Cost of Living Comparison Between Sarpsborg and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Sarpsborg and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,496 in Sarpsborg versus $1,270 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,763 in Sarpsborg versus $2,304 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,030 in Sarpsborg versus $3,339 in Phuket.

Living in Sarpsborg is roughly 97% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sarpsborg is 86% above, Phuket is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$38.11 NOK 354

$4.66 ฿150

717.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.2 NOK 885

$46.44 ฿1,496

104.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.27 NOK 170

$8.68 ฿280

110.48%

Cappuccino

$5.25 NOK 48.85

$2.95 ฿95.0

77.97%

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

$2.74 NOK 25.44

$0.70 ฿22.52

291.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 NOK 23.79

$0.39 ฿12.70

556.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.24 NOK 58.1

$2.53 ฿81.6

146.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.89 NOK 73.4

$3.78 ฿122

108.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 NOK 20.61

$2.22 ฿71.5

White Bread (500g)

$3.28 NOK 30.50

$1.80 ฿57.8

82.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.32 NOK 30.86

$2.19 ฿70.4

51.60%

Eggs

$4.43 NOK 41.21

$2.31 ฿74.5

91.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.12 NOK 113

$19.34 ฿623

-37.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.90 NOK 139

$3.77 ฿121

295.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.08 NOK 261

$13.22 ฿426

112.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.48 NOK 32.38

$3.33 ฿107

4.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.48 NOK 23.07

$1.65 ฿53.1

50.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.41 NOK 31.71

$2.29 ฿73.7

48.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.38 NOK 40.76

$1.99 ฿64.1

120.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.45 NOK 22.76

$1.53 ฿49.24

60.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 NOK 23.62

$1.51 ฿48.77

68.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.75 NOK 25.59

$1.03 ฿33.12

166.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 NOK 17.86

$0.51 ฿16.57

276.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.92 NOK 139

$4.41 ฿142

238.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.21 NOK 179

$19.41 ฿625

-1.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.34 NOK 31.03

$1.80 ฿58.0

85.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 NOK 37.91

$2.68 ฿86.4

52.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.49 NOK 23.17

$1.43 ฿46.11

74.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.4 NOK 691

$11.70 ฿377

535.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.19 NOK 94.8

$3.04 ฿97.9

235.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 NOK 12.92

$1.04 ฿33.37

33.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$47.55 NOK 442

$13.68 ฿441

247.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.03 NOK 18.89

$1.30 ฿41.85

56.15%

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

$35.1K NOK 326.0K

$27.9K ฿898.9K

25.64%

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

$38.2K NOK 354.9K

$33.0K ฿1.1M

15.52%

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

$240 NOK 2,232

$123 ฿3,962

95.21%

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

$37.83 NOK 352

$13.82 ฿445

173.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.0 NOK 521

$18.86 ฿608

197.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.58 NOK 461

$61.2 ฿1,970

-18.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.07 NOK 335

$16.81 ฿541

114.57%

Cinema Ticket

$16.71 NOK 155

$8.87 ฿286

88.39%

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

$279 NOK 2,593

$696 ฿22.4K

-59.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K NOK 93.6K

$16.1K ฿517.4K

-37.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.6 NOK 898

$59.3 ฿1,910

62.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.3 NOK 477

$34.85 ฿1,123

47.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 NOK 1,003

$113 ฿3,646

-4.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$154 NOK 1,437

$85.1 ฿2,740

81.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 NOK 11.4K

$615 ฿19.8K

98.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$904 NOK 8,404

$448 ฿14.4K

101.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,514 NOK 14.1K

$2,085 ฿67.2K

-27.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,342 NOK 12.5K

$1,496 ฿48.2K

-10.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,929 NOK 64.4K

$3,734 ฿120.3K

85.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,477 NOK 41.6K

$2,662 ฿85.8K

68.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$534 ฿17.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.38

5.33

-17.82%

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

Last update for Sarpsborg: April 20, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,222 in Sarpsborg and $615 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $95 in Sarpsborg vs $46 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $459 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

Sarpsborg vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 97% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,744 in Sarpsborg and $1,904 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,222 in Sarpsborg versus $615 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $279 in Sarpsborg versus $696 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 57% higher in Sarpsborg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,270 in Phuket versus $2,496 in Sarpsborg, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Sarpsborg. 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 Sarpsborg, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Sarpsborg 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 97% less than in Sarpsborg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.