Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sandvika Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sandvika

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,512 in Sandvika.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $3,866 in Sandvika.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $5,220 in Sandvika.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 51% less than in Sandvika, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, Sandvika is 88% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$16.28 NOK 152

-71.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$94.3 NOK 879

-50.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$20.76 NOK 194

-57.42%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$3.96 NOK 36.88

-24.24%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$2.87 NOK 26.76

-74.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$2.29 NOK 21.33

-83.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$8.06 NOK 75.1

-69.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$9.50 NOK 88.6

-62.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$2.41 NOK 22.49

-6.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$3.45 NOK 32.13

-46.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.90 NOK 17.74

17.89%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$4.20 NOK 39.17

-44.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$18.62 NOK 174

5.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$25.89 NOK 241

-85.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$23.46 NOK 219

-44.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$2.69 NOK 25.06

26.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$2.41 NOK 22.45

-31.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$3.55 NOK 33.06

-32.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$3.64 NOK 33.89

-44.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$2.16 NOK 20.18

-27.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$2.42 NOK 22.59

-38.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$2.26 NOK 21.04

-54.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$1.51 NOK 14.04

-67.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$15.21 NOK 142

-70.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$19.25 NOK 179

-1.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$3.61 NOK 33.63

-50.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$5.29 NOK 49.30

-48.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$3.77 NOK 35.17

-62.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$89.8 NOK 837

-87.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$7.99 NOK 74.5

-60.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$1.36 NOK 12.66

-26.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$52.0 NOK 484

-72.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$2.29 NOK 21.36

-41.05%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$42.0K NOK 391.0K

-35.21%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$41.6K NOK 387.5K

-20.83%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$243 NOK 2,265

-48.57%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$29.89 NOK 279

-54.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$63.9 NOK 595

-71.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$60.8 NOK 566

1.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$35.14 NOK 327

-52.08%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$20.09 NOK 187

-54.26%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$297 NOK 2,772

134.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$10.2K NOK 94.9K

53.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$135 NOK 1,255

-57.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$49.70 NOK 463

-29.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$126 NOK 1,175

-10.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$200 NOK 1,868

-56.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$1,219 NOK 11.4K

-49.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$905 NOK 8,436

-50.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$1,806 NOK 16.8K

13.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$1,560 NOK 14.5K

-4.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$8,382 NOK 78.1K

-54.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$4,525 NOK 42.2K

-41.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$5,337 NOK 49.7K

-90.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.8

11.04%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Sandvika: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $1,219 in Sandvika. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sandvika pays 919% 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 $94.0 in Sandvika for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $505 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 Sandvika: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 104% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Sandvika earns 919% 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: $616 in Phuket versus $1,219 in Sandvika. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $297 in Sandvika. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 73% higher in Sandvika. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,512 in Sandvika, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Sandvika. 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 Sandvika, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Sandvika 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 104% less than in Sandvika. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.