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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $2,531 in Sarpsborg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $3,800 in Sarpsborg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $5,068 in Sarpsborg.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 5% below, Sarpsborg is 90% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$38.33 NOK 368

-88.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,525

$92.9 NOK 891

-50.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$18.37 NOK 176

-52.31%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.3

$5.45 NOK 52.3

-45.50%

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

$0.69 ฿22.96

$2.74 NOK 26.26

-74.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.07

$2.50 NOK 23.96

-84.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.7

$5.92 NOK 56.8

-57.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$7.85 NOK 75.3

-52.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.8

$2.25 NOK 21.60

-4.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.7

$3.43 NOK 32.87

-46.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.1

$3.30 NOK 31.69

-33.94%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.2

$4.35 NOK 41.68

-48.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿669

$11.81 NOK 113

69.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$14.83 NOK 142

-75.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿453

$27.38 NOK 263

-50.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿109

$3.53 NOK 33.89

-8.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.7

$2.49 NOK 23.86

-34.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.0

$3.31 NOK 31.78

-29.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.3

$4.40 NOK 42.21

-52.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$2.45 NOK 23.51

-36.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.67

$2.56 NOK 24.60

-42.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.94

$2.76 NOK 26.52

-64.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.13

$1.82 NOK 17.41

-73.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿146

$15.07 NOK 145

-71.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿621

$16.63 NOK 160

11.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.1

$3.28 NOK 31.48

-43.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.8

$3.98 NOK 38.21

-33.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.40

$2.51 NOK 24.12

-43.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿387

$73.1 NOK 701

-84.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$10.02 NOK 96.1

-68.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.51

$1.45 NOK 13.93

-28.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿465

$46.91 NOK 450

-70.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.96

$2.08 NOK 19.92

-35.58%

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

$27.8K ฿929.6K

$36.1K NOK 346.1K

-22.98%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$39.2K NOK 376.1K

-14.87%

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

$123 ฿4,116

$238 NOK 2,282

-48.28%

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

$13.77 ฿461

$38.73 NOK 372

-64.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿613

$55.2 NOK 529

-66.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,030

$49.40 NOK 474

22.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿574

$34.87 NOK 334

-50.79%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿297

$16.78 NOK 161

-47.14%

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

$688 ฿23.0K

$288 NOK 2,761

138.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿527.8K

$10.1K NOK 97.0K

55.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,984

$95.4 NOK 915

-37.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,160

$52.7 NOK 506

-34.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,853

$106 NOK 1,021

8.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,802

$151 NOK 1,449

-44.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.8K

$1,192 NOK 11.4K

-47.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$885 NOK 8,493

-49.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿68.0K

$1,532 NOK 14.7K

32.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿50.0K

$1,290 NOK 12.4K

15.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.6K

$5,754 NOK 55.2K

-39.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.7K

$4,063 NOK 39.0K

-37.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$2,612 NOK 25.1K

-81.10%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Sarpsborg: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $1,192 in Sarpsborg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sarpsborg pays 429% 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 $93.0 in Sarpsborg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $450 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 100% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 429% lower in Sarpsborg. 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 $1,192 in Sarpsborg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $288 in Sarpsborg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 55% higher in Sarpsborg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $2,531 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 100% less than in Sarpsborg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.