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: $2,695 in Stavanger versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,140 in Stavanger versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,584 in Stavanger versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Stavanger is roughly 119% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Stavanger is 101% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.22 NOK 235

$4.63 ฿151

444.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$119 NOK 1,113

$46.84 ฿1,523

154.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.32 NOK 143

$8.84 ฿287

73.30%

Cappuccino

$5.05 NOK 47.09

$3.00 ฿97.4

68.33%

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

$4.01 NOK 37.36

$0.74 ฿24.11

441.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 NOK 32.25

$0.37 ฿11.88

835.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.16 NOK 104

$2.44 ฿79.3

357.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.94 NOK 92.7

$3.61 ฿117

175.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.45 NOK 22.84

$2.26 ฿73.5

8.41%

White Bread (500g)

$3.10 NOK 28.90

$1.84 ฿59.8

68.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.61 NOK 42.97

$2.24 ฿73.0

105.80%

Eggs

$4.34 NOK 40.44

$2.32 ฿75.3

87.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.93 NOK 120

$19.67 ฿639

-34.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.27 NOK 152

$3.65 ฿119

345.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.67 NOK 258

$13.10 ฿426

111.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.41 NOK 31.76

$3.39 ฿110

0.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.62 NOK 24.42

$1.64 ฿53.4

59.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.01 NOK 28.07

$2.41 ฿78.5

24.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.55 NOK 42.42

$2.03 ฿66.0

124.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 NOK 19.28

$1.56 ฿50.6

32.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.99 NOK 27.85

$1.50 ฿48.66

99.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 NOK 23.00

$1.02 ฿33.30

142.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 NOK 17.14

$0.49 ฿15.91

275.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.09 NOK 141

$4.45 ฿145

239.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.20 NOK 179

$18.88 ฿614

1.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.55 NOK 33.07

$1.78 ฿57.7

99.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.01 NOK 37.39

$2.75 ฿89.5

45.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.48 NOK 41.78

$1.40 ฿45.54

220.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.9 NOK 623

$11.48 ฿373

482.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.00 NOK 140

$3.12 ฿101

380.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 NOK 19.44

$1.00 ฿32.48

109.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$102 NOK 951

$14.09 ฿458

624.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 NOK 19.66

$1.35 ฿43.93

56.30%

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

$33.8K NOK 315.5K

$27.2K ฿883.7K

24.51%

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

$33.0K NOK 307.7K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

0.30%

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

$191 NOK 1,782

$125 ฿4,063

52.96%

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

$43.15 NOK 402

$13.57 ฿441

217.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.5 NOK 750

$18.52 ฿602

334.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.0 NOK 522

$61.5 ฿1,999

-8.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.16 NOK 328

$16.84 ฿547

108.79%

Cinema Ticket

$19.31 NOK 180

$9.19 ฿299

110.12%

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

$322 NOK 2,998

$698 ฿22.7K

-53.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K NOK 123.5K

$15.6K ฿506.9K

-15.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$117 NOK 1,087

$57.8 ฿1,878

101.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.7 NOK 547

$35.24 ฿1,146

66.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 NOK 994

$113 ฿3,677

-5.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 NOK 1,484

$86.4 ฿2,808

84.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,580 NOK 14.7K

$616 ฿20.0K

156.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,123 NOK 10.5K

$446 ฿14.5K

151.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,783 NOK 25.9K

$2,048 ฿66.6K

35.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,781 NOK 16.6K

$1,492 ฿48.5K

19.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,940 NOK 55.4K

$3,779 ฿122.8K

57.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,361 NOK 50.0K

$2,649 ฿86.1K

102.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,014 NOK 46.7K

$524 ฿17.0K

857.23%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,580 in Stavanger and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stavanger pays 857% 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: $119 in Stavanger vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $470 vs $292 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 119% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Stavanger pays 857% more on average, 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: $1,580 in Stavanger versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $322 in Stavanger versus $698 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 $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,695 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 119% less than in Stavanger. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.