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: $2,702 in Tonsberg versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,937 in Tonsberg versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,172 in Tonsberg versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Tonsberg is roughly 116% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tonsberg is 97% above, Phuket is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.99 NOK 195

$4.56 ฿150

360.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$107 NOK 997

$32.62 ฿1,072

228.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.96 NOK 148

$8.90 ฿293

79.33%

Cappuccino

$5.55 NOK 51.6

$2.80 ฿92.2

98.21%

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

$5.73 NOK 53.3

$0.88 ฿28.93

551.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.43 NOK 50.5

$0.49 ฿16.08

1008.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.96 NOK 111

$2.39 ฿78.5

400.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.77 NOK 100

$3.71 ฿122

190.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.28 NOK 21.21

$1.79 ฿58.7

27.37%

White Bread (500g)

$3.58 NOK 33.33

$1.44 ฿47.38

148.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.42 NOK 41.17

$1.58 ฿52.1

179.75%

Eggs

$4.87 NOK 45.36

$2.13 ฿69.9

128.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.56 NOK 108

$19.92 ฿655

-41.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.09 NOK 140

$3.43 ฿113

339.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$33.62 NOK 313

$11.33 ฿372

196.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 NOK 28.19

$2.95 ฿96.9

2.71%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 NOK 21.87

$1.72 ฿56.6

36.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.05 NOK 28.39

$2.32 ฿76.4

31.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.70 NOK 53.0

$2.08 ฿68.4

174.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 NOK 23.76

$1.47 ฿48.33

73.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.87 NOK 26.73

$1.36 ฿44.64

111.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.02 NOK 28.14

$1.10 ฿36.12

174.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.08 NOK 19.40

$0.57 ฿18.89

264.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.36 NOK 152

$4.27 ฿140

283.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.07 NOK 177

$18.42 ฿605

3.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.70 NOK 34.44

$1.87 ฿61.5

97.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 NOK 38.15

$2.92 ฿96.0

40.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.92 NOK 45.82

$2.22 ฿72.9

121.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.9 NOK 790

$22.90 ฿753

270.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.44 NOK 97.1

$3.03 ฿99.6

244.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 NOK 16.28

$1.07 ฿35.31

63.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$77.6 NOK 722

$3.93 ฿129

1873.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.63 NOK 24.45

$1.49 ฿49.04

76.51%

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

$46.2K NOK 430.4K

$27.1K ฿891.7K

70.47%

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

$40.9K NOK 381.0K

$27.5K ฿902.3K

49.16%

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

$278 NOK 2,584

$103 ฿3,379

170.08%

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

$32.56 NOK 303

$10.99 ฿361

196.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.9 NOK 520

$17.51 ฿576

219.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.71 NOK 453

$53.5 ฿1,760

-9.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.76 NOK 398

$11.20 ฿368

281.79%

Cinema Ticket

$18.06 NOK 168

$7.48 ฿246

141.44%

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

$233 NOK 2,170

$557 ฿18.3K

-58.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K NOK 107.2K

$11.9K ฿389.6K

-2.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.0 NOK 837

$64.1 ฿2,106

40.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.5 NOK 582

$29.07 ฿956

115.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$144 NOK 1,338

$96.0 ฿3,154

49.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 NOK 1,341

$90.3 ฿2,970

59.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,239 NOK 11.5K

$730 ฿24.0K

69.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$995 NOK 9,258

$500 ฿16.4K

99.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 NOK 14.1K

$2,090 ฿68.7K

-27.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,285 NOK 12.0K

$1,209 ฿39.7K

6.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,490 NOK 60.4K

$3,596 ฿118.2K

80.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,779 NOK 44.5K

$2,512 ฿82.6K

90.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,667 NOK 43.4K

$503 ฿16.5K

827.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.96

5.57

-10.95%

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

Last update for Tonsberg: August 29, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,239 in Tonsberg and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tonsberg pays 827% 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 Tonsberg vs $33.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $492 vs $273 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 116% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 827% 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: $1,239 in Tonsberg versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $233 in Tonsberg versus $557 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 80% higher in Tonsberg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,253 in Phuket versus $2,702 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 116% less than in Tonsberg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.