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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,767 per month in Karlstad vs $1,232 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,725 per month in Karlstad vs $2,255 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,683 per month in Karlstad vs $3,279 in Phuket, rent included.

Karlstad costs about 43% more than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Karlstad sits 32% above the global median, while Phuket is 8% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.54 SEK 144

$4.63 ฿151

235.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.2 SEK 623

$46.84 ฿1,523

43.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.96 SEK 102

$8.84 ฿287

23.98%

Cappuccino

$4.81 SEK 44.62

$3.00 ฿97.4

60.33%

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

$2.57 SEK 23.79

$0.74 ฿24.11

247.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 SEK 19.66

$0.37 ฿11.88

472.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.27 SEK 76.7

$2.44 ฿79.3

238.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.20 SEK 76.0

$3.61 ฿117

127.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 SEK 13.07

$2.26 ฿73.5

-37.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.85 SEK 26.43

$1.84 ฿59.8

54.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.79 SEK 35.12

$2.24 ฿73.0

69.20%

Eggs

$4.86 SEK 45.02

$2.32 ฿75.3

109.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.00 SEK 111

$19.67 ฿639

-38.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.92 SEK 129

$3.65 ฿119

281.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.02 SEK 158

$13.10 ฿426

29.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 SEK 28.64

$3.39 ฿110

-8.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.55 SEK 23.67

$1.64 ฿53.4

55.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 SEK 30.20

$2.41 ฿78.5

35.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.99 SEK 46.22

$2.03 ฿66.0

145.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.58 SEK 14.69

$1.56 ฿50.6

1.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.74 SEK 16.10

$1.50 ฿48.66

16.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.62 SEK 24.29

$1.02 ฿33.30

156.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 SEK 11.80

$0.49 ฿15.91

159.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.25 SEK 67.2

$4.45 ฿145

62.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.87 SEK 101

$18.88 ฿614

-42.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 SEK 16.28

$1.78 ฿57.7

-1.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 SEK 15.88

$2.75 ฿89.5

-37.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.20 SEK 29.63

$1.40 ฿45.54

128.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.0 SEK 788

$11.48 ฿373

640.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.69 SEK 52.7

$3.12 ฿101

82.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 SEK 12.61

$1.00 ฿32.48

36.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$64.2 SEK 595

$14.09 ฿458

355.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 SEK 18.67

$1.35 ฿43.93

48.89%

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

$32.0K SEK 296.4K

$27.2K ฿883.7K

17.63%

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

$34.0K SEK 315.0K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

3.22%

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

$108 SEK 1,001

$125 ฿4,063

-13.59%

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

$29.61 SEK 274

$13.57 ฿441

118.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.92 SEK 398

$18.52 ฿602

131.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.25 SEK 429

$61.5 ฿1,999

-24.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.56 SEK 163

$16.84 ฿547

4.28%

Cinema Ticket

$14.65 SEK 136

$9.19 ฿299

59.41%

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

$150 SEK 1,389

$698 ฿22.7K

-78.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,178 SEK 29.5K

$15.6K ฿506.9K

-79.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.7 SEK 804

$57.8 ฿1,878

50.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 SEK 390

$35.24 ฿1,146

19.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.7 SEK 748

$113 ฿3,677

-28.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$147 SEK 1,363

$86.4 ฿2,808

70.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,046 SEK 9,695

$616 ฿20.0K

69.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$572 SEK 5,303

$446 ฿14.5K

28.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,240 SEK 11.5K

$2,048 ฿66.6K

-39.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$882 SEK 8,172

$1,492 ฿48.5K

-40.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿122.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,375 SEK 31.3K

$524 ฿17.0K

544.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.8

5.33

-9.94%

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

Last update for Karlstad: April 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,046 in Karlstad versus $616 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 544% 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 $67.0 in Karlstad versus $47.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $371 vs $292 – 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 43%, 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 $2,651 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 $67.0 in Karlstad and $47.00 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 $1,767 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 $1,767. 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.