Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tromso

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $3,272 in Tromso, rent and utilities included – about $23,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
158

Cost of Living Index in Tromso
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Tromso Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Tromso

🇳🇴 Norway

$3,272

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Tromso

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Tromso actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $3,272 in Tromso.

Phuket $1,278
Tromso $3,272

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $4,928 in Tromso.

Phuket $2,216
Tromso $4,928

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $6,584 in Tromso.

Phuket $3,154
Tromso $6,584

Living in Phuket costs roughly 61% less than in Tromso, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Tromso is 140% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$34.84 NOK 322

-87.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,092

$107 NOK 987

-69.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$16.13 NOK 149

-45.38%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.3

$6.87 NOK 63.5

-58.81%

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

$0.87 ฿29.37

$5.02 NOK 46.43

-82.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.64

$3.80 NOK 35.12

-87.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.2

$12.79 NOK 118

-79.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$13.94 NOK 129

-73.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$2.61 NOK 24.13

-36.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.25

$3.47 NOK 32.14

-57.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.4

$3.95 NOK 36.57

-62.03%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.4

$5.42 NOK 50.1

-61.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿642

$11.93 NOK 110

59.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$15.18 NOK 140

-78.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$42.51 NOK 393

-74.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.7

$4.23 NOK 39.09

-30.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.9

$3.03 NOK 28.04

-44.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

$5.42 NOK 50.2

-58.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$6.08 NOK 56.3

-65.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.9

$3.53 NOK 32.65

-57.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.47

$4.89 NOK 45.24

-71.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.91

$2.97 NOK 27.49

-63.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.49

$2.14 NOK 19.77

-75.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$16.48 NOK 152

-74.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿633

$17.78 NOK 165

5.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

$4.04 NOK 37.40

-54.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.7

$4.95 NOK 45.77

-42.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$5.07 NOK 46.91

-71.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,909

$67.8 NOK 627

-16.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$16.35 NOK 151

-81.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.29

$2.16 NOK 19.99

-52.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿124

$57.4 NOK 530

-93.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.70

$2.38 NOK 21.99

-38.24%

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

$26.8K ฿902.4K

$50.0K NOK 462.6K

-46.46%

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

$26.7K ฿899.5K

$44.5K NOK 411.2K

-39.95%

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

$96.4 ฿3,247

$266 NOK 2,456

-63.72%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$50.7 NOK 469

-77.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$85.0 NOK 786

-80.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,266

$48.89 NOK 452

37.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿361

$48.46 NOK 448

-77.86%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$17.45 NOK 161

-57.02%

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

$476 ฿16.0K

$324 NOK 3,000

46.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.6K

$7,850 NOK 72.6K

43.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,102

$68.8 NOK 636

-9.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿957

$35.13 NOK 325

-19.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,178

$153 NOK 1,417

-38.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,892

$166 NOK 1,532

-48.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.1K

$1,780 NOK 16.5K

-59.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.5K

$1,392 NOK 12.9K

-64.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿64.9K

$3,215 NOK 29.7K

-40.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.2K

$2,341 NOK 21.7K

-38.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.7K

$8,342 NOK 77.2K

-49.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.6K

$5,634 NOK 52.1K

-45.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$4,302 NOK 39.8K

-88.32%

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: October 26, 2026

Last update for Tromso: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Tromso

$1.4K 42.6% 184% $901

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Tromso

$553 16.9% 108% $286

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Tromso

$401 12.3% 222% $277

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Tromso

$190 5.8% 56.1% $68

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Tromso

$537 16.4% 341% $415

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Tromso

$84 2.6% 1.9% $1.6

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Tromso

$115 3.5% 63.2% $45

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $1,780 in Tromso. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tromso pays about 8.6 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $107 in Tromso for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $553 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇳🇴 Tromso

🕒 Local time

11:01 11:01 AM

05:01 5:01 AM

6 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

78,908

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

100 NOK = 10.81 USD

100 NOK = 9.71 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NOK, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 9.25 NOK (1 NOK = 0.108 USD). 1 EUR = 10.3 NOK (100 NOK = 9.71 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Tromso 8,780 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Tromso

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 about 61% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 88% lower in Phuket. 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: $716 in Phuket versus $1,780 in Tromso. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $324 in Tromso. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 108% higher in Tromso. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,278 in Phuket versus $3,272 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.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Tromso are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 61% less than in Tromso. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.