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: $2,546 in Sandnes versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,939 in Sandnes versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,332 in Sandnes versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Sandnes is roughly 101% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sandnes is 91% above, Phuket is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.71 NOK 272

$4.48 ฿150

540.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$121 NOK 1,145

$45.59 ฿1,521

164.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.34 NOK 127

$8.76 ฿292

52.28%

Cappuccino

$5.11 NOK 48.45

$2.97 ฿99.0

72.05%

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

$3.45 NOK 32.72

$0.69 ฿22.90

400.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 NOK 26.59

$0.39 ฿13.04

617.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.94 NOK 94.2

$2.53 ฿84.4

292.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.28 NOK 97.5

$3.75 ฿125

174.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 NOK 19.95

$2.15 ฿71.6

-2.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.30 NOK 31.33

$1.82 ฿60.6

81.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.16 NOK 29.92

$2.18 ฿72.9

44.95%

Eggs

$4.30 NOK 40.75

$2.25 ฿75.0

91.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.83 NOK 122

$20.00 ฿667

-35.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.22 NOK 135

$3.63 ฿121

291.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$36.40 NOK 345

$13.56 ฿452

168.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.61 NOK 34.28

$3.24 ฿108

11.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.52 NOK 23.86

$1.64 ฿54.6

53.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 NOK 29.18

$2.33 ฿77.8

32.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.76 NOK 45.09

$2.07 ฿69.1

129.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.18 NOK 20.63

$1.55 ฿51.6

40.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 NOK 21.39

$1.46 ฿48.54

54.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.75 NOK 26.06

$0.98 ฿32.86

180.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 NOK 17.62

$0.48 ฿16.09

287.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.29 NOK 145

$4.35 ฿145

251.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.73 NOK 159

$18.57 ฿620

-9.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.21 NOK 30.42

$1.86 ฿61.9

72.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.99 NOK 37.83

$2.65 ฿88.6

50.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.24 NOK 40.23

$1.42 ฿47.28

198.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.6 NOK 660

$11.57 ฿386

501.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.23 NOK 144

$3.17 ฿106

380.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.08 NOK 19.69

$1.03 ฿34.41

101.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$46.78 NOK 444

$13.89 ฿463

236.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.12 NOK 20.10

$1.34 ฿44.84

58.21%

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

$34.0K NOK 322.6K

$27.8K ฿927.1K

22.41%

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

$32.2K NOK 305.4K

$33.4K ฿1.1M

-3.52%

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

$220 NOK 2,084

$123 ฿4,105

78.57%

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

$43.97 NOK 417

$13.77 ฿459

219.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.9 NOK 748

$18.33 ฿611

330.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.31 NOK 468

$60.7 ฿2,025

-18.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$51.0 NOK 484

$17.16 ฿573

197.38%

Cinema Ticket

$17.91 NOK 170

$8.87 ฿296

101.92%

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

$323 NOK 3,060

$688 ฿22.9K

-53.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,185 NOK 87.1K

$15.8K ฿526.4K

-41.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$118 NOK 1,118

$59.3 ฿1,978

98.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.1 NOK 570

$34.69 ฿1,157

73.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 NOK 1,011

$115 ฿3,843

-7.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 NOK 1,532

$83.8 ฿2,794

92.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,241 NOK 11.8K

$621 ฿20.7K

99.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$880 NOK 8,346

$446 ฿14.9K

97.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,657 NOK 15.7K

$2,034 ฿67.8K

-18.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,465 NOK 13.9K

$1,496 ฿49.9K

-2.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,921 NOK 65.6K

$3,455 ฿115.3K

100.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,018 NOK 38.1K

$2,531 ฿84.4K

58.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,553 NOK 33.7K

$494 ฿16.5K

619.74%

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: July 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,241 in Sandnes and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sandnes pays 620% 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 $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $474 vs $291 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 101% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 620% 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: $1,241 in Sandnes versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $323 in Sandnes versus $688 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 63% higher in Sandnes. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $2,546 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 101% less than in Sandnes. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.