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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $2,546 in Sandnes.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $3,939 in Sandnes.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $5,332 in Sandnes.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 50% less than in Sandnes, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 5% below, Sandnes is 91% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$28.71 NOK 272

-84.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$121 NOK 1,145

-62.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$13.34 NOK 127

-34.33%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$5.11 NOK 48.45

-41.88%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$3.45 NOK 32.72

-80.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$2.80 NOK 26.59

-86.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$9.94 NOK 94.2

-74.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$10.28 NOK 97.5

-63.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$2.10 NOK 19.95

2.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$3.30 NOK 31.33

-44.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$3.16 NOK 29.92

-31.01%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$4.30 NOK 40.75

-47.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$12.83 NOK 122

55.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$14.22 NOK 135

-74.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$36.40 NOK 345

-62.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$3.61 NOK 34.28

-10.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$2.52 NOK 23.86

-34.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$3.08 NOK 29.18

-24.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$4.76 NOK 45.09

-56.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$2.18 NOK 20.63

-28.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$2.26 NOK 21.39

-35.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$2.75 NOK 26.06

-64.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$1.86 NOK 17.62

-74.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$15.29 NOK 145

-71.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$16.73 NOK 159

11.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$3.21 NOK 30.42

-42.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$3.99 NOK 37.83

-33.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$4.24 NOK 40.23

-66.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$69.6 NOK 660

-83.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$15.23 NOK 144

-79.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$2.08 NOK 19.69

-50.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$46.78 NOK 444

-70.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$2.12 NOK 20.10

-36.79%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$34.0K NOK 322.6K

-18.31%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$32.2K NOK 305.4K

3.65%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$220 NOK 2,084

-44.00%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$43.97 NOK 417

-68.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$78.9 NOK 748

-76.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$49.31 NOK 468

23.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$51.0 NOK 484

-66.37%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$17.91 NOK 170

-50.47%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$323 NOK 3,060

113.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$9,185 NOK 87.1K

71.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$118 NOK 1,118

-49.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$60.1 NOK 570

-42.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$107 NOK 1,011

8.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$162 NOK 1,532

-48.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$1,241 NOK 11.8K

-49.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$880 NOK 8,346

-49.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$1,657 NOK 15.7K

22.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$1,465 NOK 13.9K

2.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$6,921 NOK 65.6K

-50.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$4,018 NOK 38.1K

-37.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$3,553 NOK 33.7K

-86.11%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Sandnes: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $1,241 in Sandnes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sandnes pays 620% 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 $121 in Sandnes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $474 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 101% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 620% lower in Sandnes. 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: $621 in Phuket versus $1,241 in Sandnes. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $323 in Sandnes. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 63% higher in Sandnes. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $2,546 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 101% less than in Sandnes. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.