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: $1,223 in Phuket versus $2,612 in Bergen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Phuket versus $3,989 in Bergen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Phuket versus $5,367 in Bergen.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 53% less than in Bergen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, Bergen is 96% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿148

$25.50 NOK 248

-82.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,528

$101 NOK 980

-53.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿278

$19.48 NOK 190

-56.42%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿101

$5.59 NOK 54.5

-44.90%

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

$0.68 ฿22.26

$3.22 NOK 31.36

-78.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.84

$3.04 NOK 29.64

-88.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿79.5

$11.42 NOK 111

-78.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿119

$9.86 NOK 96.0

-63.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.7

$2.63 NOK 25.66

-16.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.5

$3.41 NOK 33.20

-46.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿73.1

$2.90 NOK 28.27

-23.10%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿73.3

$4.99 NOK 48.65

-55.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿642

$13.94 NOK 136

40.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿122

$15.90 NOK 155

-76.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿441

$27.89 NOK 272

-51.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿110

$3.89 NOK 37.91

-13.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.0

$3.08 NOK 30.01

-47.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$3.62 NOK 35.31

-33.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿65.2

$5.76 NOK 56.1

-65.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿50.2

$2.64 NOK 25.70

-42.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.59

$2.88 NOK 28.10

-49.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿33.23

$2.89 NOK 28.19

-65.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.86

$2.14 NOK 20.89

-77.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$16.57 NOK 161

-74.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿627

$17.71 NOK 172

7.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿60.2

$3.32 NOK 32.33

-44.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.8

$4.22 NOK 41.13

-35.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.44

$4.47 NOK 43.50

-68.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿384

$79.3 NOK 772

-85.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿98.4

$15.50 NOK 151

-80.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.28

$2.23 NOK 21.72

-52.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿456

$73.3 NOK 714

-81.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿42.28

$2.21 NOK 21.53

-41.63%

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

$28.0K ฿918.7K

$35.1K NOK 342.3K

-20.23%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$43.4K NOK 422.9K

-22.83%

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

$122 ฿3,997

$244 NOK 2,378

-50.03%

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

$13.93 ฿457

$38.98 NOK 380

-64.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿618

$64.7 NOK 630

-70.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿2,008

$54.2 NOK 528

13.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿552

$40.42 NOK 394

-58.34%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿291

$19.90 NOK 194

-55.33%

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

$691 ฿22.7K

$288 NOK 2,808

139.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿529.5K

$12.9K NOK 125.3K

25.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,894

$89.3 NOK 870

-35.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,160

$56.2 NOK 547

-36.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,716

$113 NOK 1,096

0.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,720

$147 NOK 1,430

-43.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.9K

$1,268 NOK 12.4K

-52.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.7K

$979 NOK 9,540

-54.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.5K

$2,054 NOK 20.0K

-1.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.9K

$1,549 NOK 15.1K

-3.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿117.5K

$7,700 NOK 75.0K

-53.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.7K

$4,716 NOK 45.9K

-45.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.5K

$4,514 NOK 44.0K

-88.82%

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: June 13, 2026

Last update for Bergen: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Phuket and $1,268 in Bergen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 794% 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $101 in Bergen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $490 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 114% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 794% 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: $607 in Phuket versus $1,268 in Bergen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $691 in Phuket versus $288 in Bergen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 68% higher in Bergen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,223 in Phuket versus $2,612 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 114% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.