Cost of Living Comparison Between Karlstad and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Karlstad and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,787 per month in Karlstad vs $1,232 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,727 per month in Karlstad vs $2,054 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,666 per month in Karlstad vs $2,876 in Phuket, rent included.

Karlstad costs about 45% more than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Karlstad sits 31% above the global median, while Phuket is 10% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.27 SEK 150

$4.41 ฿147

246.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.9 SEK 797

$32.26 ฿1,077

150.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 SEK 102

$8.93 ฿298

16.24%

Cappuccino

$4.93 SEK 48.57

$2.90 ฿96.6

70.00%

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

$2.55 SEK 25.09

$0.88 ฿29.38

189.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 SEK 20.17

$0.48 ฿16.06

327.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.13 SEK 80.1

$2.35 ฿78.5

245.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.58 SEK 64.8

$3.72 ฿124

76.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 SEK 15.12

$1.87 ฿62.3

-18.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.88 SEK 28.38

$1.47 ฿48.94

95.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.70 SEK 36.51

$1.55 ฿51.8

138.71%

Eggs

$4.55 SEK 44.82

$2.10 ฿70.1

116.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.25 SEK 101

$19.59 ฿654

-47.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 SEK 142

$3.42 ฿114

321.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.10 SEK 178

$11.38 ฿380

59.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.00 SEK 29.58

$2.98 ฿99.6

0.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.70 SEK 26.58

$1.68 ฿56.2

60.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.14 SEK 30.90

$2.21 ฿73.7

42.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.50 SEK 54.2

$2.16 ฿72.1

154.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.80 SEK 17.78

$1.52 ฿50.9

18.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.74 SEK 17.13

$1.34 ฿44.67

29.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.70 SEK 26.63

$1.13 ฿37.67

138.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 SEK 13.23

$0.55 ฿18.24

143.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.08 SEK 69.8

$4.26 ฿142

66.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.15 SEK 100

$19.09 ฿637

-46.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 SEK 24.00

$1.78 ฿59.4

37.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 SEK 20.28

$2.78 ฿92.9

-25.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.26 SEK 32.12

$2.23 ฿74.4

46.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.4 SEK 802

$22.74 ฿759

258.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.65 SEK 55.7

$3.03 ฿101

86.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 SEK 13.30

$1.02 ฿34.15

32.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$63.5 SEK 626

$3.89 ฿130

1533.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.83 SEK 18.04

$1.49 ฿49.77

22.82%

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

$34.0K SEK 334.9K

$26.6K ฿887.3K

27.86%

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

$33.0K SEK 325.5K

$27.0K ฿902.2K

22.20%

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

$102 SEK 1,005

$102 ฿3,420

-0.51%

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

$18.84 SEK 186

$11.33 ฿378

66.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.60 SEK 440

$17.40 ฿581

156.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.80 SEK 461

$52.1 ฿1,738

-10.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 SEK 168

$11.07 ฿370

54.11%

Cinema Ticket

$14.73 SEK 145

$7.69 ฿257

91.55%

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

$132 SEK 1,298

$561 ฿18.7K

-76.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.2 SEK 918

$63.0 ฿2,104

47.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.89 SEK 403

$29.52 ฿986

38.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.5 SEK 744

$98.0 ฿3,272

-22.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$146 SEK 1,435

$88.5 ฿2,954

64.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$880 SEK 8,673

$738 ฿24.6K

19.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$596 SEK 5,873

$482 ฿16.1K

23.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,219 SEK 12.0K

$2,107 ฿70.3K

-42.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$861 SEK 8,485

$1,226 ฿40.9K

-29.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,869 SEK 38.1K

$3,617 ฿120.7K

6.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,857 SEK 28.2K

$2,603 ฿86.9K

9.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,074 SEK 30.3K

$494 ฿16.5K

522.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.94

5.57

-29.26%

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

Last update for Karlstad: September 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $880 in Karlstad versus $738 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 523% higher in Karlstad, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $81.0 in Karlstad versus $32.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $378 vs $274 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Karlstad vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Karlstad is pricier by about 45%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,681 per month in Karlstad and $1,847 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $81.0 in Karlstad and $32.00 in Phuket. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,787 in Karlstad and $1,232 in Phuket. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,232, than in Karlstad at $1,787. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Karlstad it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Phuket – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Karlstad makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.