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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $2,465 in Sandefjord.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $3,546 in Sandefjord.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $4,627 in Sandefjord.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 49% less than in Sandefjord, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Sandefjord is 84% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$18.94 NOK 183

-75.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,554

$103 NOK 992

-55.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿298

$13.55 NOK 131

-34.76%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$4.89 NOK 47.19

-37.42%

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

$0.73 ฿24.42

$2.46 NOK 23.68

-70.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.40

$2.16 NOK 20.78

-81.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$8.97 NOK 86.5

-72.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$9.87 NOK 95.2

-61.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$2.19 NOK 21.09

3.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$3.03 NOK 29.19

-40.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$2.74 NOK 26.44

-17.88%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.6

$3.56 NOK 34.29

-36.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$11.36 NOK 110

71.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$16.37 NOK 158

-77.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$34.28 NOK 331

-61.93%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.86 NOK 27.58

12.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$2.28 NOK 21.98

-28.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.2

$2.31 NOK 22.29

3.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.2

$3.60 NOK 34.71

-43.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$2.07 NOK 19.98

-26.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$2.22 NOK 21.45

-32.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.93

$2.63 NOK 25.36

-62.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.40

$1.91 NOK 18.39

-72.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$14.30 NOK 138

-68.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$13.11 NOK 126

39.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$3.71 NOK 35.73

-49.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.2

$4.11 NOK 39.66

-34.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.49

$5.08 NOK 49.02

-72.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿394

$69.8 NOK 673

-83.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$10.15 NOK 97.9

-69.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.08

$1.46 NOK 14.10

-28.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿475

$62.7 NOK 604

-77.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.13

$2.11 NOK 20.35

-37.91%

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

$27.8K ฿936.0K

$35.7K NOK 344.6K

-22.16%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$35.3K NOK 340.2K

-5.85%

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

$122 ฿4,120

$222 NOK 2,144

-44.92%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$44.21 NOK 426

-69.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$38.50 NOK 371

-51.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,035

$48.70 NOK 470

24.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿572

$35.19 NOK 339

-51.75%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$12.85 NOK 124

-29.42%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$286 NOK 2,754

147.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.8K

$4,812 NOK 46.4K

228.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,970

$104 NOK 1,000

-43.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,190

$46.60 NOK 449

-24.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,885

$102 NOK 987

12.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,818

$140 NOK 1,350

-40.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.1K

$1,239 NOK 11.9K

-49.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$992 NOK 9,562

-55.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.7K

$1,483 NOK 14.3K

37.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$1,263 NOK 12.2K

18.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.2K

$6,234 NOK 60.1K

-44.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$3,514 NOK 33.9K

-26.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$3,850 NOK 37.1K

-87.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.38

21.69%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Sandefjord: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $1,239 in Sandefjord. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sandefjord pays 670% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $103 in Sandefjord for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $448 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, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 97% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 670% 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: $626 in Phuket versus $1,239 in Sandefjord. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $286 in Sandefjord. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 55% higher in Sandefjord. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $2,465 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 97% less than in Sandefjord. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.