Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sandnes Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sandnes

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $2,551 in Sandnes.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $3,980 in Sandnes.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $5,409 in Sandnes.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 51% less than in Sandnes, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Sandnes is 90% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$28.27 NOK 268

-83.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$121 NOK 1,153

-61.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$13.57 NOK 129

-37.58%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$5.02 NOK 47.61

-39.64%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$3.46 NOK 32.88

-80.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$2.85 NOK 27.02

-87.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$10.03 NOK 95.2

-75.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$10.26 NOK 97.4

-64.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$2.18 NOK 20.65

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$3.40 NOK 32.31

-44.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$3.20 NOK 30.36

-31.25%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$4.16 NOK 39.48

-46.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$12.62 NOK 120

58.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$13.92 NOK 132

-73.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$36.25 NOK 344

-63.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$3.55 NOK 33.70

-9.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$2.50 NOK 23.72

-32.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$2.96 NOK 28.14

-19.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$4.81 NOK 45.69

-56.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$2.18 NOK 20.69

-27.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$2.17 NOK 20.60

-31.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$2.72 NOK 25.83

-62.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$1.92 NOK 18.26

-72.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$14.91 NOK 142

-71.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$16.95 NOK 161

10.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$3.29 NOK 31.24

-46.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$3.99 NOK 37.85

-30.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$4.04 NOK 38.36

-66.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$72.0 NOK 683

-84.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$15.21 NOK 144

-79.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$2.07 NOK 19.69

-49.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$46.16 NOK 438

-70.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$2.12 NOK 20.15

-36.79%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$34.4K NOK 326.1K

-19.44%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$33.0K NOK 313.5K

2.54%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$220 NOK 2,085

-43.74%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$43.46 NOK 412

-68.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$80.2 NOK 761

-76.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$49.74 NOK 472

24.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$49.92 NOK 474

-65.44%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$18.49 NOK 176

-50.57%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$314 NOK 2,978

123.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$9,283 NOK 88.1K

70.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$119 NOK 1,129

-50.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$59.0 NOK 560

-40.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$105 NOK 996

9.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$158 NOK 1,502

-46.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$1,235 NOK 11.7K

-49.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$861 NOK 8,172

-49.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$1,658 NOK 15.7K

24.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$1,462 NOK 13.9K

3.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$7,089 NOK 67.3K

-48.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$4,048 NOK 38.4K

-35.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$3,655 NOK 34.7K

-86.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.4

21.14%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Sandnes: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $1,235 in Sandnes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sandnes pays 621% 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $121 in Sandnes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $473 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 Sandnes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 102% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Sandnes earns 621% 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: $619 in Phuket versus $1,235 in Sandnes. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $314 in Sandnes. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 62% higher in Sandnes. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $2,551 in Sandnes, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Sandnes. 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 Sandnes, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Sandnes 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 102% less than in Sandnes. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.