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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,926 per month in Kiruna vs $1,265 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,099 per month in Kiruna vs $2,297 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,272 per month in Kiruna vs $3,329 in Phuket, rent included.

Kiruna costs about 52% more than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Kiruna sits 44% above the global median, while Phuket is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.75 SEK 121

$4.70 ฿154

171.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.7 SEK 915

$45.37 ฿1,489

113.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 SEK 112

$8.43 ฿277

39.86%

Cappuccino

$4.64 SEK 43.94

$2.93 ฿96.1

58.36%

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

$2.07 SEK 19.61

$0.69 ฿22.50

200.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 SEK 10.03

$0.37 ฿12.04

186.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.50 SEK 80.4

$2.41 ฿79.0

252.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.87 SEK 65.0

$3.72 ฿122

84.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 SEK 18.28

$2.23 ฿73.3

-13.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.54 SEK 33.48

$1.83 ฿60.1

93.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.97 SEK 47.05

$2.17 ฿71.1

129.03%

Eggs

$4.91 SEK 46.42

$2.21 ฿72.6

122.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 SEK 125

$19.74 ฿648

-32.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.78 SEK 130

$3.63 ฿119

279.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.10 SEK 266

$13.53 ฿444

107.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.59 SEK 24.51

$3.28 ฿108

-21.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.72 SEK 25.75

$1.61 ฿52.9

68.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 SEK 24.77

$2.41 ฿79.0

8.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.31 SEK 40.75

$2.08 ฿68.4

107.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 SEK 20.45

$1.53 ฿50.2

41.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 SEK 15.08

$1.48 ฿48.58

7.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.43 SEK 32.45

$0.99 ฿32.44

246.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 SEK 13.83

$0.51 ฿16.74

186.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.19 SEK 68.0

$4.41 ฿145

63.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.16 SEK 96.1

$19.38 ฿636

-47.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 SEK 17.25

$1.78 ฿58.4

2.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 SEK 17.80

$2.71 ฿89.0

-30.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.41 SEK 32.27

$1.37 ฿44.99

148.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.3 SEK 703

$11.39 ฿374

552.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.29 SEK 87.9

$3.02 ฿99.1

207.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 SEK 15.17

$0.99 ฿32.63

61.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$73.8 SEK 699

$14.10 ฿463

423.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.97 SEK 18.62

$1.36 ฿44.71

44.85%

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

$32.4K SEK 307.0K

$28.2K ฿925.3K

15.04%

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

$36.2K SEK 342.8K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

10.13%

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

$173 SEK 1,638

$122 ฿3,993

42.24%

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

$32.94 SEK 312

$13.57 ฿445

142.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.76 SEK 263

$18.31 ฿601

51.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.67 SEK 442

$60.2 ฿1,976

-22.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.86 SEK 235

$17.14 ฿562

45.04%

Cinema Ticket

$13.70 SEK 130

$8.69 ฿285

57.65%

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

$161 SEK 1,522

$693 ฿22.8K

-76.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,100 SEK 38.8K

$15.7K ฿514.7K

-73.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$125 SEK 1,180

$59.5 ฿1,953

109.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.76 SEK 319

$34.77 ฿1,141

-2.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 SEK 1,224

$115 ฿3,760

12.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$166 SEK 1,574

$83.3 ฿2,733

99.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$842 SEK 7,963

$613 ฿20.1K

37.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$641 SEK 6,061

$437 ฿14.3K

46.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,414 SEK 13.4K

$2,094 ฿68.7K

-32.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,182 SEK 11.2K

$1,509 ฿49.5K

-21.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,906 SEK 37.0K

$3,749 ฿123.0K

4.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,376 SEK 31.9K

$2,616 ฿85.8K

29.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,449 SEK 32.6K

$508 ฿16.7K

578.74%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $842 in Kiruna versus $613 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 579% 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 $97.0 in Kiruna versus $45.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $423 vs $293 – 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: $1,926 in Kiruna, $1,265 in Phuket – roughly 52% apart. Kiruna costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,889 per month in Kiruna and $1,898 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 44% 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 $97.0 in Kiruna and $45.00 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 $1,265, than in Kiruna at $1,926. 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 $1,265 in Phuket to $1,926 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.