Cost of Living Comparison Between Tromso and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Tromso and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,965 in Tromso versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,410 in Tromso versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,854 in Tromso versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Tromso is roughly 137% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tromso is 122% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$33.12 NOK 319

$4.55 ฿153

627.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$121 NOK 1,163

$46.18 ฿1,554

161.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.95 NOK 144

$8.84 ฿298

69.12%

Cappuccino

$6.11 NOK 59.0

$3.06 ฿103

99.67%

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

$4.51 NOK 43.52

$0.73 ฿24.42

517.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 NOK 32.38

$0.40 ฿13.40

740.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.31 NOK 109

$2.43 ฿81.8

365.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.00 NOK 106

$3.78 ฿127

191.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.49 NOK 24.05

$2.26 ฿76.0

10.18%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 NOK 30.77

$1.81 ฿60.9

76.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.47 NOK 33.46

$2.25 ฿75.8

54.22%

Eggs

$4.86 NOK 46.89

$2.25 ฿75.6

116.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.61 NOK 112

$19.51 ฿656

-40.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.21 NOK 147

$3.65 ฿123

316.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$37.68 NOK 363

$13.05 ฿439

188.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.86 NOK 37.18

$3.23 ฿109

19.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.81 NOK 27.12

$1.62 ฿54.4

73.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.56 NOK 34.38

$2.38 ฿80.2

49.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.16 NOK 49.72

$2.03 ฿68.2

154.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.98 NOK 28.77

$1.53 ฿51.6

94.77%

Onion (1kg)

$3.56 NOK 34.33

$1.50 ฿50.5

137.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.68 NOK 25.87

$0.98 ฿32.93

173.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 NOK 16.90

$0.52 ฿17.40

236.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.11 NOK 146

$4.44 ฿149

240.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.35 NOK 177

$18.32 ฿616

0.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.64 NOK 35.06

$1.86 ฿62.7

95.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 NOK 43.83

$2.68 ฿90.2

69.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.69 NOK 45.20

$1.41 ฿47.49

232.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.5 NOK 574

$11.70 ฿394

408.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.71 NOK 123

$3.11 ฿105

308.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 NOK 10.48

$1.04 ฿35.08

4.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$50.8 NOK 490

$14.11 ฿475

259.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.23 NOK 21.54

$1.31 ฿44.13

70.23%

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

$33.1K NOK 319.0K

$27.8K ฿936.0K

18.92%

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

$36.6K NOK 352.8K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

10.13%

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

$252 NOK 2,428

$122 ฿4,120

105.64%

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

$47.54 NOK 458

$13.59 ฿457

249.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.9 NOK 732

$18.70 ฿629

305.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.75 NOK 460

$60.5 ฿2,035

-21.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.56 NOK 381

$16.98 ฿572

132.98%

Cinema Ticket

$16.45 NOK 159

$9.07 ฿305

81.37%

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

$334 NOK 3,216

$706 ฿23.8K

-52.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,348 NOK 70.9K

$15.8K ฿531.8K

-53.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.0 NOK 878

$58.6 ฿1,970

55.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.49 NOK 323

$35.36 ฿1,190

-5.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$134 NOK 1,288

$115 ฿3,885

15.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 NOK 1,279

$83.7 ฿2,818

58.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,352 NOK 13.0K

$626 ฿21.1K

116.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,258 NOK 12.1K

$445 ฿15.0K

182.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,549 NOK 24.6K

$2,040 ฿68.7K

24.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,815 NOK 17.5K

$1,492 ฿50.2K

21.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,817 NOK 85.0K

$3,483 ฿117.2K

153.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,188 NOK 50.0K

$2,577 ฿86.7K

101.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,066 NOK 39.2K

$500 ฿16.8K

713.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.27

5.33

-19.89%

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

Last update for Tromso: July 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,352 in Tromso and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tromso pays 714% 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: $121 in Tromso vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $502 vs $289 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

Tromso vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 137% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 714% higher in Tromso, 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: $1,352 in Tromso versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $334 in Tromso versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 74% higher in Tromso. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $2,965 in Tromso, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Tromso. 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 Tromso, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Tromso 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 137% less than in Tromso. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.