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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $2,478 in Tonsberg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,276 in Phuket versus $3,681 in Tonsberg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,291 in Phuket versus $4,885 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 85% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.53 ฿153

$25.36 NOK 243

-82.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.36 ฿1,565

$102 NOK 980

-54.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.65 ฿292

$13.89 NOK 133

-37.72%

Cappuccino

$3.09 ฿104

$4.79 NOK 45.97

-35.49%

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

$0.68 ฿22.89

$5.15 NOK 49.42

-86.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.44

$4.94 NOK 47.35

-92.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 ฿81.6

$9.96 NOK 95.5

-75.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.81 ฿129

$9.66 NOK 92.6

-60.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿73.5

$2.21 NOK 21.15

-1.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿61.3

$3.39 NOK 32.51

-46.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.5

$3.20 NOK 30.70

-31.87%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿75.4

$4.33 NOK 41.49

-48.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.93 ฿673

$11.95 NOK 115

66.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.64 ฿123

$14.90 NOK 143

-75.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿458

$27.98 NOK 268

-51.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 ฿111

$3.52 NOK 33.80

-6.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.9

$2.41 NOK 23.09

-29.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.8

$3.25 NOK 31.20

-28.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.4

$4.41 NOK 42.26

-53.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.60 ฿54.0

$2.45 NOK 23.46

-34.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 ฿50.5

$2.47 NOK 23.66

-39.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿34.17

$2.74 NOK 26.24

-63.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$1.91 NOK 18.33

-74.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿150

$14.95 NOK 143

-70.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.63 ฿629

$19.33 NOK 185

-3.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ฿60.3

$3.41 NOK 32.66

-47.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 ฿94.4

$4.13 NOK 39.62

-32.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.90

$4.18 NOK 40.06

-66.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.33 ฿382

$72.3 NOK 694

-84.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 ฿104

$10.16 NOK 97.5

-69.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.19

$1.40 NOK 13.42

-25.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.63 ฿460

$47.45 NOK 455

-71.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.23

$2.10 NOK 20.14

-37.62%

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

$27.3K ฿920.7K

$34.8K NOK 334.2K

-21.72%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$38.7K NOK 371.6K

-14.26%

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

$123 ฿4,157

$237 NOK 2,272

-48.02%

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

$13.81 ฿466

$37.87 NOK 363

-63.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿625

$54.3 NOK 521

-65.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 ฿2,037

$49.98 NOK 479

20.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 ฿567

$35.76 NOK 343

-53.02%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿300

$16.26 NOK 156

-45.33%

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

$687 ฿23.2K

$285 NOK 2,734

140.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿524.8K

$10.0K NOK 96.1K

55.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 ฿1,945

$96.0 NOK 921

-39.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.66 ฿1,170

$51.9 NOK 498

-33.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,879

$110 NOK 1,052

4.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.9 ฿2,865

$152 NOK 1,462

-44.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$618 ฿20.8K

$1,226 NOK 11.8K

-49.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$443 ฿15.0K

$935 NOK 8,966

-52.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,047 ฿69.1K

$1,438 NOK 13.8K

42.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 ฿50.8K

$1,203 NOK 11.5K

25.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,568 ฿120.4K

$5,119 NOK 49.1K

-30.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,511 ฿84.7K

$4,108 NOK 39.4K

-38.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿17.0K

$4,407 NOK 42.3K

-88.59%

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 20, 2026

Last update for Tonsberg: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $618 in Phuket and $1,226 in Tonsberg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tonsberg pays 777% 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 $102 in Tonsberg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $458 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, salaries run 777% lower in Tonsberg. 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: $618 in Phuket versus $1,226 in Tonsberg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $687 in Phuket versus $285 in Tonsberg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $2,478 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.