Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kongsberg

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,733 in Kongsberg, rent and utilities included – about $17,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
131

Cost of Living Index in Kongsberg
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Kongsberg Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Kongsberg

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,733

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Kongsberg

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Kongsberg actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $2,733 in Kongsberg, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
Kongsberg $2,733

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $4,003 in Kongsberg, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
Kongsberg $4,003

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $5,273 in Kongsberg, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
Kongsberg $5,273

Phuket is about 53% cheaper than Kongsberg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Phuket sits 6% below the global median, while Kongsberg is 101% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$21.54 NOK 199

-79.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,092

$74.6 NOK 689

-56.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$16.41 NOK 152

-46.31%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.2

$5.31 NOK 49.07

-46.70%

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

$0.87 ฿29.36

$4.51 NOK 41.68

-80.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.63

$3.35 NOK 31.02

-85.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.2

$12.01 NOK 111

-78.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$10.81 NOK 100.0

-65.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$2.60 NOK 24.03

-36.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.24

$3.19 NOK 29.51

-54.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.4

$4.75 NOK 43.95

-68.42%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.4

$5.14 NOK 47.57

-59.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿642

$10.90 NOK 101

74.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$12.75 NOK 118

-74.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$18.75 NOK 173

-41.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.7

$3.21 NOK 29.67

-8.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.9

$2.77 NOK 25.58

-38.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

$3.47 NOK 32.10

-35.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿69.9

$5.07 NOK 46.91

-58.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.9

$2.63 NOK 24.32

-42.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.45

$2.64 NOK 24.37

-47.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.90

$3.18 NOK 29.42

-66.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.48

$2.53 NOK 23.43

-79.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$17.99 NOK 166

-76.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿633

$16.42 NOK 152

14.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

$3.64 NOK 33.68

-50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.7

$3.91 NOK 36.12

-27.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.91

$3.17 NOK 29.31

-54.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,909

$95.9 NOK 887

-40.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$12.11 NOK 112

-75.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.28

$1.83 NOK 16.96

-44.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿124

$32.51 NOK 301

-88.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.69

$2.39 NOK 22.11

-38.49%

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

$26.8K ฿902.1K

$49.5K NOK 457.3K

-45.86%

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

$26.7K ฿899.2K

$45.5K NOK 420.5K

-41.31%

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

$96.4 ฿3,246

$318 NOK 2,943

-69.73%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$28.53 NOK 264

-60.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$54.4 NOK 503

-69.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,265

$48.00 NOK 444

40.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿361

$58.5 NOK 541

-81.67%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$20.59 NOK 190

-63.57%

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

$476 ฿16.0K

$245 NOK 2,264

94.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.5K

$3,922 NOK 36.3K

187.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,101

$94.0 NOK 869

-33.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿957

$55.1 NOK 510

-48.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,177

$134 NOK 1,241

-29.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,891

$159 NOK 1,470

-46.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.1K

$1,075 NOK 9,942

-33.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.5K

$1,078 NOK 9,970

-54.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿64.9K

$1,973 NOK 18.2K

-2.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.2K

$1,749 NOK 16.2K

-18.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.7K

$6,377 NOK 59.0K

-34.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.6K

$4,352 NOK 40.2K

-30.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$3,667 NOK 33.9K

-86.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.94

12.75%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Kongsberg: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Kongsberg

$1.1K 39.5% 120% $587

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Kongsberg

$437 16% 64.2% $171

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Kongsberg

$401 14.7% 222% $277

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Kongsberg

$199 7.3% 63.3% $77

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Kongsberg

$398 14.6% 227% $277

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Kongsberg

$89 3.3% 8.5% $7

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Kongsberg

$130 4.8% 84% $59

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $1,075 in Kongsberg. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Kongsberg are about 7.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $75 in Kongsberg. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $437 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇳🇴 Kongsberg

🕒 Local time

11:07 11:07 AM

05:07 5:07 AM

6 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

28,878

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 NOK = 10.81 USD

100 NOK = 9.7 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NOK, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 30, 2026: 1 USD = 33.69 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.55 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 30, 2026: 1 USD = 9.25 NOK (1 NOK = 0.108 USD). 1 EUR = 10.31 NOK (100 NOK = 9.7 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Kongsberg 9,180 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Kongsberg

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Kongsberg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Kongsberg is pricier by about 114%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $4,100 in Kongsberg. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $716 there versus $1,075 in Kongsberg.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $2,733 in Kongsberg. That makes Phuket about 53% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 41% less in Phuket. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,278, than in Kongsberg at $2,733. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kongsberg it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,278 in Phuket to $2,733 in Kongsberg. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Kongsberg makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.