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: $2,650 in Bergen versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,988 in Bergen versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,327 in Bergen versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Bergen is roughly 112% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bergen is 98% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.72 NOK 248

$4.55 ฿153

465.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$103 NOK 993

$46.18 ฿1,550

123.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.51 NOK 188

$8.84 ฿297

120.70%

Cappuccino

$5.42 NOK 52.2

$3.06 ฿103

77.12%

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

$3.20 NOK 30.82

$0.73 ฿24.36

338.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 NOK 27.87

$0.40 ฿13.37

622.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.82 NOK 114

$2.43 ฿81.6

386.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.78 NOK 94.2

$3.78 ฿127

158.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.65 NOK 25.54

$2.26 ฿75.8

17.26%

White Bread (500g)

$3.28 NOK 31.58

$1.81 ฿60.8

81.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.88 NOK 27.77

$2.25 ฿75.7

28.00%

Eggs

$4.90 NOK 47.23

$2.25 ฿75.4

117.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.20 NOK 137

$19.51 ฿655

-27.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.06 NOK 155

$3.65 ฿122

340.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.21 NOK 272

$13.05 ฿438

116.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.94 NOK 37.99

$3.23 ฿109

21.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.96 NOK 28.52

$1.62 ฿54.3

82.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.75 NOK 36.17

$2.38 ฿80.0

57.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.62 NOK 54.2

$2.03 ฿68.0

176.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.73 NOK 26.29

$1.53 ฿51.5

78.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.91 NOK 28.04

$1.50 ฿50.4

94.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 NOK 27.00

$0.98 ฿32.85

185.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 NOK 20.64

$0.52 ฿17.36

311.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.95 NOK 163

$4.44 ฿149

281.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.26 NOK 166

$18.32 ฿615

-5.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.30 NOK 31.80

$1.86 ฿62.6

77.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 NOK 42.18

$2.68 ฿90.0

63.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.47 NOK 43.07

$1.41 ฿47.37

217.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.2 NOK 783

$11.70 ฿393

594.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.23 NOK 147

$3.11 ฿104

389.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.25 NOK 21.66

$1.04 ฿35.00

116.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$72.5 NOK 699

$14.11 ฿474

414.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 NOK 20.51

$1.31 ฿44.02

62.60%

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

$35.3K NOK 340.4K

$27.8K ฿933.8K

27.05%

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

$43.1K NOK 415.0K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

29.71%

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

$242 NOK 2,333

$122 ฿4,110

97.86%

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

$38.51 NOK 371

$13.59 ฿456

183.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.7 NOK 623

$18.70 ฿628

245.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.9 NOK 520

$60.5 ฿2,031

-10.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.36 NOK 389

$16.98 ฿570

137.69%

Cinema Ticket

$20.20 NOK 195

$9.07 ฿305

122.71%

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

$286 NOK 2,753

$706 ฿23.7K

-59.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K NOK 121.0K

$15.8K ฿530.5K

-20.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.1 NOK 878

$58.6 ฿1,965

55.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.5 NOK 535

$35.36 ฿1,187

57.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 NOK 1,071

$115 ฿3,876

-3.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$145 NOK 1,400

$83.7 ฿2,811

73.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,284 NOK 12.4K

$626 ฿21.0K

105.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$976 NOK 9,397

$445 ฿14.9K

119.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,019 NOK 19.4K

$2,040 ฿68.5K

-1.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,558 NOK 15.0K

$1,492 ฿50.1K

4.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,575 NOK 73.0K

$3,483 ฿116.9K

117.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,645 NOK 44.7K

$2,577 ฿86.5K

80.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,344 NOK 41.8K

$500 ฿16.8K

768.97%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,284 in Bergen and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 769% 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: $103 in Bergen vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $489 vs $289 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 112% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 769% higher in Bergen, 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: $1,284 in Bergen versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $286 in Bergen versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 69% higher in Bergen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $2,650 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 112% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.