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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,391 in Sandefjord.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $3,522 in Sandefjord.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $4,654 in Sandefjord.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 47% less than in Sandefjord, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Sandefjord is 78% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$19.02 NOK 177

-75.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$103 NOK 955

-55.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$13.53 NOK 126

-37.69%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$5.03 NOK 46.80

-41.75%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$2.47 NOK 23.01

-72.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$2.13 NOK 19.87

-82.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$9.37 NOK 87.2

-74.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$10.15 NOK 94.5

-63.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$2.20 NOK 20.45

1.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$3.02 NOK 28.12

-39.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$2.80 NOK 26.08

-22.50%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$3.69 NOK 34.38

-40.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$11.51 NOK 107

71.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$16.60 NOK 155

-78.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$35.29 NOK 328

-61.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.71 NOK 25.21

21.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$2.23 NOK 20.73

-27.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$2.35 NOK 21.85

2.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$3.67 NOK 34.18

-43.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$2.11 NOK 19.61

-27.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$2.22 NOK 20.67

-33.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$2.64 NOK 24.61

-62.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$1.90 NOK 17.65

-73.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$14.49 NOK 135

-69.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$13.56 NOK 126

42.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$3.70 NOK 34.48

-51.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$4.23 NOK 39.42

-35.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$4.95 NOK 46.05

-72.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$71.8 NOK 668

-84.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$10.06 NOK 93.7

-69.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$1.40 NOK 13.04

-29.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$63.4 NOK 590

-77.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$2.21 NOK 20.53

-38.46%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$35.6K NOK 331.6K

-20.82%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$35.8K NOK 333.1K

-8.05%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$220 NOK 2,044

-44.56%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$42.75 NOK 398

-68.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$38.61 NOK 359

-52.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$47.95 NOK 446

25.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$35.33 NOK 329

-51.49%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$12.87 NOK 120

-32.48%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$287 NOK 2,667

142.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$4,768 NOK 44.4K

228.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$103 NOK 956

-42.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$46.87 NOK 436

-25.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$99.9 NOK 930

14.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$140 NOK 1,308

-40.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$1,205 NOK 11.2K

-49.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$970 NOK 9,030

-54.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$1,447 NOK 13.5K

44.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$1,256 NOK 11.7K

20.18%

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

$4,123 NOK 38.4K

-87.68%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Sandefjord: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $1,205 in Sandefjord. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sandefjord pays 711% 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 $103 in Sandefjord for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 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, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 89% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Sandefjord earns 711% 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 $1,205 in Sandefjord. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $287 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 $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,391 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 89% less than in Sandefjord. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.