Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Porsgrunn Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Porsgrunn

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $2,299 in Porsgrunn.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $3,541 in Porsgrunn.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $4,783 in Porsgrunn.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 46% less than in Porsgrunn, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Porsgrunn is 72% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$28.55 NOK 275

-84.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,554

$101 NOK 977

-54.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿298

$13.18 NOK 127

-32.93%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$4.95 NOK 47.72

-38.18%

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

$0.73 ฿24.42

$2.00 NOK 19.27

-63.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.40

$2.06 NOK 19.85

-80.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$8.98 NOK 86.6

-72.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$9.67 NOK 93.3

-60.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$2.05 NOK 19.72

10.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$3.42 NOK 32.98

-47.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$3.32 NOK 32.04

-32.23%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.6

$2.47 NOK 23.80

-8.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$10.29 NOK 99.2

89.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$10.07 NOK 97.1

-63.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$34.84 NOK 336

-62.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.00 NOK 19.29

61.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.67 NOK 16.09

-2.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.2

$2.49 NOK 23.99

-4.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.2

$2.80 NOK 27.01

-27.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.03 NOK 9.91

48.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$2.13 NOK 20.51

-29.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.93

$2.35 NOK 22.70

-58.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.40

$1.90 NOK 18.30

-72.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$14.21 NOK 137

-68.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$18.13 NOK 175

1.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$2.99 NOK 28.79

-37.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.2

$4.00 NOK 38.59

-33.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.49

$3.37 NOK 32.47

-58.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿394

$72.9 NOK 703

-83.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$10.05 NOK 97.0

-69.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.08

$1.46 NOK 14.04

-28.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿475

$99.3 NOK 958

-85.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.13

$1.99 NOK 19.17

-34.17%

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

$27.8K ฿936.0K

$35.6K NOK 343.5K

-21.91%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$38.6K NOK 371.9K

-13.88%

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

$122 ฿4,120

$220 NOK 2,117

-44.22%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$44.23 NOK 426

-69.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$37.49 NOK 362

-50.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,035

$48.48 NOK 467

24.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿572

$35.12 NOK 339

-51.65%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$14.71 NOK 142

-38.34%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$312 NOK 3,010

126.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.8K

$10.1K NOK 97.0K

57.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,970

$51.5 NOK 496

13.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,190

$29.93 NOK 289

18.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,885

$69.5 NOK 671

66.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,818

$103 NOK 994

-18.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.1K

$1,228 NOK 11.8K

-49.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$884 NOK 8,529

-49.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.7K

$1,856 NOK 17.9K

9.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$1,516 NOK 14.6K

-1.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

3.8

40.26%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Porsgrunn: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $1,228 in Porsgrunn. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $101 in Porsgrunn for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $406 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 Porsgrunn: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 84% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,875 in Phuket and $3,448 in Porsgrunn to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $626 in Phuket versus $1,228 in Porsgrunn. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $312 in Porsgrunn. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Porsgrunn. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $2,299 in Porsgrunn, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Porsgrunn. 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 Porsgrunn, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Porsgrunn 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 84% less than in Porsgrunn. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.