Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tonsberg Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tonsberg

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,498 in Tonsberg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $3,682 in Tonsberg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $4,866 in Tonsberg.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$25.57 NOK 242

-81.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,489

$101 NOK 955

-55.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿277

$13.53 NOK 128

-37.69%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿96.1

$4.83 NOK 45.65

-39.34%

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

$0.69 ฿22.50

$5.42 NOK 51.2

-87.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.04

$4.97 NOK 46.94

-92.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$10.21 NOK 96.5

-76.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$9.46 NOK 89.5

-60.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.3

$2.22 NOK 20.96

0.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿60.1

$3.30 NOK 31.24

-44.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿71.1

$3.18 NOK 30.10

-31.76%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.6

$4.27 NOK 40.36

-48.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿648

$11.82 NOK 112

67.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$14.84 NOK 140

-75.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿444

$28.32 NOK 268

-52.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿108

$3.42 NOK 32.36

-4.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.9

$2.39 NOK 22.58

-32.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$3.43 NOK 32.41

-29.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$4.52 NOK 42.77

-53.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿50.2

$2.47 NOK 23.33

-38.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.58

$2.57 NOK 24.30

-42.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.44

$2.80 NOK 26.43

-64.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.74

$1.83 NOK 17.32

-72.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿145

$14.98 NOK 142

-70.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿636

$17.98 NOK 170

7.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.4

$3.45 NOK 32.66

-48.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿89.0

$4.08 NOK 38.56

-33.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.99

$4.16 NOK 39.34

-67.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿374

$72.2 NOK 683

-84.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿99.1

$10.26 NOK 97.0

-70.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.63

$1.44 NOK 13.64

-31.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿463

$46.58 NOK 440

-69.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.71

$2.09 NOK 19.79

-34.93%

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

$28.2K ฿925.3K

$36.1K NOK 341.6K

-21.95%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$37.9K NOK 358.5K

-13.23%

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

$122 ฿3,993

$243 NOK 2,295

-49.86%

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

$13.57 ฿445

$39.09 NOK 370

-65.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿601

$55.2 NOK 522

-66.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,976

$49.50 NOK 468

21.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿562

$36.01 NOK 340

-52.40%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿285

$16.61 NOK 157

-47.68%

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

$693 ฿22.8K

$283 NOK 2,678

144.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿514.7K

$10.0K NOK 94.8K

56.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,953

$95.5 NOK 903

-37.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,141

$51.4 NOK 486

-32.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,760

$106 NOK 1,005

7.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,733

$151 NOK 1,430

-44.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.1K

$1,219 NOK 11.5K

-49.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$954 NOK 9,015

-54.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.7K

$1,443 NOK 13.6K

45.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.5K

$1,222 NOK 11.6K

23.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿123.0K

$5,966 NOK 56.4K

-37.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.8K

$4,341 NOK 41.0K

-39.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.7K

$4,692 NOK 44.4K

-89.17%

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 2, 2026

Last update for Tonsberg: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $1,219 in Tonsberg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tonsberg pays 823% 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: $45.00 in Phuket vs $101 in Tonsberg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $455 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 Tonsberg: 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.

On paper, Tonsberg earns 823% 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: $613 in Phuket versus $1,219 in Tonsberg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $283 in Tonsberg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,498 in Tonsberg, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Tonsberg. 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 Tonsberg, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Tonsberg 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 Tonsberg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.