Cost of Living Comparison Between Kiruna and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Kiruna and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,965 per month in Kiruna vs $1,270 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,097 per month in Kiruna vs $2,304 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,229 per month in Kiruna vs $3,339 in Phuket, rent included.

Kiruna costs about 55% more than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Kiruna sits 47% above the global median, while Phuket is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.70 SEK 117

$4.66 ฿150

172.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.3 SEK 877

$46.44 ฿1,496

105.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.95 SEK 110

$8.68 ฿280

37.67%

Cappuccino

$4.72 SEK 43.42

$2.95 ฿95.0

60.00%

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

$2.07 SEK 19.06

$0.70 ฿22.52

195.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 SEK 9.44

$0.39 ฿12.70

164.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.34 SEK 76.8

$2.53 ฿81.6

229.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 SEK 62.4

$3.78 ฿122

79.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 SEK 17.24

$2.22 ฿71.5

-15.77%

White Bread (500g)

$3.50 SEK 32.18

$1.80 ฿57.8

94.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.13 SEK 47.17

$2.19 ฿70.4

134.25%

Eggs

$4.83 SEK 44.43

$2.31 ฿74.5

109.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.75 SEK 117

$19.34 ฿623

-34.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.04 SEK 129

$3.77 ฿121

272.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.56 SEK 254

$13.22 ฿426

108.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.59 SEK 23.79

$3.33 ฿107

-22.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.81 SEK 25.89

$1.65 ฿53.1

70.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.54 SEK 23.35

$2.29 ฿73.7

10.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.39 SEK 40.40

$1.99 ฿64.1

120.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 SEK 19.74

$1.53 ฿49.24

40.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 SEK 15.35

$1.51 ฿48.77

10.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.42 SEK 31.51

$1.03 ฿33.12

232.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 SEK 13.32

$0.51 ฿16.57

184.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.38 SEK 67.9

$4.41 ฿142

67.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.96 SEK 101

$19.41 ฿625

-43.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 SEK 16.66

$1.80 ฿58.0

0.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 SEK 16.60

$2.68 ฿86.4

-32.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.32 SEK 30.52

$1.43 ฿46.11

132.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 SEK 668

$11.70 ฿377

520.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.41 SEK 86.6

$3.04 ฿97.9

209.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 SEK 14.64

$1.04 ฿33.37

52.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$72.9 SEK 671

$13.68 ฿441

432.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 SEK 17.96

$1.30 ฿41.85

50.00%

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

$32.6K SEK 299.5K

$27.9K ฿898.9K

16.70%

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

$35.5K SEK 326.3K

$33.0K ฿1.1M

7.35%

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

$173 SEK 1,593

$123 ฿3,962

40.85%

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

$32.32 SEK 297

$13.82 ฿445

133.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.23 SEK 260

$18.86 ฿608

49.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.19 SEK 434

$61.2 ฿1,970

-22.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.12 SEK 231

$16.81 ฿541

49.43%

Cinema Ticket

$13.75 SEK 127

$8.87 ฿286

55.02%

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

$163 SEK 1,503

$696 ฿22.4K

-76.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,172 SEK 38.4K

$16.1K ฿517.4K

-74.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$128 SEK 1,174

$59.3 ฿1,910

115.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.89 SEK 312

$34.85 ฿1,123

-2.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 SEK 1,182

$113 ฿3,646

13.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$172 SEK 1,582

$85.1 ฿2,740

102.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$823 SEK 7,570

$615 ฿19.8K

33.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$638 SEK 5,874

$448 ฿14.4K

42.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,441 SEK 13.3K

$2,085 ฿67.2K

-30.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,175 SEK 10.8K

$1,496 ฿48.2K

-21.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,150 SEK 38.2K

$3,734 ฿120.3K

11.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,052 SEK 28.1K

$2,662 ฿85.8K

14.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,601 SEK 33.1K

$534 ฿17.2K

574.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-24.95%

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

Last update for Kiruna: April 21, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $823 in Kiruna versus $615 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 575% higher in Kiruna, 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 $95 in Kiruna versus $46 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $422 vs $291 – 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

Kiruna vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,965 in Kiruna, $1,270 in Phuket – roughly 55% apart. Kiruna costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,947 per month in Kiruna and $1,904 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.

Groceries cost about 45% more in Kiruna, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $95.0 in Kiruna and $46.00 in Phuket. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,270, than in Kiruna at $1,965. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kiruna it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,270 in Phuket to $1,965 in Kiruna. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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, Kiruna makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.