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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $2,776 in Trondheim.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $4,121 in Trondheim.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $5,465 in Trondheim.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 55% less than in Trondheim, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Trondheim is 107% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$22.39 NOK 213

-79.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$119 NOK 1,131

-60.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$14.04 NOK 133

-39.67%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$4.72 NOK 44.83

-35.81%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$3.62 NOK 34.35

-80.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$2.94 NOK 27.88

-87.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$10.68 NOK 101

-76.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$11.73 NOK 111

-68.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$2.64 NOK 25.03

-17.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$3.52 NOK 33.36

-46.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$3.96 NOK 37.59

-44.44%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$4.56 NOK 43.28

-51.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$12.35 NOK 117

61.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$15.21 NOK 144

-75.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$28.37 NOK 269

-53.30%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$3.78 NOK 35.84

-14.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$2.83 NOK 26.84

-39.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$2.64 NOK 25.01

-9.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$5.31 NOK 50.4

-60.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$2.87 NOK 27.27

-44.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$3.18 NOK 30.19

-53.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$3.24 NOK 30.73

-68.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$2.52 NOK 23.97

-79.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$15.32 NOK 145

-72.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$18.36 NOK 174

2.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$3.72 NOK 35.28

-52.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$4.83 NOK 45.88

-42.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$4.75 NOK 45.11

-71.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$93.7 NOK 889

-87.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$14.89 NOK 141

-78.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$2.19 NOK 20.78

-52.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$87.8 NOK 833

-84.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$2.22 NOK 21.08

-39.64%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$32.2K NOK 306.0K

-14.16%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$42.5K NOK 403.0K

-20.25%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$328 NOK 3,118

-62.37%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$43.15 NOK 410

-68.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$75.0 NOK 712

-75.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$42.27 NOK 401

46.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$46.32 NOK 440

-62.76%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$17.14 NOK 163

-46.67%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$322 NOK 3,059

118.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$8,553 NOK 81.2K

85.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$113 NOK 1,076

-47.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$47.89 NOK 455

-26.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$126 NOK 1,195

-8.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$134 NOK 1,269

-37.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$1,396 NOK 13.2K

-55.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$1,055 NOK 10.0K

-59.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$2,233 NOK 21.2K

-7.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$1,689 NOK 16.0K

-10.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$6,157 NOK 58.4K

-40.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$4,848 NOK 46.0K

-45.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$4,264 NOK 40.5K

-88.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.32

23.38%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Trondheim: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $1,396 in Trondheim. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Trondheim pays 741% 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $119 in Trondheim for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $490 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, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 120% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Trondheim earns 741% 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: $619 in Phuket versus $1,396 in Trondheim. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $322 in Trondheim. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 67% higher in Trondheim. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $2,776 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 120% less than in Trondheim. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.