Cost of Living Comparison Between Kista and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Kista and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,810 per month in Kista vs $1,265 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,845 per month in Kista vs $2,089 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,880 per month in Kista vs $2,913 in Phuket, rent included.

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

Kista sits 31% above the global median, while Phuket is 8% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.79 SEK 134

$4.66 ฿154

195.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.9 SEK 755

$32.22 ฿1,065

141.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.52 SEK 102

$8.68 ฿287

21.20%

Cappuccino

$4.82 SEK 46.77

$2.90 ฿95.8

66.21%

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

$2.79 SEK 27.05

$0.84 ฿27.89

232.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 SEK 22.47

$0.49 ฿16.16

373.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.13 SEK 78.9

$2.48 ฿82.0

227.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.29 SEK 80.4

$3.73 ฿123

122.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 SEK 17.31

$1.89 ฿62.3

-5.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.93 SEK 28.43

$1.41 ฿46.54

107.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.11 SEK 39.87

$1.62 ฿53.6

153.70%

Eggs

$5.05 SEK 48.92

$2.24 ฿74.1

125.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.15 SEK 118

$19.84 ฿656

-38.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.58 SEK 122

$3.48 ฿115

261.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.05 SEK 156

$11.37 ฿376

41.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.79 SEK 27.09

$2.90 ฿95.8

-3.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.58 SEK 25.05

$1.72 ฿57.0

50.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.56 SEK 34.52

$2.27 ฿75.1

56.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.29 SEK 41.63

$2.13 ฿70.4

101.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 SEK 17.29

$1.47 ฿48.72

21.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 SEK 14.68

$1.42 ฿46.92

6.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.08 SEK 20.12

$1.10 ฿36.25

89.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 SEK 13.84

$0.60 ฿19.76

138.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.53 SEK 73.0

$4.31 ฿142

74.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.44 SEK 111

$18.60 ฿615

-38.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 SEK 19.42

$1.80 ฿59.5

11.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 SEK 22.72

$2.97 ฿98.0

-21.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.41 SEK 33.01

$2.25 ฿74.2

51.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.5 SEK 770

$23.49 ฿776

238.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.49 SEK 62.9

$3.10 ฿102

109.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.87 SEK 18.16

$1.08 ฿35.56

73.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$59.5 SEK 577

$3.87 ฿128

1438.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 SEK 17.45

$1.43 ฿47.16

25.87%

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

$30.2K SEK 292.8K

$27.8K ฿918.0K

8.72%

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

$34.0K SEK 329.4K

$27.0K ฿891.5K

25.94%

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

$107 SEK 1,038

$105 ฿3,462

2.19%

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

$27.69 SEK 268

$11.39 ฿376

143.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.99 SEK 388

$17.54 ฿580

127.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.75 SEK 385

$54.3 ฿1,795

-26.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.64 SEK 249

$11.44 ฿378

124.13%

Cinema Ticket

$16.83 SEK 163

$7.78 ฿257

116.32%

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

$150 SEK 1,456

$576 ฿19.0K

-73.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,803 SEK 46.6K

$11.6K ฿382.7K

-58.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.9 SEK 823

$63.6 ฿2,103

33.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.03 SEK 427

$29.10 ฿961

51.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 SEK 965

$96.2 ฿3,179

3.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$138 SEK 1,334

$90.0 ฿2,974

52.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$765 SEK 7,414

$733 ฿24.2K

4.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$560 SEK 5,425

$501 ฿16.5K

11.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 SEK 12.7K

$2,126 ฿70.2K

-38.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,173 SEK 11.4K

$1,252 ฿41.4K

-6.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,131 SEK 40.0K

$3,534 ฿116.8K

16.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,897 SEK 28.1K

$2,622 ฿86.6K

10.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.42

5.57

-38.60%

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

Last update for Kista: September 6, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $765 in Kista versus $733 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $78.0 in Kista versus $32.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $368 vs $275 – 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

Kista vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kista costs about 43% more than Phuket, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,715 per month in Kista 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,810 in Kista and $1,265 in Phuket. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 238% less in Phuket. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,265, than in Kista at $1,810. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kista it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Phuket costs $1,265 versus $1,810 in Kista. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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