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: $2,519 in Sandvika versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,857 in Sandvika versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,196 in Sandvika versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Sandvika is roughly 99% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sandvika is 89% above, Phuket is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.02 NOK 154

$4.48 ฿150

257.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.4 NOK 915

$45.59 ฿1,525

109.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$20.65 NOK 198

$8.76 ฿293

135.73%

Cappuccino

$3.95 NOK 37.87

$2.97 ฿99.3

33.00%

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

$2.72 NOK 26.13

$0.69 ฿22.96

294.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 NOK 20.83

$0.39 ฿13.07

456.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.14 NOK 78.1

$2.53 ฿84.7

221.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.76 NOK 93.6

$3.75 ฿125

160.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.48 NOK 23.76

$2.15 ฿71.8

15.35%

White Bread (500g)

$3.37 NOK 32.33

$1.82 ฿60.7

85.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 NOK 18.28

$2.18 ฿73.1

-12.39%

Eggs

$4.34 NOK 41.67

$2.25 ฿75.2

92.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.78 NOK 180

$20.00 ฿669

-6.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$26.09 NOK 250

$3.63 ฿121

618.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.55 NOK 226

$13.56 ฿453

73.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 NOK 26.56

$3.24 ฿109

-14.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.43 NOK 23.35

$1.64 ฿54.7

48.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.52 NOK 33.80

$2.33 ฿78.0

51.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.70 NOK 35.51

$2.07 ฿69.3

78.74%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 NOK 21.37

$1.55 ฿51.8

43.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.53 NOK 24.28

$1.46 ฿48.67

73.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.30 NOK 22.10

$0.98 ฿32.94

134.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 NOK 14.92

$0.48 ฿16.13

225.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.43 NOK 148

$4.35 ฿146

254.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.03 NOK 173

$18.57 ฿621

-2.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.68 NOK 35.25

$1.86 ฿62.1

97.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.03 NOK 48.29

$2.65 ฿88.8

89.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.91 NOK 37.50

$1.42 ฿47.40

175.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$92.2 NOK 884

$11.57 ฿387

696.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.81 NOK 74.9

$3.17 ฿106

146.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 NOK 13.58

$1.03 ฿34.51

37.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$52.3 NOK 502

$13.89 ฿465

276.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.34 NOK 22.49

$1.34 ฿44.96

74.63%

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

$41.5K NOK 398.3K

$27.8K ฿929.6K

49.40%

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

$42.3K NOK 405.7K

$33.4K ฿1.1M

26.69%

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

$240 NOK 2,304

$123 ฿4,116

95.24%

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

$29.72 NOK 285

$13.77 ฿461

115.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.2 NOK 596

$18.33 ฿613

239.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.7 NOK 573

$60.7 ฿2,030

-1.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.10 NOK 337

$17.16 ฿574

104.55%

Cinema Ticket

$19.92 NOK 191

$8.87 ฿297

124.58%

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

$296 NOK 2,838

$688 ฿23.0K

-56.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.0K NOK 96.3K

$15.8K ฿527.8K

-36.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$138 NOK 1,320

$59.3 ฿1,984

131.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.5 NOK 494

$34.69 ฿1,160

48.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 NOK 1,224

$115 ฿3,853

10.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$196 NOK 1,884

$83.8 ฿2,802

134.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,191 NOK 11.4K

$621 ฿20.8K

91.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$888 NOK 8,516

$446 ฿14.9K

99.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,829 NOK 17.5K

$2,034 ฿68.0K

-10.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,523 NOK 14.6K

$1,496 ฿50.0K

1.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,119 NOK 77.9K

$3,455 ฿115.6K

134.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,411 NOK 42.3K

$2,531 ฿84.7K

74.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,292 NOK 50.8K

$494 ฿16.5K

972.10%

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: July 28, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,191 in Sandvika and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sandvika pays 972% 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: $95.0 in Sandvika vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $506 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

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 99% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 972% higher in Sandvika, 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: $1,191 in Sandvika versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $296 in Sandvika 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 74% higher in Sandvika. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $2,519 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 99% less than in Sandvika. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.