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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,274 in Porsgrunn.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $3,550 in Porsgrunn.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $4,827 in Porsgrunn.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 44% less than in Porsgrunn, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Porsgrunn is 70% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$28.72 NOK 267

-83.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$102 NOK 946

-55.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$13.57 NOK 126

-37.88%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$4.83 NOK 44.98

-39.34%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$2.05 NOK 19.10

-66.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$2.06 NOK 19.14

-82.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$8.86 NOK 82.5

-72.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$9.68 NOK 90.1

-61.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$2.06 NOK 19.21

8.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$3.43 NOK 31.93

-46.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$3.20 NOK 29.82

-32.19%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$2.48 NOK 23.07

-10.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$10.29 NOK 95.8

91.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$10.20 NOK 94.9

-64.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$35.45 NOK 330

-61.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.01 NOK 18.71

63.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$1.65 NOK 15.39

-2.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$2.45 NOK 22.85

-1.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$2.86 NOK 26.63

-27.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$1.03 NOK 9.62

48.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$2.22 NOK 20.65

-33.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$2.31 NOK 21.47

-57.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$1.83 NOK 17.01

-72.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$14.31 NOK 133

-69.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$19.06 NOK 177

1.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.96 NOK 27.52

-39.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$3.96 NOK 36.82

-31.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$3.39 NOK 31.54

-59.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$72.6 NOK 676

-84.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$10.04 NOK 93.5

-69.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$1.45 NOK 13.54

-31.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$101 NOK 943

-86.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$2.00 NOK 18.60

-32.00%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$35.8K NOK 333.0K

-21.17%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$38.0K NOK 353.4K

-13.34%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$223 NOK 2,072

-45.32%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$43.15 NOK 402

-68.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$38.10 NOK 355

-51.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$49.78 NOK 463

20.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$35.51 NOK 331

-51.73%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$14.80 NOK 138

-41.28%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$312 NOK 2,904

122.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$10.3K NOK 95.5K

52.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$50.3 NOK 468

18.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$29.87 NOK 278

16.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$69.7 NOK 649

64.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$102 NOK 951

-18.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$1,219 NOK 11.3K

-49.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$909 NOK 8,467

-51.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$1,840 NOK 17.1K

13.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$1,546 NOK 14.4K

-2.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$3,571 NOK 33.2K

-85.77%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Porsgrunn: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $1,219 in Porsgrunn. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Porsgrunn pays 603% 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: $45.00 in Phuket vs $102 in Porsgrunn for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $409 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, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 80% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Porsgrunn earns 603% less. 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: $613 in Phuket versus $1,219 in Porsgrunn. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 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 $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,274 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 80% less than in Porsgrunn. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.