K

-18.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$116 NOK 1,108

$59.3 ฿1,984

94.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.4 NOK 560

$34.69 ฿1,160

68.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 NOK 1,030

$115 ฿3,853

-6.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$157 NOK 1,510

$83.8 ฿2,802

87.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 NOK 15.3K

$621 ฿20.8K

156.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,135 NOK 10.9K

$446 ฿14.9K

154.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,798 NOK 26.8K

$2,034 ฿68.0K

37.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,777 NOK 17.0K

$1,496 ฿50.0K

18.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,005 NOK 57.6K

$3,455 ฿115.6K

73.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,223 NOK 50.1K

$2,531 ฿84.7K

106.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,909 NOK 47.1K

$494 ฿16.5K

894.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

5.33

-15.38%

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

Last update for Stavanger: July 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,595 in Stavanger and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stavanger pays 895% 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: $123 in Stavanger vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $468 vs $291 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

Stavanger vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 114% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 895% higher in Stavanger, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,595 in Stavanger versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $314 in Stavanger versus $688 in Phuket. 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 $1,264 in Phuket versus $2,699 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, Stavanger and Phuket 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 114% less than in Stavanger. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.