Cost of Living Comparison Between Trondheim and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Trondheim and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,009 in Trondheim versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,335 in Trondheim versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,661 in Trondheim versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Trondheim is roughly 144% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Trondheim is 120% above, Phuket is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.98 NOK 198

$4.41 ฿147

375.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$110 NOK 1,036

$32.26 ฿1,077

240.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.84 NOK 149

$8.93 ฿298

77.38%

Cappuccino

$5.62 NOK 52.9

$2.90 ฿96.6

93.79%

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

$5.77 NOK 54.4

$0.88 ฿29.38

555.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 NOK 41.15

$0.48 ฿16.06

810.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.62 NOK 128

$2.35 ฿78.5

479.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.21 NOK 124

$3.72 ฿124

255.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.59 NOK 24.38

$1.87 ฿62.3

38.50%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 NOK 33.49

$1.47 ฿48.94

141.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.90 NOK 36.79

$1.55 ฿51.8

151.61%

Eggs

$4.88 NOK 46.01

$2.10 ฿70.1

132.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 NOK 127

$19.59 ฿654

-31.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.46 NOK 155

$3.42 ฿114

381.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$32.40 NOK 305

$11.38 ฿380

184.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.89 NOK 36.66

$2.98 ฿99.6

30.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.94 NOK 27.67

$1.68 ฿56.2

75.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.00 NOK 37.69

$2.21 ฿73.7

81.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.77 NOK 54.3

$2.16 ฿72.1

167.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.89 NOK 27.23

$1.52 ฿50.9

90.13%

Onion (1kg)

$3.14 NOK 29.57

$1.34 ฿44.67

134.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 NOK 27.07

$1.13 ฿37.67

153.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 NOK 21.23

$0.55 ฿18.24

309.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.01 NOK 170

$4.26 ฿142

322.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.22 NOK 181

$19.09 ฿637

0.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.54 NOK 33.33

$1.78 ฿59.4

98.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 NOK 44.19

$2.78 ฿92.9

68.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.88 NOK 46.00

$2.23 ฿74.4

118.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$102 NOK 963

$22.74 ฿759

349.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.49 NOK 89.4

$3.03 ฿101

213.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 NOK 15.15

$1.02 ฿34.15

57.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.3 NOK 577

$3.89 ฿130

1474.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.38 NOK 22.41

$1.49 ฿49.77

59.73%

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

$47.1K NOK 444.0K

$26.6K ฿887.3K

77.26%

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

$46.4K NOK 437.1K

$27.0K ฿902.2K

71.64%

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

$282 NOK 2,655

$102 ฿3,420

175.01%

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

$36.46 NOK 344

$11.33 ฿378

221.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$83.6 NOK 787

$17.40 ฿581

380.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.16 NOK 416

$52.1 ฿1,738

-15.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.28 NOK 389

$11.07 ฿370

272.90%

Cinema Ticket

$21.08 NOK 199

$7.69 ฿257

174.12%

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

$304 NOK 2,861

$561 ฿18.7K

-45.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,455 NOK 42.0K

$11.5K ฿384.1K

-61.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$110 NOK 1,040

$63.0 ฿2,104

75.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.7 NOK 496

$29.52 ฿986

78.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 NOK 1,172

$98.0 ฿3,272

26.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$158 NOK 1,485

$88.5 ฿2,954

78.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 NOK 14.1K

$738 ฿24.6K

102.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 NOK 11.6K

$482 ฿16.1K

156.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,253 NOK 21.2K

$2,107 ฿70.3K

6.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,690 NOK 15.9K

$1,226 ฿40.9K

37.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,555 NOK 61.8K

$3,617 ฿120.7K

81.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,105 NOK 48.1K

$2,603 ฿86.9K

96.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,338 NOK 40.9K

$494 ฿16.5K

778.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.32

5.57

-4.49%

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

Last update for Trondheim: September 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,496 in Trondheim and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Trondheim pays 779% 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: $110 in Trondheim vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $517 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

Trondheim 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 144% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 779% higher in Trondheim, 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: $1,496 in Trondheim versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $304 in Trondheim 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 89% higher in Trondheim. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $3,009 in Trondheim, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Trondheim. 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 Trondheim, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Trondheim 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 144% less than in Trondheim. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.