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: $2,907 in Bergen versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,400 in Bergen versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,894 in Bergen versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Bergen is roughly 132% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bergen is 112% above, Phuket is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.49 NOK 238

$4.56 ฿151

458.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$141 NOK 1,309

$32.62 ฿1,082

330.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.21 NOK 151

$8.90 ฿295

82.13%

Cappuccino

$5.63 NOK 52.5

$2.80 ฿93.0

101.07%

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

$5.28 NOK 49.18

$0.88 ฿29.19

500.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 NOK 44.12

$0.49 ฿16.23

867.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.91 NOK 120

$2.39 ฿79.2

440.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.52 NOK 98.0

$3.71 ฿123

183.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.48 NOK 23.08

$1.79 ฿59.3

38.55%

White Bread (500g)

$3.83 NOK 35.70

$1.44 ฿47.81

165.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.58 NOK 33.31

$1.58 ฿52.6

126.58%

Eggs

$6.70 NOK 62.5

$2.13 ฿70.5

214.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.27 NOK 142

$19.92 ฿661

-23.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.52 NOK 163

$3.43 ฿114

410.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$35.05 NOK 327

$11.33 ฿376

209.36%

Apples (1kg)

$4.22 NOK 39.28

$2.95 ฿97.8

43.05%

Banana (1kg)

$2.71 NOK 25.26

$1.72 ฿57.1

57.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.72 NOK 34.67

$2.32 ฿77.1

60.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.61 NOK 52.3

$2.08 ฿69.0

169.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.56 NOK 23.82

$1.47 ฿48.77

74.15%

Onion (1kg)

$3.48 NOK 32.38

$1.36 ฿45.05

155.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.03 NOK 28.22

$1.10 ฿36.45

175.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 NOK 18.50

$0.57 ฿19.06

249.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.89 NOK 167

$4.27 ฿142

318.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.74 NOK 175

$18.42 ฿611

1.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.62 NOK 33.70

$1.87 ฿62.1

93.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.24 NOK 39.52

$2.92 ฿96.9

45.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.17 NOK 48.14

$2.22 ฿73.6

132.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.2 NOK 840

$22.90 ฿759

293.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.70 NOK 118

$3.03 ฿101

319.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 NOK 17.74

$1.07 ฿35.63

77.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$73.1 NOK 681

$3.93 ฿130

1761.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 NOK 20.90

$1.49 ฿49.49

50.34%

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

$49.8K NOK 463.6K

$27.1K ฿899.8K

83.42%

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

$43.8K NOK 408.1K

$27.5K ฿910.6K

59.55%

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

$286 NOK 2,662

$103 ฿3,410

177.96%

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

$31.94 NOK 298

$10.99 ฿365

190.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.6 NOK 732

$17.51 ฿581

348.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.64 NOK 416

$53.5 ฿1,776

-16.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$43.59 NOK 406

$11.20 ฿371

289.20%

Cinema Ticket

$19.25 NOK 179

$7.48 ฿248

157.35%

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

$241 NOK 2,242

$557 ฿18.5K

-56.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K NOK 111.3K

$11.9K ฿393.2K

0.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 NOK 994

$64.1 ฿2,125

66.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 NOK 506

$29.07 ฿964

86.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 NOK 1,145

$96.0 ฿3,183

28.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$169 NOK 1,576

$90.3 ฿2,997

87.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,514 NOK 14.1K

$730 ฿24.2K

107.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,119 NOK 10.4K

$500 ฿16.6K

123.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,489 NOK 23.2K

$2,090 ฿69.3K

19.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,758 NOK 16.4K

$1,209 ฿40.1K

45.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,741 NOK 72.1K

$3,596 ฿119.3K

115.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,935 NOK 46.0K

$2,512 ฿83.3K

96.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,828 NOK 45.0K

$503 ฿16.7K

859.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.31

5.57

-4.67%

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

Last update for Bergen: August 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,514 in Bergen and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 859% 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: $141 in Bergen vs $33.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $538 vs $273 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 132% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 859% 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: $1,514 in Bergen versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $241 in Bergen versus $557 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 97% higher in Bergen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,253 in Phuket versus $2,907 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 132% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.