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: $2,802 in Sarpsborg versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,162 in Sarpsborg versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,521 in Sarpsborg versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Sarpsborg is roughly 128% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sarpsborg is 105% above, Phuket is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$40.12 NOK 378

$4.41 ฿147

809.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$107 NOK 1,010

$32.26 ฿1,077

232.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.57 NOK 184

$8.93 ฿298

119.15%

Cappuccino

$5.76 NOK 54.2

$2.90 ฿96.6

98.62%

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

$2.90 NOK 27.37

$0.88 ฿29.38

229.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 NOK 25.01

$0.48 ฿16.06

452.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.82 NOK 83.2

$2.35 ฿78.5

275.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.73 NOK 111

$3.72 ฿124

215.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 NOK 22.24

$1.87 ฿62.3

26.20%

White Bread (500g)

$3.30 NOK 31.09

$1.47 ฿48.94

124.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.76 NOK 35.40

$1.55 ฿51.8

142.58%

Eggs

$5.08 NOK 47.90

$2.10 ฿70.1

141.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.87 NOK 121

$19.59 ฿654

-34.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.59 NOK 147

$3.42 ฿114

355.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$29.86 NOK 281

$11.38 ฿380

162.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.49 NOK 32.90

$2.98 ฿99.6

17.11%

Banana (1kg)

$2.78 NOK 26.16

$1.68 ฿56.2

65.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.60 NOK 33.90

$2.21 ฿73.7

62.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 NOK 42.58

$2.16 ฿72.1

109.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.60 NOK 24.51

$1.52 ฿50.9

71.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.98 NOK 28.08

$1.34 ฿44.67

122.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.11 NOK 29.30

$1.13 ฿37.67

175.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 NOK 21.97

$0.55 ฿18.24

323.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.68 NOK 185

$4.26 ฿142

361.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.86 NOK 168

$19.09 ฿637

-6.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.61 NOK 34.03

$1.78 ฿59.4

102.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 NOK 40.74

$2.78 ฿92.9

55.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.70 NOK 25.46

$2.23 ฿74.4

21.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 NOK 732

$22.74 ฿759

241.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.98 NOK 104

$3.03 ฿101

262.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 NOK 18.39

$1.02 ฿34.15

91.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$73.9 NOK 696

$3.89 ฿130

1798.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 NOK 20.53

$1.49 ฿49.77

46.31%

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

$45.0K NOK 423.6K

$26.6K ฿887.3K

69.13%

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

$40.2K NOK 378.5K

$27.0K ฿902.2K

48.63%

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

$273 NOK 2,571

$102 ฿3,420

166.22%

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

$30.00 NOK 283

$11.33 ฿378

164.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.3 NOK 559

$17.40 ฿581

240.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.4 NOK 484

$52.1 ฿1,738

-1.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$32.10 NOK 302

$11.07 ฿370

189.97%

Cinema Ticket

$16.91 NOK 159

$7.69 ฿257

119.90%

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

$253 NOK 2,384

$561 ฿18.7K

-54.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K NOK 124.2K

$11.5K ฿384.1K

14.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.1 NOK 915

$63.0 ฿2,104

53.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.2 NOK 492

$29.52 ฿986

76.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 NOK 1,065

$98.0 ฿3,272

15.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$182 NOK 1,711

$88.5 ฿2,954

105.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,257 NOK 11.8K

$738 ฿24.6K

70.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,038 NOK 9,785

$482 ฿16.1K

115.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,609 NOK 15.2K

$2,107 ฿70.3K

-23.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,388 NOK 13.1K

$1,226 ฿40.9K

13.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,265 NOK 59.0K

$3,617 ฿120.7K

73.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,159 NOK 39.2K

$2,603 ฿86.9K

59.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,721 NOK 25.6K

$494 ฿16.5K

451.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.18

5.57

-7.00%

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

Last update for Sarpsborg: September 15, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,257 in Sarpsborg and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sarpsborg pays 451% 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: $107 in Sarpsborg vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $486 vs $274 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 128% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 451% higher in Sarpsborg, 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: $1,257 in Sarpsborg versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $253 in Sarpsborg versus $561 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 78% higher in Sarpsborg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,802 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 128% less than in Sarpsborg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.