Cost of Living Comparison Between Sandvika and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Sandvika and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,512 in Sandvika versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,866 in Sandvika versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,220 in Sandvika versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Sandvika is roughly 104% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sandvika is 88% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.28 NOK 152

$4.63 ฿151

251.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.3 NOK 879

$46.84 ฿1,523

101.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$20.76 NOK 194

$8.84 ฿287

134.84%

Cappuccino

$3.96 NOK 36.88

$3.00 ฿97.4

32.00%

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

$2.87 NOK 26.76

$0.74 ฿24.11

287.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 NOK 21.33

$0.37 ฿11.88

518.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 NOK 75.1

$2.44 ฿79.3

230.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.50 NOK 88.6

$3.61 ฿117

163.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.41 NOK 22.49

$2.26 ฿73.5

6.64%

White Bread (500g)

$3.45 NOK 32.13

$1.84 ฿59.8

87.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 NOK 17.74

$2.24 ฿73.0

-15.18%

Eggs

$4.20 NOK 39.17

$2.32 ฿75.3

81.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.62 NOK 174

$19.67 ฿639

-5.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$25.89 NOK 241

$3.65 ฿119

609.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.46 NOK 219

$13.10 ฿426

79.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.69 NOK 25.06

$3.39 ฿110

-20.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.41 NOK 22.45

$1.64 ฿53.4

46.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.55 NOK 33.06

$2.41 ฿78.5

47.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.64 NOK 33.89

$2.03 ฿66.0

79.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 NOK 20.18

$1.56 ฿50.6

38.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 NOK 22.59

$1.50 ฿48.66

61.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.26 NOK 21.04

$1.02 ฿33.30

121.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 NOK 14.04

$0.49 ฿15.91

208.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.21 NOK 142

$4.45 ฿145

241.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.25 NOK 179

$18.88 ฿614

1.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.61 NOK 33.63

$1.78 ฿57.7

102.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.29 NOK 49.30

$2.75 ฿89.5

92.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.77 NOK 35.17

$1.40 ฿45.54

169.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.8 NOK 837

$11.48 ฿373

682.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.99 NOK 74.5

$3.12 ฿101

156.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 NOK 12.66

$1.00 ฿32.48

36.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$52.0 NOK 484

$14.09 ฿458

268.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.29 NOK 21.36

$1.35 ฿43.93

69.63%

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

$42.0K NOK 391.0K

$27.2K ฿883.7K

54.34%

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

$41.6K NOK 387.5K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

26.30%

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

$243 NOK 2,265

$125 ฿4,063

94.43%

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

$29.89 NOK 279

$13.57 ฿441

120.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.9 NOK 595

$18.52 ฿602

244.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.8 NOK 566

$61.5 ฿1,999

-1.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.14 NOK 327

$16.84 ฿547

108.67%

Cinema Ticket

$20.09 NOK 187

$9.19 ฿299

118.61%

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

$297 NOK 2,772

$698 ฿22.7K

-57.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.2K NOK 94.9K

$15.6K ฿506.9K

-34.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$135 NOK 1,255

$57.8 ฿1,878

133.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.70 NOK 463

$35.24 ฿1,146

41.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 NOK 1,175

$113 ฿3,677

11.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$200 NOK 1,868

$86.4 ฿2,808

132.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,219 NOK 11.4K

$616 ฿20.0K

97.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$905 NOK 8,436

$446 ฿14.5K

102.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,806 NOK 16.8K

$2,048 ฿66.6K

-11.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,560 NOK 14.5K

$1,492 ฿48.5K

4.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,382 NOK 78.1K

$3,779 ฿122.8K

121.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,525 NOK 42.2K

$2,649 ฿86.1K

70.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,337 NOK 49.7K

$524 ฿17.0K

918.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.8

5.33

-9.94%

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

Last update for Sandvika: April 28, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,219 in Sandvika and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sandvika pays 919% 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: $94.0 in Sandvika vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $505 vs $292 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

Sandvika vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 104% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Sandvika pays 919% 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: $1,219 in Sandvika versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $297 in Sandvika versus $698 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 73% higher in Sandvika. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,512 in Sandvika, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Sandvika. 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 Sandvika, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Sandvika 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 104% less than in Sandvika. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.