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 $3,207 in Tromso.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $4,683 in Tromso.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $6,158 in Tromso.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 61% less than in Tromso, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, Tromso is 133% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$35.31 NOK 328

-86.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$109 NOK 1,007

-70.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$16.16 NOK 150

-46.29%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$6.89 NOK 64.0

-57.91%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$4.87 NOK 45.15

-82.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$3.74 NOK 34.69

-86.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$12.76 NOK 118

-80.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$14.21 NOK 132

-73.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$2.49 NOK 23.11

-24.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$3.50 NOK 32.44

-59.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$4.14 NOK 38.40

-60.87%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$5.27 NOK 48.93

-57.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$12.44 NOK 115

59.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$15.21 NOK 141

-77.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$42.53 NOK 395

-73.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$4.22 NOK 39.14

-31.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$3.07 NOK 28.50

-43.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$5.35 NOK 49.61

-57.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$6.40 NOK 59.4

-66.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$3.54 NOK 32.82

-58.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$5.08 NOK 47.11

-72.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$3.12 NOK 28.93

-64.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$2.18 NOK 20.20

-72.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$16.38 NOK 152

-73.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$16.47 NOK 153

12.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$4.06 NOK 37.62

-55.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$4.77 NOK 44.28

-37.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$5.06 NOK 46.94

-55.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

$69.2 NOK 642

-66.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$16.36 NOK 152

-81.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$2.13 NOK 19.76

-49.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$57.6 NOK 534

-93.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$2.27 NOK 21.02

-37.00%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$49.6K NOK 460.4K

-44.01%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$45.6K NOK 422.8K

-40.79%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$266 NOK 2,471

-60.66%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$51.3 NOK 476

-77.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$86.2 NOK 799

-79.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$51.9 NOK 481

4.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

$47.90 NOK 444

-76.12%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$17.98 NOK 167

-56.73%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$329 NOK 3,048

75.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$7,733 NOK 71.7K

49.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$68.1 NOK 632

-6.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$35.40 NOK 328

-17.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$149 NOK 1,385

-35.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$165 NOK 1,532

-45.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$1,558 NOK 14.5K

-52.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$1,296 NOK 12.0K

-61.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$2,781 NOK 25.8K

-23.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$2,039 NOK 18.9K

-38.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$7,137 NOK 66.2K

-50.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$5,526 NOK 51.3K

-52.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$4,292 NOK 39.8K

-88.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.01

11.18%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Tromso: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $1,558 in Tromso. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tromso pays 746% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $109 in Tromso for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $554 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, Getting Around. The 153% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 746% 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: $733 in Phuket versus $1,558 in Tromso. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $329 in Tromso. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 101% higher in Tromso. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $3,207 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 153% less than in Tromso. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.