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 $2,794 in Trondheim.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $4,158 in Trondheim.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $5,521 in Trondheim.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 56% less than in Trondheim, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, Trondheim is 109% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$22.32 NOK 208

-79.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$121 NOK 1,127

-61.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$14.30 NOK 133

-38.18%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$4.67 NOK 43.55

-35.76%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$3.66 NOK 34.10

-79.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$2.89 NOK 26.90

-87.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$10.79 NOK 101

-77.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$11.44 NOK 107

-68.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$2.52 NOK 23.51

-10.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$3.60 NOK 33.53

-48.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$3.86 NOK 35.93

-41.97%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$4.55 NOK 42.37

-49.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$12.19 NOK 114

61.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$15.17 NOK 141

-75.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$28.24 NOK 263

-53.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$3.88 NOK 36.13

-12.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$3.00 NOK 27.92

-45.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$2.67 NOK 24.88

-9.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$5.03 NOK 46.86

-59.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$2.97 NOK 27.73

-47.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$3.34 NOK 31.09

-55.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$3.24 NOK 30.20

-68.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$2.53 NOK 23.59

-80.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$15.40 NOK 143

-71.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$19.08 NOK 178

-1.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$3.66 NOK 34.10

-51.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$4.73 NOK 44.05

-41.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$4.69 NOK 43.68

-70.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$93.3 NOK 870

-87.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$15.00 NOK 140

-79.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$2.16 NOK 20.16

-53.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$88.6 NOK 826

-84.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$2.13 NOK 19.86

-36.62%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$32.0K NOK 298.2K

-15.05%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$41.8K NOK 389.9K

-21.31%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$318 NOK 2,962

-60.67%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$41.68 NOK 388

-67.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$76.9 NOK 717

-75.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$42.83 NOK 399

43.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$47.79 NOK 445

-64.76%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$17.29 NOK 161

-46.85%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$329 NOK 3,069

112.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$8,501 NOK 79.2K

83.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$110 NOK 1,022

-47.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$47.69 NOK 444

-26.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$129 NOK 1,202

-12.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$132 NOK 1,228

-34.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$1,386 NOK 12.9K

-55.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$1,065 NOK 9,928

-58.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$2,218 NOK 20.7K

-7.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$1,676 NOK 15.6K

-10.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$6,199 NOK 57.8K

-39.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$4,921 NOK 45.9K

-46.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$4,339 NOK 40.4K

-87.93%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Trondheim: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $1,386 in Trondheim. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Trondheim pays 728% 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 $121 in Trondheim for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 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 127% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Trondheim earns 728% 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: $616 in Phuket versus $1,386 in Trondheim. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $329 in Trondheim. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 68% higher in Trondheim. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,794 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 127% less than in Trondheim. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.