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: $2,128 in Gothenburg versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,175 in Gothenburg versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,222 in Gothenburg versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Gothenburg is roughly 70% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Gothenburg is 55% above, Phuket is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.76 SEK 133

$4.56 ฿151

201.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.9 SEK 885

$32.62 ฿1,082

181.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.84 SEK 124

$8.90 ฿295

44.27%

Cappuccino

$5.06 SEK 48.77

$2.80 ฿93.0

80.71%

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

$2.94 SEK 28.33

$0.88 ฿29.19

234.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 SEK 21.08

$0.49 ฿16.23

346.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.18 SEK 69.2

$2.39 ฿79.2

200.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.86 SEK 75.7

$3.71 ฿123

111.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 SEK 17.30

$1.79 ฿59.3

0.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 SEK 26.68

$1.44 ฿47.81

92.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.17 SEK 30.49

$1.58 ฿52.6

100.63%

Eggs

$4.10 SEK 39.45

$2.13 ฿70.5

92.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.10 SEK 117

$19.92 ฿661

-39.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.67 SEK 112

$3.43 ฿114

240.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 SEK 171

$11.33 ฿376

56.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 SEK 31.09

$2.95 ฿97.8

9.49%

Banana (1kg)

$2.64 SEK 25.42

$1.72 ฿57.1

53.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.22 SEK 31.00

$2.32 ฿77.1

38.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.37 SEK 42.11

$2.08 ฿69.0

110.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 SEK 17.52

$1.47 ฿48.77

23.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.68 SEK 16.13

$1.36 ฿45.05

23.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 SEK 19.51

$1.10 ฿36.45

84.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 SEK 17.13

$0.57 ฿19.06

212.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.50 SEK 81.8

$4.27 ฿142

99.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.55 SEK 140

$18.42 ฿611

-21.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 SEK 21.16

$1.87 ฿62.1

17.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 SEK 22.91

$2.92 ฿96.9

-18.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.85 SEK 37.06

$2.22 ฿73.6

73.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.8 SEK 855

$22.90 ฿759

287.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.45 SEK 62.1

$3.03 ฿101

112.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.73 SEK 16.62

$1.07 ฿35.63

61.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.3 SEK 590

$3.93 ฿130

1458.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 SEK 18.34

$1.49 ฿49.49

27.52%

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

$34.0K SEK 327.1K

$27.1K ฿899.8K

25.18%

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

$34.4K SEK 330.9K

$27.5K ฿910.6K

25.16%

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

$110 SEK 1,060

$103 ฿3,410

7.02%

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

$19.66 SEK 189

$10.99 ฿365

78.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.30 SEK 350

$17.51 ฿581

107.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.94 SEK 365

$53.5 ฿1,776

-29.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.89 SEK 249

$11.20 ฿371

131.16%

Cinema Ticket

$19.34 SEK 186

$7.48 ฿248

158.56%

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

$230 SEK 2,212

$557 ฿18.5K

-58.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,554 SEK 43.9K

$11.9K ฿393.2K

-61.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.0 SEK 876

$64.1 ฿2,125

41.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.36 SEK 331

$29.07 ฿964

18.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 SEK 906

$96.0 ฿3,183

-2.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 SEK 1,303

$90.3 ฿2,997

49.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,061 SEK 10.2K

$730 ฿24.2K

45.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$961 SEK 9,255

$500 ฿16.6K

92.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,849 SEK 17.8K

$2,090 ฿69.3K

-11.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,440 SEK 13.9K

$1,209 ฿40.1K

19.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,496 SEK 62.6K

$3,596 ฿119.3K

80.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,613 SEK 34.8K

$2,512 ฿83.3K

43.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,639 SEK 35.0K

$503 ฿16.7K

622.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.06

5.57

-45.06%

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

Last update for Gothenburg: August 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,061 in Gothenburg and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 623% 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: $92.0 in Gothenburg vs $33.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $372 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

Gothenburg vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 70% 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.

Average pay runs 623% higher in Gothenburg, 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: $1,061 in Gothenburg versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $230 in Gothenburg 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 36% higher in Gothenburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,253 in Phuket versus $2,128 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 $1,253 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 70% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.