Cost of Living Comparison Between Gothenburg and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Gothenburg and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,058 in Gothenburg versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,193 in Gothenburg versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,328 in Gothenburg versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Gothenburg is roughly 63% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Gothenburg is 54% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.74 SEK 129

$4.70 ฿153

192.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.9 SEK 880

$45.37 ฿1,482

106.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.34 SEK 97.0

$8.43 ฿275

22.66%

Cappuccino

$4.73 SEK 44.40

$2.93 ฿95.6

61.43%

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

$2.97 SEK 27.84

$0.69 ฿22.40

330.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 SEK 23.76

$0.37 ฿11.99

583.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.26 SEK 68.1

$2.41 ฿78.6

201.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.72 SEK 72.4

$3.72 ฿122

107.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 SEK 15.75

$2.23 ฿72.9

-24.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.85 SEK 26.75

$1.83 ฿59.8

55.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.32 SEK 31.11

$2.17 ฿70.8

53.00%

Eggs

$4.65 SEK 43.63

$2.21 ฿72.3

110.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.80 SEK 111

$19.74 ฿645

-40.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.61 SEK 118

$3.63 ฿119

247.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.02 SEK 178

$13.53 ฿442

40.58%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 SEK 29.07

$3.28 ฿107

-5.49%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 SEK 25.67

$1.61 ฿52.6

70.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 SEK 27.25

$2.41 ฿78.6

20.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.18 SEK 39.16

$2.08 ฿68.1

100.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 SEK 15.58

$1.53 ฿49.93

8.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 SEK 17.34

$1.48 ฿48.36

25.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 SEK 21.33

$0.99 ฿32.29

129.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 SEK 14.53

$0.51 ฿16.67

203.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.82 SEK 73.3

$4.41 ฿144

77.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.32 SEK 144

$19.38 ฿633

-20.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 SEK 21.19

$1.78 ฿58.1

26.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 SEK 24.45

$2.71 ฿88.6

-3.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.80 SEK 35.63

$1.37 ฿44.79

177.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 SEK 831

$11.39 ฿372

678.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.11 SEK 94.8

$3.02 ฿98.6

234.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 SEK 15.56

$0.99 ฿32.48

67.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.7 SEK 579

$14.10 ฿461

337.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 SEK 17.73

$1.36 ฿44.51

38.97%

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

$32.0K SEK 300.4K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

13.58%

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

$34.5K SEK 323.3K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

4.76%

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

$138 SEK 1,299

$122 ฿3,975

13.77%

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

$24.95 SEK 234

$13.57 ฿443

83.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.25 SEK 359

$18.31 ฿598

108.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.78 SEK 392

$60.2 ฿1,967

-30.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.26 SEK 237

$17.14 ฿560

47.37%

Cinema Ticket

$17.98 SEK 169

$8.69 ฿284

106.90%

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

$175 SEK 1,646

$693 ฿22.6K

-74.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,215 SEK 39.5K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-73.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.6 SEK 822

$59.5 ฿1,944

47.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.28 SEK 378

$34.77 ฿1,136

15.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.9 SEK 909

$115 ฿3,743

-15.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$156 SEK 1,466

$83.3 ฿2,720

87.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,125 SEK 10.6K

$613 ฿20.0K

83.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$873 SEK 8,190

$437 ฿14.3K

99.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,917 SEK 18.0K

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-8.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,434 SEK 13.4K

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-5.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,696 SEK 62.8K

$3,749 ฿122.5K

78.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,764 SEK 35.3K

$2,616 ฿85.4K

43.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,953 SEK 37.1K

$508 ฿16.6K

678.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.33

5.33

-18.76%

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

Last update for Gothenburg: June 2, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,125 in Gothenburg and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 678% 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: $94.0 in Gothenburg vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $381 vs $293 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

Gothenburg vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 63% lower than in Gothenburg. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Gothenburg pays 678% more on average, 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: $1,125 in Gothenburg versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $175 in Gothenburg versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Gothenburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,058 in Gothenburg, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Gothenburg. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,265 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Gothenburg 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 63% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.