Cost of Living Comparison Between Sandefjord and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Sandefjord and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,391 in Sandefjord versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,522 in Sandefjord versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,654 in Sandefjord versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Sandefjord is roughly 89% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sandefjord is 78% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.02 NOK 177

$4.70 ฿153

304.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$103 NOK 953

$45.37 ฿1,482

126.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.53 NOK 126

$8.43 ฿275

60.50%

Cappuccino

$5.03 NOK 46.71

$2.93 ฿95.6

71.67%

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

$2.47 NOK 22.96

$0.69 ฿22.40

257.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 NOK 19.83

$0.37 ฿11.99

475.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.37 NOK 87.1

$2.41 ฿78.6

288.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.15 NOK 94.3

$3.72 ฿122

172.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 NOK 20.41

$2.23 ฿72.9

-1.35%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 NOK 28.06

$1.83 ฿59.8

65.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.80 NOK 26.02

$2.17 ฿70.8

29.03%

Eggs

$3.69 NOK 34.31

$2.21 ฿72.3

66.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.51 NOK 107

$19.74 ฿645

-41.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.60 NOK 154

$3.63 ฿119

357.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$35.29 NOK 328

$13.53 ฿442

160.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 NOK 25.16

$3.28 ฿107

-17.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 NOK 20.69

$1.61 ฿52.6

38.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.35 NOK 21.80

$2.41 ฿78.6

-2.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.67 NOK 34.11

$2.08 ฿68.1

76.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 NOK 19.57

$1.53 ฿49.93

37.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 NOK 20.62

$1.48 ฿48.36

50.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.64 NOK 24.56

$0.99 ฿32.29

166.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 NOK 17.61

$0.51 ฿16.67

272.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.49 NOK 135

$4.41 ฿144

228.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.56 NOK 126

$19.38 ฿633

-30.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.70 NOK 34.41

$1.78 ฿58.1

107.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.23 NOK 39.33

$2.71 ฿88.6

56.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.95 NOK 45.96

$1.37 ฿44.79

261.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.8 NOK 667

$11.39 ฿372

530.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.06 NOK 93.5

$3.02 ฿98.6

233.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 NOK 13.01

$0.99 ฿32.48

41.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$63.4 NOK 589

$14.10 ฿461

349.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 NOK 20.49

$1.36 ฿44.51

62.50%

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

$35.6K NOK 330.9K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

26.30%

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

$35.8K NOK 332.4K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

8.76%

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

$220 NOK 2,039

$122 ฿3,975

80.39%

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

$42.75 NOK 397

$13.57 ฿443

215.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.61 NOK 359

$18.31 ฿598

110.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.95 NOK 445

$60.2 ฿1,967

-20.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.33 NOK 328

$17.14 ฿560

106.13%

Cinema Ticket

$12.87 NOK 120

$8.69 ฿284

48.10%

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

$287 NOK 2,662

$693 ฿22.6K

-58.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,768 NOK 44.3K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-69.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 NOK 954

$59.5 ฿1,944

72.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.87 NOK 435

$34.77 ฿1,136

34.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 NOK 928

$115 ฿3,743

-12.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 NOK 1,305

$83.3 ฿2,720

68.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,205 NOK 11.2K

$613 ฿20.0K

96.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$970 NOK 9,011

$437 ฿14.3K

121.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,447 NOK 13.4K

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-30.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,256 NOK 11.7K

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-16.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,123 NOK 38.3K

$508 ฿16.6K

711.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.38

5.33

-17.82%

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

Last update for Sandefjord: June 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,205 in Sandefjord and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sandefjord pays 711% 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: $103 in Sandefjord vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $454 vs $293 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

Sandefjord vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 89% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Sandefjord pays 711% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,205 in Sandefjord versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $287 in Sandefjord versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 55% higher in Sandefjord. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,391 in Sandefjord, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Sandefjord. 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 Sandefjord, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Sandefjord 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.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 89% less than in Sandefjord. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.