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: $1,270 in Phuket versus $2,496 in Sarpsborg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,304 in Phuket versus $3,763 in Sarpsborg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,339 in Phuket versus $5,030 in Sarpsborg.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 49% less than in Sarpsborg, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 5% below, Sarpsborg is 86% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿150

$38.11 NOK 354

-87.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.44 ฿1,496

$95.2 NOK 885

-51.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿280

$18.27 NOK 170

-52.49%

Cappuccino

$2.95 ฿95.0

$5.25 NOK 48.85

-43.81%

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

$0.70 ฿22.52

$2.74 NOK 25.44

-74.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿12.70

$2.56 NOK 23.79

-84.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿81.6

$6.24 NOK 58.1

-59.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿122

$7.89 NOK 73.4

-52.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 ฿71.5

$2.22 NOK 20.61

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 ฿57.8

$3.28 NOK 30.50

-45.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ฿70.4

$3.32 NOK 30.86

-34.04%

Eggs

$2.31 ฿74.5

$4.43 NOK 41.21

-47.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.34 ฿623

$12.12 NOK 113

59.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.77 ฿121

$14.90 NOK 139

-74.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 ฿426

$28.08 NOK 261

-52.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 ฿107

$3.48 NOK 32.38

-4.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ฿53.1

$2.48 NOK 23.07

-33.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 ฿73.7

$3.41 NOK 31.71

-32.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.1

$4.38 NOK 40.76

-54.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.24

$2.45 NOK 22.76

-37.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 ฿48.77

$2.54 NOK 23.62

-40.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.12

$2.75 NOK 25.59

-62.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.57

$1.92 NOK 17.86

-73.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿142

$14.92 NOK 139

-70.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.41 ฿625

$19.21 NOK 179

1.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.0

$3.34 NOK 31.03

-46.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿86.4

$4.08 NOK 37.91

-34.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.43 ฿46.11

$2.49 NOK 23.17

-42.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿377

$74.4 NOK 691

-84.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿97.9

$10.19 NOK 94.8

-70.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.37

$1.39 NOK 12.92

-25.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.68 ฿441

$47.55 NOK 442

-71.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿41.85

$2.03 NOK 18.89

-35.96%

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

$27.9K ฿898.9K

$35.1K NOK 326.0K

-20.41%

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

$33.0K ฿1.1M

$38.2K NOK 354.9K

-13.44%

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

$123 ฿3,962

$240 NOK 2,232

-48.77%

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

$13.82 ฿445

$37.83 NOK 352

-63.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.86 ฿608

$56.0 NOK 521

-66.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 ฿1,970

$49.58 NOK 461

23.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 ฿541

$36.07 NOK 335

-53.40%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿286

$16.71 NOK 155

-46.92%

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

$696 ฿22.4K

$279 NOK 2,593

149.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿517.4K

$10.1K NOK 93.6K

59.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,910

$96.6 NOK 898

-38.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.85 ฿1,123

$51.3 NOK 477

-32.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,646

$108 NOK 1,003

4.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.1 ฿2,740

$154 NOK 1,437

-44.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$615 ฿19.8K

$1,222 NOK 11.4K

-49.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.4K

$904 NOK 8,404

-50.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿67.2K

$1,514 NOK 14.1K

37.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿48.2K

$1,342 NOK 12.5K

11.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,734 ฿120.3K

$6,929 NOK 64.4K

-46.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,662 ฿85.8K

$4,477 NOK 41.6K

-40.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$534 ฿17.2K

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: April 20, 2026

Last update for Sarpsborg: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $615 in Phuket and $1,222 in Sarpsborg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46 in Phuket vs $95 in Sarpsborg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $459 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 97% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,904 in Phuket and $3,744 in Sarpsborg to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $615 in Phuket versus $1,222 in Sarpsborg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Phuket versus $279 in Sarpsborg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 57% higher in Sarpsborg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,270 in Phuket versus $2,496 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 97% less than in Sarpsborg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.