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: $2,551 in Sandnes versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,980 in Sandnes versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,409 in Sandnes versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Sandnes is roughly 102% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sandnes is 90% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.27 NOK 268

$4.56 ฿149

519.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$121 NOK 1,153

$46.63 ฿1,519

160.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.57 NOK 129

$8.47 ฿276

60.21%

Cappuccino

$5.02 NOK 47.61

$3.03 ฿98.6

65.68%

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

$3.46 NOK 32.88

$0.69 ฿22.45

401.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 NOK 27.02

$0.37 ฿11.92

670.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.03 NOK 95.2

$2.49 ฿81.0

302.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.26 NOK 97.4

$3.66 ฿119

180.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 NOK 20.65

$2.18 ฿71.0

White Bread (500g)

$3.40 NOK 32.31

$1.90 ฿62.0

78.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.20 NOK 30.36

$2.20 ฿71.6

45.45%

Eggs

$4.16 NOK 39.48

$2.22 ฿72.4

87.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.62 NOK 120

$19.99 ฿651

-36.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.92 NOK 132

$3.66 ฿119

280.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$36.25 NOK 344

$13.25 ฿432

173.58%

Apples (1kg)

$3.55 NOK 33.70

$3.23 ฿105

9.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.50 NOK 23.72

$1.70 ฿55.3

47.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 NOK 28.14

$2.39 ฿78.0

23.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.81 NOK 45.69

$2.08 ฿67.7

131.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.18 NOK 20.69

$1.59 ฿51.8

37.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 NOK 20.60

$1.48 ฿48.31

46.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.72 NOK 25.83

$1.03 ฿33.54

164.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 NOK 18.26

$0.52 ฿16.83

269.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.91 NOK 142

$4.25 ฿138

250.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.95 NOK 161

$18.79 ฿612

-9.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.29 NOK 31.24

$1.76 ฿57.2

86.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.99 NOK 37.85

$2.76 ฿89.8

44.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.04 NOK 38.36

$1.36 ฿44.32

197.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.0 NOK 683

$11.36 ฿370

533.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.21 NOK 144

$3.14 ฿102

384.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 NOK 19.69

$1.04 ฿33.74

99.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$46.16 NOK 438

$13.77 ฿448

235.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.12 NOK 20.15

$1.34 ฿43.79

58.21%

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

$34.4K NOK 326.1K

$27.7K ฿901.4K

24.14%

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

$33.0K NOK 313.5K

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-2.48%

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

$220 NOK 2,085

$124 ฿4,025

77.74%

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

$43.46 NOK 412

$13.52 ฿440

221.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.2 NOK 761

$18.69 ฿609

329.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.74 NOK 472

$61.8 ฿2,013

-19.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$49.92 NOK 474

$17.25 ฿562

189.39%

Cinema Ticket

$18.49 NOK 176

$9.14 ฿298

102.30%

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

$314 NOK 2,978

$703 ฿22.9K

-55.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,283 NOK 88.1K

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-41.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$119 NOK 1,129

$59.5 ฿1,937

100.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 NOK 560

$35.07 ฿1,142

68.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 NOK 996

$115 ฿3,754

-8.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$158 NOK 1,502

$84.1 ฿2,737

88.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 NOK 11.7K

$619 ฿20.1K

99.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$861 NOK 8,172

$433 ฿14.1K

99.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,658 NOK 15.7K

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-19.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,462 NOK 13.9K

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-3.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,089 NOK 67.3K

$3,646 ฿118.7K

94.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,048 NOK 38.4K

$2,626 ฿85.5K

54.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,655 NOK 34.7K

$507 ฿16.5K

620.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.4

5.33

-17.45%

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

Last update for Sandnes: June 7, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,235 in Sandnes and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sandnes pays 621% 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: $121 in Sandnes vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $473 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

Sandnes vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 102% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Sandnes pays 621% 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: $1,235 in Sandnes versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $314 in Sandnes versus $703 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 62% higher in Sandnes. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $2,551 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 102% less than in Sandnes. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.