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: $3,218 in Stavanger versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,673 in Stavanger versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,128 in Stavanger versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Stavanger is roughly 154% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Stavanger is 133% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.27 NOK 234

$4.66 ฿154

442.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.7 NOK 906

$32.22 ฿1,065

203.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.20 NOK 150

$8.68 ฿287

86.64%

Cappuccino

$6.50 NOK 60.3

$2.90 ฿95.8

124.14%

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

$5.65 NOK 52.4

$0.84 ฿27.89

572.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 NOK 42.85

$0.49 ฿16.16

842.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.72 NOK 127

$2.48 ฿82.0

453.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.21 NOK 113

$3.73 ฿123

227.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 NOK 22.16

$1.89 ฿62.3

26.46%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 NOK 34.25

$1.41 ฿46.54

161.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.04 NOK 37.50

$1.62 ฿53.6

149.38%

Eggs

$5.03 NOK 46.67

$2.24 ฿74.1

124.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.21 NOK 141

$19.84 ฿656

-23.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.62 NOK 163

$3.48 ฿115

406.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$35.78 NOK 332

$11.37 ฿376

214.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.58 NOK 33.17

$2.90 ฿95.8

23.45%

Banana (1kg)

$2.90 NOK 26.88

$1.72 ฿57.0

68.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.63 NOK 33.71

$2.27 ฿75.1

59.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.87 NOK 45.18

$2.13 ฿70.4

128.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.62 NOK 24.32

$1.47 ฿48.72

78.23%

Onion (1kg)

$3.24 NOK 30.03

$1.42 ฿46.92

128.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 NOK 26.41

$1.10 ฿36.25

159.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 NOK 21.43

$0.60 ฿19.76

285.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.75 NOK 165

$4.31 ฿142

311.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.90 NOK 175

$18.60 ฿615

1.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.03 NOK 37.43

$1.80 ฿59.5

123.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 NOK 42.06

$2.97 ฿98.0

52.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.75 NOK 44.10

$2.25 ฿74.2

111.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.1 NOK 808

$23.49 ฿776

270.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.21 NOK 57.6

$3.10 ฿102

100.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.80 NOK 16.70

$1.08 ฿35.56

66.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$105 NOK 971

$3.87 ฿128

2605.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.29 NOK 21.25

$1.43 ฿47.16

60.14%

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

$50.3K NOK 466.2K

$27.8K ฿918.0K

80.87%

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

$43.0K NOK 398.5K

$27.0K ฿891.5K

59.20%

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

$261 NOK 2,424

$105 ฿3,462

149.35%

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

$35.80 NOK 332

$11.39 ฿376

214.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.6 NOK 794

$17.54 ฿580

388.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 NOK 484

$54.3 ฿1,795

-4.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.84 NOK 351

$11.44 ฿378

230.77%

Cinema Ticket

$22.77 NOK 211

$7.78 ฿257

192.67%

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

$332 NOK 3,079

$576 ฿19.0K

-42.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.2K NOK 132.2K

$11.6K ฿382.7K

23.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$127 NOK 1,182

$63.6 ฿2,103

100.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.6 NOK 571

$29.10 ฿961

111.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$156 NOK 1,447

$96.2 ฿3,179

62.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$206 NOK 1,914

$90.0 ฿2,974

129.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,757 NOK 16.3K

$733 ฿24.2K

139.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,393 NOK 12.9K

$501 ฿16.5K

178.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,793 NOK 25.9K

$2,126 ฿70.2K

31.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 NOK 19.1K

$1,252 ฿41.4K

64.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,206 NOK 57.6K

$3,534 ฿116.8K

75.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,375 NOK 49.9K

$2,622 ฿86.6K

104.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,012 NOK 46.5K

$508 ฿16.8K

887.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.27

5.57

-5.39%

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

Last update for Stavanger: September 6, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,757 in Stavanger and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stavanger pays 887% 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: $98.0 in Stavanger vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $533 vs $275 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 154% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 887% 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: $1,757 in Stavanger versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $332 in Stavanger versus $576 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 94% higher in Stavanger. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $3,218 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 154% less than in Stavanger. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.