Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sarpsborg Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sarpsborg

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $2,561 in Sarpsborg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $3,771 in Sarpsborg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $4,982 in Sarpsborg.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Sarpsborg is 91% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$37.65 NOK 357

-87.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$92.3 NOK 876

-49.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$18.53 NOK 176

-54.29%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$5.28 NOK 50.1

-42.61%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$2.68 NOK 25.40

-74.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$2.60 NOK 24.70

-85.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$5.89 NOK 55.9

-57.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$7.79 NOK 73.9

-53.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$2.26 NOK 21.41

-3.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$3.29 NOK 31.18

-42.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$3.14 NOK 29.85

-29.94%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$4.37 NOK 41.52

-49.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$11.93 NOK 113

67.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$14.93 NOK 142

-75.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$28.14 NOK 267

-52.91%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$3.60 NOK 34.19

-10.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$2.47 NOK 23.46

-31.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$3.32 NOK 31.54

-28.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$4.35 NOK 41.26

-52.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$2.48 NOK 23.58

-35.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$2.49 NOK 23.67

-40.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$2.78 NOK 26.37

-62.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$1.82 NOK 17.24

-71.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$15.31 NOK 145

-72.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$19.10 NOK 181

-1.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$3.40 NOK 32.24

-48.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$3.99 NOK 37.88

-30.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$2.47 NOK 23.40

-44.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$74.1 NOK 703

-84.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$10.15 NOK 96.3

-69.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$1.40 NOK 13.30

-25.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$45.99 NOK 437

-70.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$2.14 NOK 20.32

-37.38%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$36.1K NOK 342.9K

-23.40%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$38.6K NOK 366.1K

-12.20%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$238 NOK 2,263

-48.16%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$38.10 NOK 362

-64.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$56.1 NOK 532

-66.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$50.1 NOK 476

23.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$36.13 NOK 343

-52.26%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$16.31 NOK 155

-43.96%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$284 NOK 2,692

147.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$10.1K NOK 95.8K

57.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$97.6 NOK 926

-39.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$52.8 NOK 501

-33.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$109 NOK 1,033

5.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$150 NOK 1,421

-43.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$1,209 NOK 11.5K

-48.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$903 NOK 8,572

-52.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$1,492 NOK 14.2K

38.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$1,319 NOK 12.5K

14.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$6,022 NOK 57.2K

-39.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$4,474 NOK 42.5K

-41.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$2,685 NOK 25.5K

-81.12%

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 7, 2026

Last update for Sarpsborg: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $1,209 in Sarpsborg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sarpsborg pays 430% 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 $92.0 in Sarpsborg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $457 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 Sarpsborg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 103% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Sarpsborg earns 430% 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 $1,209 in Sarpsborg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $284 in Sarpsborg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 56% higher in Sarpsborg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $2,561 in Sarpsborg, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Sarpsborg. 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 Sarpsborg, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Sarpsborg 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 103% less than in Sarpsborg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.