Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tonsberg and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,208 a month against $2,630 in Tonsberg, rent and utilities included – about $17,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

127

Cost of Living Index in Tonsberg
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Tonsberg Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Tonsberg

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,630

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tonsberg and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Tonsberg and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,630 in Tonsberg versus $1,208 in Phuket.

Tonsberg $2,630
Phuket $1,208

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,815 in Tonsberg versus $2,027 in Phuket.

Tonsberg $3,815
Phuket $2,027

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,000 in Tonsberg versus $2,845 in Phuket.

Tonsberg $5,000
Phuket $2,845

Living in Tonsberg is roughly 118% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tonsberg is 94% above, Phuket is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.94 NOK 197

$4.40 ฿147

375.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$105 NOK 991

$32.26 ฿1,078

226.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.53 NOK 146

$8.76 ฿293

77.28%

Cappuccino

$5.45 NOK 51.3

$2.83 ฿94.5

92.58%

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

$5.61 NOK 52.8

$0.90 ฿30.14

523.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.37 NOK 50.6

$0.47 ฿15.56

1042.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.46 NOK 108

$2.55 ฿85.2

349.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.27 NOK 96.7

$3.83 ฿128

168.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.47 NOK 23.28

$1.73 ฿57.7

42.77%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 NOK 35.01

$1.47 ฿49.11

153.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.85 NOK 36.24

$1.51 ฿50.6

154.97%

Eggs

$4.86 NOK 45.78

$2.17 ฿72.7

123.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.96 NOK 122

$19.70 ฿658

-34.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.73 NOK 148

$3.34 ฿112

370.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$31.41 NOK 296

$11.16 ฿373

181.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.22 NOK 30.33

$2.85 ฿95.1

12.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.57 NOK 24.20

$1.70 ฿56.9

51.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.38 NOK 31.79

$2.19 ฿73.3

54.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.78 NOK 45.04

$2.05 ฿68.4

133.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.52 NOK 23.75

$1.45 ฿48.57

73.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.79 NOK 26.26

$1.38 ฿46.16

102.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.93 NOK 27.54

$1.07 ฿35.69

173.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 NOK 22.15

$0.51 ฿16.91

360.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.24 NOK 162

$4.26 ฿142

304.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.69 NOK 157

$18.58 ฿621

-10.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.49 NOK 32.82

$1.78 ฿59.7

96.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.14 NOK 38.94

$2.85 ฿95.2

45.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.55 NOK 42.80

$2.26 ฿75.6

101.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.5 NOK 795

$22.10 ฿738

282.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$11.70 NOK 110

$3.01 ฿101

288.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 NOK 16.77

$1.06 ฿35.34

67.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$70.5 NOK 664

$3.86 ฿129

1726.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.35 NOK 22.13

$1.45 ฿48.45

62.07%

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

$47.7K NOK 448.8K

$26.3K ฿879.9K

81.10%

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

$43.9K NOK 413.4K

$26.9K ฿900.4K

63.01%

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

$267 NOK 2,513

$96.4 ฿3,221

176.97%

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

$33.09 NOK 312

$11.04 ฿369

199.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.8 NOK 506

$17.14 ฿573

213.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.11 NOK 462

$52.2 ฿1,744

-5.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.03 NOK 349

$11.16 ฿373

231.81%

Cinema Ticket

$17.21 NOK 162

$7.81 ฿261

120.36%

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

$238 NOK 2,236

$556 ฿18.6K

-57.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K NOK 120.8K

$11.6K ฿387.0K

10.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.7 NOK 938

$64.2 ฿2,146

55.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 NOK 525

$28.69 ฿959

94.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 NOK 1,159

$95.4 ฿3,187

29.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$156 NOK 1,469

$88.0 ฿2,940

77.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,187 NOK 11.2K

$737 ฿24.6K

60.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$983 NOK 9,254

$462 ฿15.5K

112.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,474 NOK 13.9K

$2,095 ฿70.0K

-29.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,277 NOK 12.0K

$1,201 ฿40.1K

6.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,073 NOK 57.2K

$3,488 ฿116.6K

74.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,046 NOK 38.1K

$2,523 ฿84.3K

60.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,435 NOK 41.7K

$501 ฿16.7K

785.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.94

5.57

-11.31%

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

Last update for Tonsberg: October 18, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Tonsberg

$983 37.4%

Phuket

$462 38.3% 53% $521

Groceries & Markets

Tonsberg

$490 18.6%

Phuket

$269 22.2% 45.1% $221

Eating Out

Tonsberg

$401 15.3%

Phuket

$121 10% 69.8% $280

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tonsberg

$354 13.5%

Phuket

$125 10.3% 64.8% $229

Clothing & Footwear

Tonsberg

$196 7.4%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 36.5% $71

Getting Around

Tonsberg

$123 4.7%

Phuket

$39 3.3% 68% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Tonsberg

$84 3.2%

Phuket

$68 5.6% 18.8% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,187 in Tonsberg and $737 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tonsberg pays 786% 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: $105 in Tonsberg vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $490 vs $269 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇴 Tonsberg

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

02:37 2:37 AM

07:37 7:37 AM

5 h ahead of Tonsberg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

59,237

79,308

💱 Currency

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 NOK = 10.62 USD

100 NOK = 9.45 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to NOK – Norwegian Krone Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇴 Norwegian Krone (kr)

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 9.41 NOK (1 NOK = 0.106 USD). 1 EUR = 10.58 NOK (100 NOK = 9.45 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to NOK in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Tonsberg Phuket 9,150 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Tonsberg
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Tonsberg vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 118% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 786% higher in Tonsberg, 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: $1,187 in Tonsberg versus $737 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $238 in Tonsberg versus $556 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 82% higher in Tonsberg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,208 in Phuket versus $2,630 in Tonsberg, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Tonsberg. 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 Tonsberg, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Tonsberg 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 118% less than in Tonsberg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.