Cost of Living Comparison Between Tonsberg and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Tonsberg and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,478 in Tonsberg versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,681 in Tonsberg versus $2,276 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,885 in Tonsberg versus $3,291 in Phuket.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Tonsberg is 85% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.36 NOK 243

$4.53 ฿153

459.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 NOK 980

$46.36 ฿1,565

120.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.89 NOK 133

$8.65 ฿292

60.58%

Cappuccino

$4.79 NOK 45.97

$3.09 ฿104

55.02%

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

$5.15 NOK 49.42

$0.68 ฿22.89

657.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 NOK 47.35

$0.37 ฿12.44

1235.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.96 NOK 95.5

$2.42 ฿81.6

311.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.66 NOK 92.6

$3.81 ฿129

153.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.21 NOK 21.15

$2.18 ฿73.5

1.38%

White Bread (500g)

$3.39 NOK 32.51

$1.82 ฿61.3

86.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.20 NOK 30.70

$2.18 ฿73.5

46.79%

Eggs

$4.33 NOK 41.49

$2.24 ฿75.4

93.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.95 NOK 115

$19.93 ฿673

-40.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.90 NOK 143

$3.64 ฿123

309.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.98 NOK 268

$13.56 ฿458

106.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.52 NOK 33.80

$3.29 ฿111

6.99%

Banana (1kg)

$2.41 NOK 23.09

$1.69 ฿56.9

42.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.25 NOK 31.20

$2.33 ฿78.8

39.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.41 NOK 42.26

$2.03 ฿68.4

117.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.45 NOK 23.46

$1.60 ฿54.0

53.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.47 NOK 23.66

$1.49 ฿50.5

65.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.74 NOK 26.24

$1.01 ฿34.17

171.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 NOK 18.33

$0.48 ฿16.09

297.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.95 NOK 143

$4.45 ฿150

235.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.33 NOK 185

$18.63 ฿629

3.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.41 NOK 32.66

$1.79 ฿60.3

90.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.13 NOK 39.62

$2.80 ฿94.4

47.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.18 NOK 40.06

$1.42 ฿47.90

194.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.3 NOK 694

$11.33 ฿382

538.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.16 NOK 97.5

$3.09 ฿104

228.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 NOK 13.42

$1.04 ฿35.19

34.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$47.45 NOK 455

$13.63 ฿460

248.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 NOK 20.14

$1.31 ฿44.23

60.31%

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

$34.8K NOK 334.2K

$27.3K ฿920.7K

27.75%

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

$38.7K NOK 371.6K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

16.63%

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

$237 NOK 2,272

$123 ฿4,157

92.37%

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

$37.87 NOK 363

$13.81 ฿466

174.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.3 NOK 521

$18.52 ฿625

193.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.98 NOK 479

$60.4 ฿2,037

-17.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.76 NOK 343

$16.80 ฿567

112.86%

Cinema Ticket

$16.26 NOK 156

$8.89 ฿300

82.90%

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

$285 NOK 2,734

$687 ฿23.2K

-58.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.0K NOK 96.1K

$15.6K ฿524.8K

-35.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.0 NOK 921

$57.6 ฿1,945

66.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.9 NOK 498

$34.66 ฿1,170

49.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 NOK 1,052

$115 ฿3,879

-4.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$152 NOK 1,462

$84.9 ฿2,865

79.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 NOK 11.8K

$618 ฿20.8K

98.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$935 NOK 8,966

$443 ฿15.0K

111.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,438 NOK 13.8K

$2,047 ฿69.1K

-29.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 NOK 11.5K

$1,506 ฿50.8K

-20.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,119 NOK 49.1K

$3,568 ฿120.4K

43.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,108 NOK 39.4K

$2,511 ฿84.7K

63.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,407 NOK 42.3K

$503 ฿17.0K

776.53%

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 Tonsberg: July 21, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,226 in Tonsberg and $618 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tonsberg pays 777% 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: $102 in Tonsberg vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $458 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

Tonsberg vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

Average pay runs 777% 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: $1,226 in Tonsberg versus $618 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $285 in Tonsberg versus $687 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 Tonsberg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $2,478 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 97% less than in Tonsberg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.