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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,780 per month in Kista vs $1,264 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,756 per month in Kista vs $2,256 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,732 per month in Kista vs $3,248 in Phuket, rent included.

Kista costs about 41% more than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Kista sits 34% above the global median, while Phuket is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.69 SEK 132

$4.48 ฿150

205.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.1 SEK 705

$45.59 ฿1,525

60.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.52 SEK 101

$8.76 ฿293

20.09%

Cappuccino

$4.60 SEK 44.34

$2.97 ฿99.3

54.88%

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

$2.70 SEK 25.99

$0.69 ฿22.96

291.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 SEK 24.07

$0.39 ฿13.07

541.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.86 SEK 75.8

$2.53 ฿84.7

210.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.18 SEK 69.3

$3.75 ฿125

91.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 SEK 15.59

$2.15 ฿71.8

-24.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.74 SEK 26.46

$1.82 ฿60.7

50.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.80 SEK 36.65

$2.18 ฿73.1

74.31%

Eggs

$4.24 SEK 40.86

$2.25 ฿75.2

88.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.84 SEK 114

$20.00 ฿669

-40.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.58 SEK 112

$3.63 ฿121

219.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.16 SEK 165

$13.56 ฿453

26.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.20 SEK 30.89

$3.24 ฿109

-1.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.71 SEK 26.09

$1.64 ฿54.7

65.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 SEK 29.90

$2.33 ฿78.0

33.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.39 SEK 42.35

$2.07 ฿69.3

112.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.62 SEK 15.62

$1.55 ฿51.8

4.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 SEK 17.31

$1.46 ฿48.67

23.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.58 SEK 24.89

$0.98 ฿32.94

163.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 SEK 14.59

$0.48 ฿16.13

214.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.27 SEK 70.1

$4.35 ฿146

67.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.83 SEK 94.8

$18.57 ฿621

-47.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 SEK 18.44

$1.86 ฿62.1

2.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 SEK 18.30

$2.65 ฿88.8

-28.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.42 SEK 33.01

$1.42 ฿47.40

140.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.1 SEK 715

$11.57 ฿387

540.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.38 SEK 61.6

$3.17 ฿106

101.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 SEK 15.47

$1.03 ฿34.51

55.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$63.1 SEK 608

$13.89 ฿465

354.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 SEK 18.35

$1.34 ฿44.96

41.79%

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

$32.2K SEK 310.2K

$27.8K ฿929.6K

15.80%

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

$34.0K SEK 327.8K

$33.4K ฿1.1M

1.87%

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

$114 SEK 1,101

$123 ฿4,116

-7.21%

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

$28.54 SEK 275

$13.77 ฿461

107.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.96 SEK 356

$18.33 ฿613

101.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.39 SEK 389

$60.7 ฿2,030

-33.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.40 SEK 245

$17.16 ฿574

48.02%

Cinema Ticket

$15.61 SEK 150

$8.87 ฿297

75.99%

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

$145 SEK 1,400

$688 ฿23.0K

-78.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,118 SEK 39.7K

$15.8K ฿527.8K

-73.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.1 SEK 907

$59.3 ฿1,984

58.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.14 SEK 387

$34.69 ฿1,160

15.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.0 SEK 954

$115 ฿3,853

-14.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$154 SEK 1,482

$83.8 ฿2,802

83.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$835 SEK 8,049

$621 ฿20.8K

34.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$645 SEK 6,222

$446 ฿14.9K

44.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,381 SEK 13.3K

$2,034 ฿68.0K

-32.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 SEK 10.4K

$1,496 ฿50.0K

-27.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,281 SEK 41.3K

$3,455 ฿115.6K

23.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,076 SEK 29.7K

$2,531 ฿84.7K

21.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.53

5.33

-15.01%

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

Last update for Kista: July 28, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $835 in Kista versus $621 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 $73.0 in Kista versus $46.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $357 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

Kista vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kista costs about 41% 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 $2,669 per month in Kista and $1,896 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 $1,780 in Kista and $1,264 in Phuket. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 541% 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 $1,264, than in Kista at $1,780. 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 $1,264 versus $1,780 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.