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: $1,270 in Phuket versus $2,542 in Tonsberg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,304 in Phuket versus $3,649 in Tonsberg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,339 in Phuket versus $4,756 in Tonsberg.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿150

$25.74 NOK 239

-81.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.44 ฿1,496

$101 NOK 940

-54.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿280

$13.93 NOK 130

-37.69%

Cappuccino

$2.95 ฿95.0

$4.88 NOK 45.42

-39.55%

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

$0.70 ฿22.52

$5.42 NOK 50.4

-87.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿12.70

$4.99 NOK 46.45

-92.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿81.6

$10.14 NOK 94.3

-75.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿122

$9.39 NOK 87.4

-59.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 ฿71.5

$2.28 NOK 21.18

-2.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 ฿57.8

$3.26 NOK 30.33

-44.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ฿70.4

$3.30 NOK 30.71

-33.64%

Eggs

$2.31 ฿74.5

$4.27 NOK 39.74

-45.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.34 ฿623

$12.26 NOK 114

57.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.77 ฿121

$14.50 NOK 135

-74.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 ฿426

$28.42 NOK 264

-53.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 ฿107

$3.61 NOK 33.55

-7.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ฿53.1

$2.45 NOK 22.83

-32.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 ฿73.7

$3.28 NOK 30.46

-30.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.1

$4.43 NOK 41.20

-55.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.24

$2.39 NOK 22.21

-35.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 ฿48.77

$2.55 NOK 23.69

-40.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.12

$2.88 NOK 26.75

-64.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.57

$1.86 NOK 17.28

-72.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿142

$15.24 NOK 142

-71.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.41 ฿625

$16.36 NOK 152

18.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.0

$3.35 NOK 31.15

-46.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿86.4

$4.16 NOK 38.65

-35.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.43 ฿46.11

$4.29 NOK 39.88

-66.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿377

$73.0 NOK 679

-83.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿97.9

$10.28 NOK 95.6

-70.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.37

$1.40 NOK 12.97

-25.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.68 ฿441

$47.03 NOK 437

-70.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿41.85

$1.98 NOK 18.41

-34.34%

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

$27.9K ฿898.9K

$35.1K NOK 326.8K

-20.60%

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

$33.0K ฿1.1M

$38.4K NOK 356.7K

-13.88%

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

$123 ฿3,962

$239 NOK 2,226

-48.63%

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

$13.82 ฿445

$38.05 NOK 354

-63.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.86 ฿608

$55.8 NOK 519

-66.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 ฿1,970

$49.84 NOK 464

22.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 ฿541

$35.95 NOK 334

-53.24%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿286

$16.68 NOK 155

-46.82%

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

$696 ฿22.4K

$286 NOK 2,659

143.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿517.4K

$9,999 NOK 93.0K

60.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,910

$94.9 NOK 882

-37.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.85 ฿1,123

$52.7 NOK 490

-33.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,646

$108 NOK 1,005

4.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.1 ฿2,740

$152 NOK 1,413

-44.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$615 ฿19.8K

$1,210 NOK 11.3K

-49.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.4K

$924 NOK 8,595

-51.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿67.2K

$1,426 NOK 13.3K

46.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿48.2K

$1,224 NOK 11.4K

22.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,734 ฿120.3K

$5,488 NOK 51.0K

-31.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,662 ฿85.8K

$4,639 NOK 43.1K

-42.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$534 ฿17.2K

$4,643 NOK 43.2K

-88.51%

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 Tonsberg: April 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $615 in Phuket and $1,210 in Tonsberg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tonsberg pays 770% 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 in Phuket vs $101 in Tonsberg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $452 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 100% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Tonsberg earns 770% 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: $615 in Phuket versus $1,210 in Tonsberg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Phuket versus $286 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 $1,270 in Phuket versus $2,542 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 100% less than in Tonsberg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.