Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sandefjord Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sandefjord

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,253 in Phuket versus $2,641 in Sandefjord.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $3,855 in Sandefjord.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $5,069 in Sandefjord.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 9% below, Sandefjord is 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿151

$21.59 NOK 201

-78.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,082

$131 NOK 1,217

-75.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿295

$16.14 NOK 150

-44.86%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿93.0

$5.83 NOK 54.3

-51.97%

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

$0.88 ฿29.19

$4.30 NOK 40.10

-79.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.23

$2.16 NOK 20.11

-77.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿79.2

$10.14 NOK 94.5

-76.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿123

$10.85 NOK 101

-65.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿59.3

$2.19 NOK 20.42

-18.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.81

$2.74 NOK 25.52

-47.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.6

$4.41 NOK 41.05

-64.17%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿70.5

$4.21 NOK 39.22

-49.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿661

$15.07 NOK 140

32.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿114

$15.47 NOK 144

-77.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿376

$30.38 NOK 283

-62.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿97.8

$2.20 NOK 20.50

34.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.1

$2.72 NOK 25.31

-36.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿77.1

$2.24 NOK 20.88

3.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿69.0

$2.91 NOK 27.11

-28.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.77

$1.10 NOK 10.29

33.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.05

$2.63 NOK 24.54

-48.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.45

$3.12 NOK 29.03

-64.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿19.06

$2.54 NOK 23.66

-77.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿142

$16.39 NOK 153

-73.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿611

$13.92 NOK 130

32.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿62.1

$3.52 NOK 32.76

-46.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.9

$4.30 NOK 40.07

-32.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿73.6

$5.37 NOK 50.0

-58.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿759

$66.1 NOK 616

-65.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$12.05 NOK 112

-74.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.63

$1.85 NOK 17.25

-42.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿130

$50.4 NOK 469

-92.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.49

$2.34 NOK 21.78

-36.32%

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

$27.1K ฿899.8K

$48.4K NOK 450.8K

-43.93%

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

$27.5K ฿910.6K

$41.8K NOK 389.5K

-34.33%

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

$103 ฿3,410

$265 NOK 2,470

-61.22%

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

$10.99 ฿365

$32.82 NOK 306

-66.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿581

$56.6 NOK 527

-69.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,776

$50.8 NOK 474

5.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿371

$59.7 NOK 556

-81.23%

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿248

$16.18 NOK 151

-53.77%

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

$557 ฿18.5K

$245 NOK 2,283

127.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿393.2K

$4,965 NOK 46.3K

138.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,125

$102 NOK 948

-37.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿964

$45.29 NOK 422

-35.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,183

$82.3 NOK 766

16.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,997

$158 NOK 1,477

-43.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.2K

$1,234 NOK 11.5K

-40.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.6K

$1,021 NOK 9,514

-51.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿69.3K

$1,580 NOK 14.7K

32.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿40.1K

$1,345 NOK 12.5K

-10.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿119.3K

$6,303 NOK 58.7K

-42.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿83.3K

$3,734 NOK 34.8K

-32.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.7K

$3,997 NOK 37.2K

-87.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.38

27.17%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Last update for Sandefjord: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $730 in Phuket and $1,234 in Sandefjord. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sandefjord pays 694% 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: $33.00 in Phuket vs $131 in Sandefjord for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $454 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 Sandefjord: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 111% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 694% lower in Sandefjord. 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: $730 in Phuket versus $1,234 in Sandefjord. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $557 in Phuket versus $245 in Sandefjord. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 66% higher in Sandefjord. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,253 in Phuket versus $2,641 in Sandefjord, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Sandefjord. 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 Sandefjord, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Sandefjord 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 111% less than in Sandefjord. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.