Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tromso Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tromso

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $2,965 in Tromso.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $4,410 in Tromso.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $5,854 in Tromso.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 58% less than in Tromso, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Tromso is 122% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$33.12 NOK 320

-86.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$121 NOK 1,166

-61.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$14.95 NOK 144

-40.87%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$6.11 NOK 59.1

-49.92%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$4.51 NOK 43.63

-83.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$3.36 NOK 32.46

-88.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$11.31 NOK 109

-78.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$11.00 NOK 106

-65.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$2.49 NOK 24.11

-9.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$3.19 NOK 30.85

-43.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$3.47 NOK 33.55

-35.16%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$4.86 NOK 47.00

-53.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$11.61 NOK 112

68.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$15.21 NOK 147

-76.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$37.68 NOK 364

-65.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$3.86 NOK 37.27

-16.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$2.81 NOK 27.19

-42.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$3.56 NOK 34.46

-33.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$5.16 NOK 49.84

-60.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$2.98 NOK 28.85

-48.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$3.56 NOK 34.41

-57.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$2.68 NOK 25.93

-63.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$1.75 NOK 16.94

-70.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$15.11 NOK 146

-70.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$18.35 NOK 177

-0.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$3.64 NOK 35.14

-48.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$4.55 NOK 43.94

-41.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$4.69 NOK 45.31

-69.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$59.5 NOK 575

-80.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$12.71 NOK 123

-75.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$1.09 NOK 10.51

-4.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$50.8 NOK 491

-72.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$2.23 NOK 21.59

-41.26%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$33.1K NOK 319.8K

-15.91%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$36.6K NOK 353.6K

-9.20%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$252 NOK 2,434

-51.37%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$47.54 NOK 460

-71.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$75.9 NOK 733

-75.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$47.75 NOK 462

26.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$39.56 NOK 382

-57.08%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$16.45 NOK 159

-44.86%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$334 NOK 3,224

111.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$7,348 NOK 71.0K

115.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$91.0 NOK 880

-35.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$33.49 NOK 324

5.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$134 NOK 1,292

-13.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$133 NOK 1,282

-36.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$1,352 NOK 13.1K

-53.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$1,258 NOK 12.2K

-64.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$2,549 NOK 24.6K

-19.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$1,815 NOK 17.5K

-17.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$8,817 NOK 85.2K

-60.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$5,188 NOK 50.1K

-50.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$4,066 NOK 39.3K

-87.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.27

24.82%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Tromso: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $1,352 in Tromso. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tromso pays 714% 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 $121 in Tromso for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $502 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 Tromso: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 137% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 714% lower in Tromso. 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: $626 in Phuket versus $1,352 in Tromso. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $334 in Tromso. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 74% higher in Tromso. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $2,965 in Tromso, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Tromso. 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 Tromso, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Tromso 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 137% less than in Tromso. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.