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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $2,745 in Trondheim.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $4,170 in Trondheim.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $5,595 in Trondheim.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 54% less than in Trondheim, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 5% below, Trondheim is 106% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$22.21 NOK 211

-79.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$123 NOK 1,162

-62.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$14.44 NOK 137

-39.34%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$4.82 NOK 45.75

-38.38%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$3.67 NOK 34.84

-81.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$2.99 NOK 28.34

-86.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$10.80 NOK 102

-76.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$11.45 NOK 109

-67.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$2.51 NOK 23.79

-14.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$3.65 NOK 34.58

-50.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$3.86 NOK 36.62

-43.52%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$4.59 NOK 43.49

-50.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$12.21 NOK 116

63.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$14.92 NOK 141

-75.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$28.37 NOK 269

-52.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$3.77 NOK 35.76

-14.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$2.97 NOK 28.21

-44.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$2.64 NOK 25.00

-11.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$5.01 NOK 47.50

-58.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$2.97 NOK 28.20

-47.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$3.22 NOK 30.53

-54.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$3.20 NOK 30.33

-69.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$2.50 NOK 23.68

-80.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$15.41 NOK 146

-71.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$18.42 NOK 175

0.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$3.66 NOK 34.68

-49.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$4.84 NOK 45.87

-45.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$4.57 NOK 43.37

-68.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$93.7 NOK 889

-87.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$15.40 NOK 146

-79.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$2.26 NOK 21.40

-54.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$89.5 NOK 848

-84.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$2.12 NOK 20.06

-36.79%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$32.4K NOK 306.8K

-14.12%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$43.1K NOK 409.0K

-22.61%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$323 NOK 3,059

-61.86%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$43.23 NOK 410

-68.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$76.7 NOK 727

-76.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$42.53 NOK 403

42.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$46.79 NOK 444

-63.33%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$17.26 NOK 164

-48.61%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$321 NOK 3,044

114.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$8,375 NOK 79.4K

88.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$110 NOK 1,044

-46.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$47.48 NOK 450

-26.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$128 NOK 1,214

-10.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$132 NOK 1,248

-36.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$1,371 NOK 13.0K

-54.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$1,079 NOK 10.2K

-58.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$2,269 NOK 21.5K

-10.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$1,685 NOK 16.0K

-11.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$6,109 NOK 57.9K

-43.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$4,952 NOK 47.0K

-48.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$4,148 NOK 39.3K

-88.10%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Trondheim: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $1,371 in Trondheim. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Trondheim pays 740% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $123 in Trondheim for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $487 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 117% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 740% 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: $621 in Phuket versus $1,371 in Trondheim. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $321 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 $1,264 in Phuket versus $2,745 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 117% less than in Trondheim. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.