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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,793 per month in Kista vs $1,232 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,815 per month in Kista vs $2,255 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,837 per month in Kista vs $3,279 in Phuket, rent included.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.70 SEK 127

$4.63 ฿151

195.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.0 SEK 686

$46.84 ฿1,523

58.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 SEK 98.2

$8.84 ฿287

19.80%

Cappuccino

$4.62 SEK 42.87

$3.00 ฿97.4

54.00%

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

$2.74 SEK 25.39

$0.74 ฿24.11

270.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 SEK 22.90

$0.37 ฿11.88

567.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.90 SEK 73.3

$2.44 ฿79.3

223.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.31 SEK 67.8

$3.61 ฿117

102.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 SEK 15.55

$2.26 ฿73.5

-25.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.74 SEK 25.43

$1.84 ฿59.8

48.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.76 SEK 34.90

$2.24 ฿73.0

67.86%

Eggs

$4.25 SEK 39.39

$2.32 ฿75.3

83.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.98 SEK 111

$19.67 ฿639

-39.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.99 SEK 111

$3.65 ฿119

228.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.81 SEK 156

$13.10 ฿426

28.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 SEK 29.40

$3.39 ฿110

-6.49%

Banana (1kg)

$2.57 SEK 23.81

$1.64 ฿53.4

56.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 SEK 27.85

$2.41 ฿78.5

24.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.47 SEK 41.45

$2.03 ฿66.0

120.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.64 SEK 15.18

$1.56 ฿50.6

5.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 SEK 16.65

$1.50 ฿48.66

20.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 SEK 24.20

$1.02 ฿33.30

155.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 SEK 14.43

$0.49 ฿15.91

218.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.30 SEK 67.7

$4.45 ฿145

64.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.71 SEK 109

$18.88 ฿614

-37.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 SEK 17.66

$1.78 ฿57.7

6.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 SEK 18.30

$2.75 ฿89.5

-28.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.46 SEK 32.07

$1.40 ฿45.54

147.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.9 SEK 676

$11.48 ฿373

534.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.32 SEK 58.6

$3.12 ฿101

102.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 SEK 14.80

$1.00 ฿32.48

60.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$62.7 SEK 581

$14.09 ฿458

344.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 SEK 18.40

$1.35 ฿43.93

47.41%

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

$32.0K SEK 296.7K

$27.2K ฿883.7K

17.73%

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

$34.9K SEK 323.1K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

5.88%

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

$113 SEK 1,044

$125 ฿4,063

-9.87%

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

$28.32 SEK 263

$13.57 ฿441

108.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.33 SEK 337

$18.52 ฿602

96.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.09 SEK 372

$61.5 ฿1,999

-34.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.58 SEK 237

$16.84 ฿547

51.90%

Cinema Ticket

$15.59 SEK 145

$9.19 ฿299

69.64%

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

$144 SEK 1,337

$698 ฿22.7K

-79.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,172 SEK 38.7K

$15.6K ฿506.9K

-73.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.7 SEK 887

$57.8 ฿1,878

65.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.45 SEK 384

$35.24 ฿1,146

17.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.1 SEK 909

$113 ฿3,677

-13.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$153 SEK 1,420

$86.4 ฿2,808

77.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$841 SEK 7,793

$616 ฿20.0K

36.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 SEK 6,146

$446 ฿14.5K

48.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,401 SEK 13.0K

$2,048 ฿66.6K

-31.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,067 SEK 9,892

$1,492 ฿48.5K

-28.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,449 SEK 41.2K

$3,779 ฿122.8K

17.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,664 SEK 24.7K

$2,649 ฿86.1K

0.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.0K

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $841 in Kista versus $616 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 $74.0 in Kista versus $47.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $363 vs $292 – 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 46% 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 $2,689 per month in Kista and $1,847 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 $1,793 in Kista and $1,232 in Phuket. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 535% 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 $1,232, than in Kista at $1,793. 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 $1,232 versus $1,793 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.