Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Trondheim Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Trondheim

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $3,009 in Trondheim.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $4,335 in Trondheim.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $5,661 in Trondheim.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 59% less than in Trondheim, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 10% below, Trondheim is 120% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$20.98 NOK 198

-78.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$110 NOK 1,036

-70.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$15.84 NOK 149

-43.62%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$5.62 NOK 52.9

-48.40%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$5.77 NOK 54.4

-84.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$4.37 NOK 41.15

-89.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$13.62 NOK 128

-82.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$13.21 NOK 124

-71.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$2.59 NOK 24.38

-27.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$3.55 NOK 33.49

-58.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$3.90 NOK 36.79

-60.26%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$4.88 NOK 46.01

-56.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$13.49 NOK 127

45.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$16.46 NOK 155

-79.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$32.40 NOK 305

-64.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$3.89 NOK 36.66

-23.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$2.94 NOK 27.67

-42.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$4.00 NOK 37.69

-44.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$5.77 NOK 54.3

-62.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$2.89 NOK 27.23

-47.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$3.14 NOK 29.57

-57.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$2.87 NOK 27.07

-60.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$2.25 NOK 21.23

-75.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$18.01 NOK 170

-76.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$19.22 NOK 181

-0.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$3.54 NOK 33.33

-49.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$4.69 NOK 44.19

-40.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$4.88 NOK 46.00

-54.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$102 NOK 963

-77.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$9.49 NOK 89.4

-68.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$1.61 NOK 15.15

-36.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$61.3 NOK 577

-93.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$2.38 NOK 22.41

-37.39%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$47.1K NOK 444.0K

-43.59%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$46.4K NOK 437.1K

-41.74%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$282 NOK 2,655

-63.64%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$36.46 NOK 344

-68.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$83.6 NOK 787

-79.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$44.16 NOK 416

17.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$41.28 NOK 389

-73.18%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$21.08 NOK 199

-63.52%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$304 NOK 2,861

84.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$4,455 NOK 42.0K

158.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$110 NOK 1,040

-42.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$52.7 NOK 496

-43.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$124 NOK 1,172

-21.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$158 NOK 1,485

-43.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$1,496 NOK 14.1K

-50.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$1,236 NOK 11.6K

-60.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$2,253 NOK 21.2K

-6.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$1,690 NOK 15.9K

-27.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$6,555 NOK 61.8K

-44.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$5,105 NOK 48.1K

-49.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$4,338 NOK 40.9K

-88.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.32

4.70%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Trondheim: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $1,496 in Trondheim. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Trondheim pays 779% 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 $110 in Trondheim for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $517 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 Trondheim: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 144% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 779% lower in Trondheim. 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: $738 in Phuket versus $1,496 in Trondheim. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $304 in Trondheim. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 89% higher in Trondheim. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $3,009 in Trondheim, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Trondheim. 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 Trondheim, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Trondheim 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 144% less than in Trondheim. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.