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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $2,499 in Sandvika.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $3,877 in Sandvika.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $5,256 in Sandvika.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 50% less than in Sandvika, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Sandvika is 86% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$16.08 NOK 153

-71.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$93.2 NOK 885

-49.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$20.71 NOK 197

-59.10%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$4.01 NOK 38.08

-24.44%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$2.76 NOK 26.15

-75.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$2.21 NOK 20.96

-83.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$8.07 NOK 76.6

-69.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$9.88 NOK 93.7

-62.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$2.46 NOK 23.37

-11.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$3.37 NOK 31.98

-43.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$1.82 NOK 17.24

20.88%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$4.23 NOK 40.18

-47.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$18.52 NOK 176

7.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$26.15 NOK 248

-86.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$23.32 NOK 221

-43.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$2.80 NOK 26.59

15.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$2.55 NOK 24.19

-33.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$3.44 NOK 32.68

-30.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$3.83 NOK 36.36

-45.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$2.19 NOK 20.82

-27.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$2.39 NOK 22.70

-38.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$2.31 NOK 21.90

-55.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$1.49 NOK 14.14

-65.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$15.25 NOK 145

-72.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$18.56 NOK 176

1.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$3.54 NOK 33.56

-50.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$5.11 NOK 48.55

-45.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$3.81 NOK 36.12

-64.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$92.2 NOK 875

-87.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$7.61 NOK 72.2

-58.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$1.40 NOK 13.26

-25.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$52.9 NOK 502

-73.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$2.38 NOK 22.59

-43.70%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$42.3K NOK 401.1K

-34.51%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$41.3K NOK 391.6K

-17.93%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$238 NOK 2,260

-48.08%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$30.79 NOK 292

-56.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$62.2 NOK 591

-69.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$60.4 NOK 573

2.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$35.11 NOK 333

-50.87%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$20.08 NOK 191

-54.48%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$297 NOK 2,815

136.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$9,942 NOK 94.4K

59.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$135 NOK 1,285

-56.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$51.2 NOK 486

-31.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$126 NOK 1,199

-8.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$198 NOK 1,876

-57.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$1,220 NOK 11.6K

-49.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$896 NOK 8,506

-51.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$1,797 NOK 17.1K

14.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$1,561 NOK 14.8K

-3.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$8,515 NOK 80.8K

-57.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$4,591 NOK 43.6K

-42.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$5,057 NOK 48.0K

-89.97%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Sandvika: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $1,220 in Sandvika. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sandvika pays 897% 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 $93.0 in Sandvika for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $504 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 98% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Sandvika earns 897% 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 $1,220 in Sandvika. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 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 72% higher in Sandvika. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $2,499 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 98% less than in Sandvika. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.