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: $2,689 in Stavanger versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,070 in Stavanger versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,451 in Stavanger versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Stavanger is roughly 113% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Stavanger is 100% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.39 NOK 241

$4.56 ฿149

456.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 NOK 1,138

$46.63 ฿1,519

157.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.31 NOK 145

$8.47 ฿276

80.76%

Cappuccino

$5.03 NOK 47.77

$3.03 ฿98.6

66.01%

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

$3.88 NOK 36.83

$0.69 ฿22.45

462.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.47 NOK 32.89

$0.37 ฿11.92

837.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.98 NOK 104

$2.49 ฿81.0

340.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.21 NOK 96.9

$3.66 ฿119

178.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 NOK 21.93

$2.18 ฿71.0

5.96%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 NOK 29.59

$1.90 ฿62.0

64.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.58 NOK 43.48

$2.20 ฿71.6

108.18%

Eggs

$4.48 NOK 42.52

$2.22 ฿72.4

101.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 NOK 122

$19.99 ฿651

-35.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.73 NOK 159

$3.66 ฿119

357.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.83 NOK 264

$13.25 ฿432

110.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.48 NOK 33.01

$3.23 ฿105

7.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.64 NOK 25.03

$1.70 ฿55.3

55.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.11 NOK 29.53

$2.39 ฿78.0

30.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.68 NOK 44.37

$2.08 ฿67.7

125.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 NOK 19.77

$1.59 ฿51.8

30.82%

Onion (1kg)

$3.08 NOK 29.27

$1.48 ฿48.31

108.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 NOK 23.47

$1.03 ฿33.54

139.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 NOK 17.38

$0.52 ฿16.83

251.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.97 NOK 142

$4.25 ฿138

252.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.46 NOK 175

$18.79 ฿612

-1.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.68 NOK 34.89

$1.76 ฿57.2

109.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 NOK 38.90

$2.76 ฿89.8

48.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.58 NOK 43.47

$1.36 ฿44.32

236.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.6 NOK 651

$11.36 ฿370

503.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.31 NOK 145

$3.14 ฿102

387.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.06 NOK 19.57

$1.04 ฿33.74

98.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$100 NOK 953

$13.77 ฿448

628.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 NOK 20.01

$1.34 ฿43.79

57.46%

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

$34.4K NOK 326.1K

$27.7K ฿901.4K

24.12%

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

$32.4K NOK 307.3K

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-4.39%

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

$190 NOK 1,806

$124 ฿4,025

53.94%

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

$42.20 NOK 401

$13.52 ฿440

212.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$83.1 NOK 789

$18.69 ฿609

344.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 NOK 531

$61.8 ฿2,013

-9.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.16 NOK 334

$17.25 ฿562

103.83%

Cinema Ticket

$19.57 NOK 186

$9.14 ฿298

114.11%

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

$321 NOK 3,048

$703 ฿22.9K

-54.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K NOK 123.1K

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-18.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$116 NOK 1,098

$59.5 ฿1,937

94.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 NOK 550

$35.07 ฿1,142

65.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 NOK 1,017

$115 ฿3,754

-7.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$160 NOK 1,519

$84.1 ฿2,737

90.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 NOK 15.1K

$619 ฿20.1K

157.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 NOK 10.7K

$433 ฿14.1K

160.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,732 NOK 25.9K

$2,062 ฿67.2K

32.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,774 NOK 16.8K

$1,511 ฿49.2K

17.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,036 NOK 57.3K

$3,646 ฿118.7K

65.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,366 NOK 50.9K

$2,626 ฿85.5K

104.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,104 NOK 48.4K

$507 ฿16.5K

906.78%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,595 in Stavanger and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stavanger pays 907% 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: $120 in Stavanger vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $473 vs $293 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 113% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Stavanger pays 907% 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: $1,595 in Stavanger versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $321 in Stavanger versus $703 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 62% higher in Stavanger. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $2,689 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 113% less than in Stavanger. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.