Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bålsta and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,563 in Bålsta, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Bålsta
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Bålsta Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index

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Bålsta

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,563

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bålsta 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 Bålsta and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,563 in Bålsta versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Bålsta $1,563
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Bålsta versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Bålsta $2,445
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,328 in Bålsta versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Bålsta $3,328
Phuket $3,154

Living in Bålsta is roughly 22% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bålsta is 15% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.67 SEK 136

$4.47 ฿151

205.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.8 SEK 663

$32.41 ฿1,094

106.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 SEK 87.4

$8.81 ฿297

-0.11%

Cappuccino

$3.95 SEK 39.26

$2.83 ฿95.5

39.58%

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

$2.68 SEK 26.63

$0.87 ฿29.43

208.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 SEK 22.25

$0.49 ฿16.67

357.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.16 SEK 71.1

$2.56 ฿86.4

179.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.96 SEK 69.1

$3.68 ฿124

89.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 SEK 14.79

$1.66 ฿56.0

-10.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.00 SEK 19.90

$1.46 ฿49.35

36.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.51 SEK 34.83

$1.50 ฿50.6

134.00%

Eggs

$3.71 SEK 36.89

$2.09 ฿70.5

77.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.01 SEK 109

$19.07 ฿644

-42.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.21 SEK 121

$3.30 ฿111

270.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.02 SEK 109

$10.91 ฿368

1.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.50 SEK 24.82

$2.93 ฿99.0

-14.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.60 SEK 25.85

$1.69 ฿57.1

53.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.07 SEK 20.56

$2.25 ฿75.8

-8.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.90 SEK 28.76

$2.08 ฿70.1

39.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.50 SEK 14.93

$1.51 ฿51.0

-0.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 SEK 11.72

$1.38 ฿46.56

-14.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 SEK 15.38

$1.07 ฿35.99

44.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 SEK 9.84

$0.52 ฿17.52

90.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.26 SEK 72.1

$4.20 ฿142

72.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 SEK 101

$18.79 ฿634

-45.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 SEK 15.25

$1.82 ฿61.5

-15.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 SEK 19.49

$2.84 ฿95.9

-30.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.28 SEK 32.56

$1.45 ฿49.03

126.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 SEK 785

$56.7 ฿1,913

39.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.03 SEK 59.9

$3.02 ฿102

99.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 SEK 15.34

$1.02 ฿34.36

50.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$77.4 SEK 769

$3.69 ฿125

1998.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 SEK 17.48

$1.47 ฿49.81

19.73%

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

$33.2K SEK 329.5K

$26.8K ฿904.3K

23.91%

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

$33.8K SEK 335.6K

$26.7K ฿901.3K

26.61%

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

$50.1 SEK 497

$96.4 ฿3,254

-48.04%

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

$20.16 SEK 200

$11.26 ฿380

79.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.59 SEK 393

$16.85 ฿569

134.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.16 SEK 369

$67.2 ฿2,270

-44.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.37 SEK 262

$10.73 ฿362

145.76%

Cinema Ticket

$12.93 SEK 128

$7.50 ฿253

72.40%

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

$121 SEK 1,203

$476 ฿16.1K

-74.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,046 SEK 50.1K

$11.3K ฿380.4K

-55.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.2 SEK 688

$62.4 ฿2,106

11.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$9.93 SEK 98.6

$28.41 ฿959

-65.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.0 SEK 804

$94.3 ฿3,184

-14.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 SEK 1,121

$85.8 ฿2,898

31.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 SEK 7,955

$716 ฿24.2K

11.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$610 SEK 6,054

$491 ฿16.6K

24.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,368 SEK 13.6K

$1,927 ฿65.1K

-29.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,030 SEK 10.2K

$1,431 ฿48.3K

-27.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,003 SEK 39.8K

$4,175 ฿141.0K

-4.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,823 SEK 28.0K

$3,045 ฿102.8K

-7.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,868 SEK 38.4K

$502 ฿17.0K

670.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.8

5.57

-49.73%

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

Last update for Bålsta: October 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bålsta

$610 39%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 19.5% $119

Groceries & Markets

Bålsta

$299 19.1%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 10.9% $33

Eating Out

Bålsta

$253 16.2%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 51.8% $131

Clothing & Footwear

Bålsta

$123 7.9%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 0.8% $1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bålsta

$110 7%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 13.4% $15

Getting Around

Bålsta

$106 6.8%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 33.4% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Bålsta

$63 4%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 30.5% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $801 in Bålsta and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bålsta pays about 7.7 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $67 in Bålsta vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $299 vs $266 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇪 Bålsta

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

00:45 12:45 AM

06:45 6:45 AM

6 h ahead of Bålsta

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,138

79,308

💱 Currency

Swedish Krona SEK kr

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 SEK = 10.07 USD

100 SEK = 9.05 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to SEK – Swedish Krona Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇪 Swedish Krona (kr)

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 9.93 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.06 SEK (100 SEK = 9.05 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to SEK in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Bålsta Phuket 8,740 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Bålsta
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

Bålsta vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 18% lower than in Bålsta. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Bålsta is about 7.7 times higher, 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: $801 in Bålsta versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,563 per month in Bålsta versus $1,278 in Phuket – Phuket is about 18% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 28% less than in Bålsta. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,563 in Bålsta, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Bålsta. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Bålsta and Phuket are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Bålsta. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.