Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Porsgrunn and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,207 a month against $2,673 in Porsgrunn, rent and utilities included – about $17,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Porsgrunn
🇳🇴 Norway
$2,673
/mo nomad
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,207
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Porsgrunn and in Phuket

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,673 in Porsgrunn versus $1,207 in Phuket.

  • Porsgrunn $2,673
  • Phuket $1,207

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,818 in Porsgrunn versus $2,037 in Phuket.

  • Porsgrunn $3,818
  • Phuket $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,962 in Porsgrunn versus $2,867 in Phuket.

  • Porsgrunn $4,962
  • Phuket $2,867

Living in Porsgrunn is roughly 121% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Porsgrunn is 98% above, Phuket is 11% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Porsgrunn
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.92 NOK 197
$4.58 ฿153
356.77%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$105 NOK 990
$32.48 ฿1,086
223.77%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$15.57 NOK 147
$8.55 ฿286
82.11%
Cappuccino
$5.60 NOK 52.7
$2.72 ฿91.0
105.88%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.49 NOK 32.88
$0.94 ฿31.25
271.28%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.04 NOK 28.58
$0.49 ฿16.39
520.41%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$11.53 NOK 109
$2.59 ฿86.6
345.17%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$10.41 NOK 98.0
$3.83 ฿128
171.80%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Porsgrunn
Phuket
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.44 NOK 23.00
$1.74 ฿58.1
40.23%
White Bread (500g)
$4.09 NOK 38.49
$1.43 ฿47.82
186.01%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.53 NOK 42.62
$1.53 ฿51.0
196.08%
Eggs
$5.79 NOK 54.5
$2.17 ฿72.7
166.82%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.79 NOK 139
$19.15 ฿640
-22.77%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$15.68 NOK 148
$3.30 ฿110
375.15%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$31.79 NOK 299
$11.14 ฿372
185.37%
Apples (1kg)
$3.40 NOK 31.98
$2.95 ฿98.5
15.25%
Banana (1kg)
$2.59 NOK 24.35
$1.68 ฿56.1
54.17%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.50 NOK 32.97
$2.30 ฿76.8
52.17%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.89 NOK 55.5
$2.13 ฿71.3
176.53%
Potato (1kg)
$2.61 NOK 24.59
$1.53 ฿51.1
70.59%
Onion (1kg)
$2.90 NOK 27.33
$1.36 ฿45.55
113.24%
Lettuce (1 head)
$3.14 NOK 29.55
$1.12 ฿37.44
180.36%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.39 NOK 22.50
$0.55 ฿18.24
334.55%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$18.43 NOK 174
$4.26 ฿142
332.63%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.49 NOK 155
$18.19 ฿608
-9.35%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.35 NOK 31.49
$1.74 ฿58.2
92.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.13 NOK 38.90
$2.79 ฿93.3
48.03%
🚌 Getting Around
Porsgrunn
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.68 NOK 25.20
$2.22 ฿74.1
20.72%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$47.08 NOK 443
$22.06 ฿737
113.42%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$11.92 NOK 112
$2.91 ฿97.3
309.62%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.87 NOK 17.65
$1.01 ฿33.79
85.15%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$69.5 NOK 654
$3.83 ฿128
1713.84%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.45 NOK 23.07
$1.49 ฿49.85
64.43%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$47.6K NOK 448.2K
$26.7K ฿891.6K
78.48%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$44.1K NOK 414.9K
$26.7K ฿892.7K
65.02%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Porsgrunn
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$417 NOK 3,926
$99.4 ฿3,321
319.69%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$32.67 NOK 308
$11.28 ฿377
189.63%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$52.9 NOK 498
$17.36 ฿580
204.78%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Porsgrunn
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$52.3 ฿1,747
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$10.85 ฿362
-
Cinema Ticket
$20.21 NOK 190
$7.57 ฿253
166.97%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Porsgrunn
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$236 NOK 2,221
$558 ฿18.7K
-57.74%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$15.5K NOK 146.1K
$11.5K ฿383.9K
35.15%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Porsgrunn
Phuket
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$98.6 NOK 928
$62.9 ฿2,102
56.79%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$59.0 NOK 555
$28.58 ฿955
106.37%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$131 NOK 1,238
$96.1 ฿3,213
36.74%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$158 NOK 1,487
$88.1 ฿2,943
79.39%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Porsgrunn
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$824 NOK 7,752
$729 ฿24.4K
12.91%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$950 NOK 8,946
$460 ฿15.4K
106.60%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,563 NOK 14.7K
$2,096 ฿70.0K
-25.42%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,259 NOK 11.9K
$1,222 ฿40.8K
3.01%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$3,459 ฿115.6K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$2,489 ฿83.2K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Porsgrunn
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$493 ฿16.5K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.8
5.57
-31.78%

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

Last update for Porsgrunn: October 11, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Porsgrunn
$950
Phuket
$460 51.6% $490
Groceries & Markets
Porsgrunn
$514
Phuket
$268 47.9% $246
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Porsgrunn
$503
Phuket
$128 74.5% $375
Eating Out
Porsgrunn
$386
Phuket
$121 68.6% $265
Clothing & Footwear
Porsgrunn
$201
Phuket
$124 38.3% $77
Getting Around
Porsgrunn
$79
Phuket
$39 50.8% $40
Sport & Entertainment
Porsgrunn
$40 *
Phuket
$67 66.8% $27

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $824 in Porsgrunn and $729 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $105 in Porsgrunn vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $514 vs $268 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇳🇴 Porsgrunn
🇹🇭 Phuket
🕒 Local time
17:10 5:10 PM
22:10 10:10 PM
5 h ahead of Porsgrunn
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
37,144
79,308
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to NOK – Norwegian Krone Converter

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 9.41 NOK (1 NOK = 0.106 USD). 1 EUR = 10.58 NOK (100 NOK = 9.45 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Porsgrunn Phuket 9,180 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Porsgrunn
  • Phuket

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
Porsgrunn vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Phuket cheaper than Porsgrunn?
Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 121% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $4,010 in Porsgrunn and $1,811 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the rent difference between Porsgrunn and Phuket?
Rent for a central apartment: $824 in Porsgrunn versus $729 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $236 in Porsgrunn versus $558 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Porsgrunn and in Phuket?
Supermarket bills run roughly 92% higher in Porsgrunn. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Porsgrunn or in Phuket?
At $1,207 in Phuket versus $2,673 in Porsgrunn, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Porsgrunn. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Porsgrunn or Phuket more family-friendly?
For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Porsgrunn, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Porsgrunn or Phuket?
Safety-wise, Porsgrunn and Phuket are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 121% less than in Porsgrunn. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Porsgrunn vs other spots: cost of living compared

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