Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,605 in Bergen versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,923 in Bergen versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,240 in Bergen versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Bergen is roughly 106% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bergen is 94% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.78 NOK 240

$4.70 ฿154

448.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$100 NOK 933

$45.37 ฿1,483

120.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.96 NOK 176

$8.43 ฿276

124.91%

Cappuccino

$5.36 NOK 49.93

$2.93 ฿95.7

82.94%

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

$3.21 NOK 29.92

$0.69 ฿22.42

365.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 NOK 28.20

$0.37 ฿12.00

718.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.53 NOK 107

$2.41 ฿78.7

378.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.67 NOK 90.0

$3.72 ฿122

159.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.64 NOK 24.55

$2.23 ฿73.0

18.39%

White Bread (500g)

$3.36 NOK 31.27

$1.83 ฿59.9

83.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.90 NOK 26.97

$2.17 ฿70.9

33.64%

Eggs

$5.11 NOK 47.55

$2.21 ฿72.4

131.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 NOK 130

$19.74 ฿645

-29.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.06 NOK 150

$3.63 ฿119

342.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.05 NOK 261

$13.53 ฿442

107.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.75 NOK 34.91

$3.28 ฿107

14.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.94 NOK 27.35

$1.61 ฿52.7

82.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.61 NOK 33.63

$2.41 ฿78.7

49.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.52 NOK 51.4

$2.08 ฿68.1

165.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 NOK 25.30

$1.53 ฿49.97

77.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.77 NOK 25.78

$1.48 ฿48.41

87.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 NOK 26.50

$0.99 ฿32.32

187.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 NOK 19.99

$0.51 ฿16.68

321.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.93 NOK 158

$4.41 ฿144

283.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.39 NOK 171

$19.38 ฿634

-5.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.35 NOK 31.15

$1.78 ฿58.1

88.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 NOK 39.76

$2.71 ฿88.7

57.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.56 NOK 42.49

$1.37 ฿44.83

232.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 NOK 750

$11.39 ฿372

606.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.36 NOK 143

$3.02 ฿98.7

408.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.28 NOK 21.19

$0.99 ฿32.51

130.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$72.7 NOK 677

$14.10 ฿461

415.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.16 NOK 20.15

$1.36 ฿44.55

58.82%

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

$35.0K NOK 325.9K

$28.2K ฿921.9K

24.12%

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

$43.6K NOK 405.6K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

32.42%

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

$238 NOK 2,212

$122 ฿3,978

95.21%

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

$38.16 NOK 355

$13.57 ฿444

181.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.1 NOK 596

$18.31 ฿599

249.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.2 NOK 514

$60.2 ฿1,969

-8.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.59 NOK 378

$17.14 ฿560

136.81%

Cinema Ticket

$19.99 NOK 186

$8.69 ฿284

130.03%

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

$281 NOK 2,615

$693 ฿22.7K

-59.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K NOK 120.3K

$15.7K ฿512.8K

-17.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.5 NOK 843

$59.5 ฿1,946

52.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.0 NOK 512

$34.77 ฿1,137

58.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 NOK 1,037

$115 ฿3,746

-2.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$147 NOK 1,372

$83.3 ฿2,723

76.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 NOK 11.9K

$613 ฿20.0K

108.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$997 NOK 9,283

$437 ฿14.3K

128.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,004 NOK 18.7K

$2,094 ฿68.5K

-4.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,576 NOK 14.7K

$1,509 ฿49.3K

4.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,998 NOK 74.5K

$3,749 ฿122.6K

113.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,773 NOK 44.4K

$2,616 ฿85.5K

82.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,646 NOK 43.3K

$508 ฿16.6K

814.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.85

5.33

-9.01%

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

Last update for Bergen: June 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,275 in Bergen and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 814% 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: $100 in Bergen vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $490 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

Bergen vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 106% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Bergen pays 814% 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: $1,275 in Bergen versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $281 in Bergen versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 67% higher in Bergen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,605 in Bergen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Bergen. 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 Bergen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Bergen 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 106% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.