Cost of Living Comparison Between Sandnes and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Sandnes and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,766 in Sandnes versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,267 in Sandnes versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,769 in Sandnes versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Sandnes is roughly 125% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sandnes is 102% above, Phuket is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.62 NOK 241

$4.41 ฿147

480.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$100 NOK 946

$32.26 ฿1,077

211.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.76 NOK 148

$8.93 ฿298

76.48%

Cappuccino

$5.79 NOK 54.5

$2.90 ฿96.6

99.66%

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

$3.41 NOK 32.13

$0.88 ฿29.38

287.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 NOK 27.92

$0.48 ฿16.06

516.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$14.03 NOK 132

$2.35 ฿78.5

497.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.26 NOK 116

$3.72 ฿124

229.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.40 NOK 22.60

$1.87 ฿62.3

28.34%

White Bread (500g)

$3.52 NOK 33.17

$1.47 ฿48.94

139.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.55 NOK 24.06

$1.55 ฿51.8

64.52%

Eggs

$4.86 NOK 45.78

$2.10 ฿70.1

131.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.36 NOK 126

$19.59 ฿654

-31.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.96 NOK 150

$3.42 ฿114

366.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$32.10 NOK 302

$11.38 ฿380

182.07%

Apples (1kg)

$3.64 NOK 34.25

$2.98 ฿99.6

22.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.76 NOK 26.04

$1.68 ฿56.2

64.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.24 NOK 30.48

$2.21 ฿73.7

46.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.04 NOK 47.54

$2.16 ฿72.1

133.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.54 NOK 23.95

$1.52 ฿50.9

67.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 NOK 22.45

$1.34 ฿44.67

77.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.92 NOK 27.51

$1.13 ฿37.67

158.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 NOK 22.49

$0.55 ฿18.24

334.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.65 NOK 157

$4.26 ฿142

290.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.02 NOK 160

$19.09 ฿637

-10.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.28 NOK 30.88

$1.78 ฿59.4

84.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 NOK 40.67

$2.78 ฿92.9

55.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.72 NOK 44.45

$2.23 ฿74.4

111.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.7 NOK 817

$22.74 ฿759

281.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.39 NOK 60.2

$3.03 ฿101

110.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 NOK 17.03

$1.02 ฿34.15

77.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$49.65 NOK 468

$3.89 ฿130

1176.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 NOK 21.46

$1.49 ฿49.77

53.02%

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

$44.3K NOK 417.0K

$26.6K ฿887.3K

66.47%

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

$39.6K NOK 373.5K

$27.0K ฿902.2K

46.66%

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

$252 NOK 2,372

$102 ฿3,420

145.69%

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

$35.79 NOK 337

$11.33 ฿378

215.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.3 NOK 795

$17.40 ฿581

384.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.88 NOK 442

$52.1 ฿1,738

-9.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$53.1 NOK 500

$11.07 ฿370

379.77%

Cinema Ticket

$19.26 NOK 182

$7.69 ฿257

150.46%

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

$297 NOK 2,798

$561 ฿18.7K

-47.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,766 NOK 92.0K

$11.5K ฿384.1K

-15.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$127 NOK 1,192

$63.0 ฿2,104

100.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.1 NOK 585

$29.52 ฿986

110.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 NOK 1,154

$98.0 ฿3,272

24.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$194 NOK 1,826

$88.5 ฿2,954

118.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,375 NOK 13.0K

$738 ฿24.6K

86.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$995 NOK 9,373

$482 ฿16.1K

106.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,011 NOK 19.0K

$2,107 ฿70.3K

-4.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,841 NOK 17.3K

$1,226 ฿40.9K

50.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,992 NOK 65.9K

$3,617 ฿120.7K

93.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,075 NOK 38.4K

$2,603 ฿86.9K

56.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,787 NOK 35.7K

$494 ฿16.5K

667.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.22

5.57

-6.28%

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

Last update for Sandnes: September 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,375 in Sandnes and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sandnes pays 667% 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: $100 in Sandnes vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $490 vs $274 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

Sandnes 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 125% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 667% higher in Sandnes, 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: $1,375 in Sandnes versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $297 in Sandnes versus $561 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 79% higher in Sandnes. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,766 in Sandnes, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Sandnes. 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 Sandnes, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Sandnes 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 125% less than in Sandnes. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.