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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $2,658 in Bergen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $4,013 in Bergen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $5,368 in Bergen.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 52% less than in Bergen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 5% below, Bergen is 100% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$25.18 NOK 239

-82.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$102 NOK 970

-55.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$19.35 NOK 183

-54.73%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$5.34 NOK 50.7

-44.38%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$3.24 NOK 30.68

-78.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$2.90 NOK 27.47

-86.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$11.61 NOK 110

-78.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$9.63 NOK 91.3

-61.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$2.71 NOK 25.70

-20.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$3.44 NOK 32.64

-47.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$2.79 NOK 26.44

-21.86%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$5.03 NOK 47.68

-55.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$13.95 NOK 132

43.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$15.55 NOK 147

-76.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$27.87 NOK 264

-51.35%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$3.81 NOK 36.09

-14.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$2.96 NOK 28.07

-44.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$3.58 NOK 33.98

-34.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$5.51 NOK 52.3

-62.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$2.60 NOK 24.70

-40.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$2.75 NOK 26.09

-46.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$2.77 NOK 26.26

-64.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$2.11 NOK 20.02

-77.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$16.74 NOK 159

-74.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$17.70 NOK 168

4.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$3.39 NOK 32.11

-45.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$4.30 NOK 40.77

-38.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$4.37 NOK 41.45

-67.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$79.8 NOK 757

-85.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$15.20 NOK 144

-79.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$2.20 NOK 20.87

-53.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$72.6 NOK 689

-80.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$2.21 NOK 20.98

-39.37%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$35.8K NOK 339.6K

-22.39%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$43.7K NOK 414.2K

-23.58%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$244 NOK 2,314

-49.58%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$38.05 NOK 361

-63.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$65.4 NOK 620

-71.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$54.2 NOK 513

12.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$39.77 NOK 377

-56.85%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$19.90 NOK 189

-55.43%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$284 NOK 2,692

142.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$12.9K NOK 122.2K

22.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$92.5 NOK 877

-35.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$55.7 NOK 528

-37.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$113 NOK 1,067

2.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$143 NOK 1,360

-41.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$1,304 NOK 12.4K

-52.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$997 NOK 9,455

-55.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$2,032 NOK 19.3K

0.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$1,595 NOK 15.1K

-6.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$7,558 NOK 71.7K

-54.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$4,679 NOK 44.4K

-45.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$4,385 NOK 41.6K

-88.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.85

9.90%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Bergen: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $1,304 in Bergen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 788% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $102 in Bergen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $485 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

Phuket vs Bergen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 110% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 788% lower in Bergen. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $621 in Phuket versus $1,304 in Bergen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $284 in Bergen. 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 $1,264 in Phuket versus $2,658 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, Phuket and Bergen 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 110% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.