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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,929 in Tromso.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $4,342 in Tromso.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $5,756 in Tromso.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 57% less than in Tromso, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Tromso is 119% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$32.45 NOK 301

-85.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$121 NOK 1,124

-62.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$15.08 NOK 140

-44.10%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$6.17 NOK 57.4

-52.51%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$4.58 NOK 42.52

-84.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$3.44 NOK 31.97

-89.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$11.21 NOK 104

-78.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$11.08 NOK 103

-66.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$2.42 NOK 22.45

-7.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$3.17 NOK 29.42

-42.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$3.28 NOK 30.46

-33.84%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$4.92 NOK 45.72

-55.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$11.34 NOK 105

74.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$15.48 NOK 144

-76.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$37.09 NOK 345

-63.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$3.92 NOK 36.42

-16.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$2.88 NOK 26.78

-44.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$3.75 NOK 34.82

-35.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$5.12 NOK 47.54

-59.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$3.08 NOK 28.65

-50.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$3.63 NOK 33.72

-59.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$2.69 NOK 24.98

-63.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$1.70 NOK 15.80

-70.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$15.05 NOK 140

-70.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$19.06 NOK 177

1.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$3.64 NOK 33.78

-51.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$4.54 NOK 42.14

-40.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$4.79 NOK 44.49

-71.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$59.6 NOK 553

-80.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$12.88 NOK 120

-76.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$1.13 NOK 10.46

-12.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$52.1 NOK 484

-72.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$2.11 NOK 19.63

-35.55%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$32.6K NOK 302.8K

-13.47%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$35.8K NOK 332.2K

-8.00%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$245 NOK 2,279

-50.39%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$48.71 NOK 453

-72.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$77.2 NOK 717

-76.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$47.87 NOK 445

25.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$39.54 NOK 367

-56.65%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$16.73 NOK 155

-48.06%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$336 NOK 3,118

106.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$7,362 NOK 68.4K

113.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$87.7 NOK 815

-32.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$33.00 NOK 307

5.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$131 NOK 1,215

-12.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$135 NOK 1,258

-38.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$1,348 NOK 12.5K

-54.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$1,268 NOK 11.8K

-65.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$2,614 NOK 24.3K

-19.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$1,853 NOK 17.2K

-18.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$9,264 NOK 86.1K

-59.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$5,545 NOK 51.5K

-52.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$4,243 NOK 39.4K

-88.02%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Tromso: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $1,348 in Tromso. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tromso pays 735% 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 $121 in Tromso for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 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 131% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Tromso earns 735% 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 $1,348 in Tromso. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $336 in Tromso. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 71% higher in Tromso. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,929 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 131% less than in Tromso. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.