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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,842 per month in Kiruna vs $1,261 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,005 per month in Kiruna vs $2,078 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,169 per month in Kiruna vs $2,896 in Phuket, rent included.

Kiruna costs about 46% more than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Kiruna sits 34% above the global median, while Phuket is 8% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.62 SEK 139

$4.43 ฿145

230.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$132 SEK 1,249

$35.07 ฿1,151

275.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 SEK 98.0

$8.96 ฿294

15.51%

Cappuccino

$4.73 SEK 44.79

$3.00 ฿98.4

57.67%

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

$2.69 SEK 25.52

$0.77 ฿25.33

249.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 SEK 20.72

$0.47 ฿15.44

365.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.08 SEK 95.5

$2.40 ฿78.6

320.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.70 SEK 63.5

$3.75 ฿123

78.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 SEK 16.32

$1.82 ฿59.8

-5.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 SEK 28.15

$1.42 ฿46.65

109.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.76 SEK 35.67

$1.55 ฿50.8

142.58%

Eggs

$4.42 SEK 41.91

$2.13 ฿69.9

107.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.61 SEK 119

$19.76 ฿648

-36.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.69 SEK 120

$3.48 ฿114

264.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.90 SEK 179

$11.09 ฿364

70.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 SEK 29.92

$2.91 ฿95.5

8.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.69 SEK 25.48

$1.66 ฿54.6

62.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.09 SEK 29.24

$2.27 ฿74.5

36.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.37 SEK 41.39

$2.10 ฿68.8

108.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.60 SEK 15.18

$1.47 ฿48.24

8.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.68 SEK 15.92

$1.41 ฿46.29

19.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.35 SEK 22.26

$1.09 ฿35.78

115.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 SEK 14.15

$0.54 ฿17.58

175.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.78 SEK 73.7

$4.48 ฿147

73.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 SEK 98.5

$18.72 ฿614

-44.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 SEK 19.11

$1.84 ฿60.4

9.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 SEK 22.62

$2.95 ฿96.7

-18.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.49 SEK 33.09

$2.26 ฿74.1

54.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.2 SEK 779

$23.07 ฿757

256.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.04 SEK 57.2

$3.04 ฿99.9

98.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 SEK 16.34

$1.09 ฿35.82

57.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.8 SEK 585

$3.82 ฿125

1516.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 SEK 21.60

$1.49 ฿48.79

53.02%

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

$34.0K SEK 322.6K

$27.4K ฿900.3K

24.09%

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

$35.1K SEK 332.7K

$27.5K ฿902.7K

27.60%

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

$112 SEK 1,060

$102 ฿3,340

9.86%

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

$27.08 SEK 257

$11.28 ฿370

140.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.50 SEK 384

$17.75 ฿582

128.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.82 SEK 368

$54.2 ฿1,777

-28.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.04 SEK 256

$10.96 ฿360

146.72%

Cinema Ticket

$16.68 SEK 158

$7.85 ฿258

112.48%

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

$164 SEK 1,553

$577 ฿18.9K

-71.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,163 SEK 48.9K

$11.6K ฿381.6K

-55.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.3 SEK 903

$65.4 ฿2,144

45.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.06 SEK 417

$28.89 ฿948

52.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 SEK 937

$99.1 ฿3,250

-0.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$147 SEK 1,394

$90.3 ฿2,961

63.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$859 SEK 8,135

$756 ฿24.8K

13.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 SEK 5,879

$487 ฿16.0K

27.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,424 SEK 13.5K

$2,085 ฿68.4K

-31.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,143 SEK 10.8K

$1,207 ฿39.6K

-5.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,208 SEK 39.9K

$3,591 ฿117.8K

17.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,904 SEK 27.5K

$2,610 ฿85.6K

11.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,449 SEK 32.7K

$502 ฿16.5K

586.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-28.19%

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

Last update for Kiruna: August 18, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 18, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $859 in Kiruna versus $756 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 587% 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 $132 in Kiruna versus $35.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $375 vs $272 – 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: $1,842 in Kiruna, $1,261 in Phuket – roughly 46% apart. Kiruna costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,763 per month in Kiruna and $1,891 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 38% 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 $132 in Kiruna and $35.00 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 $1,261, than in Kiruna at $1,842. 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 $1,261 in Phuket to $1,842 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.