Cost of Living Comparison Between Lulea and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Lulea and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,865 in Lulea versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,060 in Lulea versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,256 in Lulea versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Lulea is roughly 49% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lulea is 40% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.56 SEK 121

$4.55 ฿153

176.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.6 SEK 911

$46.18 ฿1,550

104.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.60 SEK 112

$8.84 ฿297

31.22%

Cappuccino

$4.87 SEK 46.91

$3.06 ฿103

59.15%

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

$2.55 SEK 24.56

$0.73 ฿24.36

249.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 SEK 19.01

$0.40 ฿13.37

392.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.57 SEK 82.6

$2.43 ฿81.6

252.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.97 SEK 96.0

$3.78 ฿127

163.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 SEK 18.64

$2.26 ฿75.8

-14.60%

White Bread (500g)

$3.42 SEK 32.98

$1.81 ฿60.8

88.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.07 SEK 48.86

$2.25 ฿75.7

125.33%

Eggs

$4.74 SEK 45.70

$2.25 ฿75.4

110.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.76 SEK 123

$19.51 ฿655

-34.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.05 SEK 135

$3.65 ฿122

284.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.00 SEK 270

$13.05 ฿438

114.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 SEK 25.15

$3.23 ฿109

-19.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.76 SEK 26.58

$1.62 ฿54.3

70.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 SEK 25.03

$2.38 ฿80.0

9.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.36 SEK 42.04

$2.03 ฿68.0

114.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 SEK 21.48

$1.53 ฿51.5

45.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 SEK 15.95

$1.50 ฿50.4

10.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.48 SEK 33.52

$0.98 ฿32.85

255.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 SEK 13.84

$0.52 ฿17.36

176.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.42 SEK 71.5

$4.44 ฿149

67.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.34 SEK 119

$18.32 ฿615

-32.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 SEK 18.15

$1.86 ฿62.6

1.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 SEK 17.87

$2.68 ฿90.0

-30.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.36 SEK 32.35

$1.41 ฿47.37

138.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.3 SEK 562

$11.70 ฿393

398.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.54 SEK 91.9

$3.11 ฿104

206.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.73 SEK 16.68

$1.04 ฿35.00

66.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$74.5 SEK 718

$14.11 ฿474

427.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 SEK 18.22

$1.31 ฿44.02

44.27%

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

$32.2K SEK 310.2K

$27.8K ฿933.8K

15.71%

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

$35.7K SEK 343.7K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

7.38%

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

$176 SEK 1,692

$122 ฿4,110

43.39%

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

$31.87 SEK 307

$13.59 ฿456

134.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.56 SEK 275

$18.70 ฿628

52.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.58 SEK 468

$60.5 ฿2,031

-19.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.54 SEK 352

$16.98 ฿570

115.19%

Cinema Ticket

$13.73 SEK 132

$9.07 ฿305

51.38%

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

$163 SEK 1,566

$706 ฿23.7K

-76.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,827 SEK 56.2K

$15.8K ฿530.5K

-63.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$124 SEK 1,190

$58.6 ฿1,965

110.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.60 SEK 324

$35.36 ฿1,187

-4.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 SEK 1,252

$115 ฿3,876

12.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$170 SEK 1,643

$83.7 ฿2,811

103.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$806 SEK 7,765

$626 ฿21.0K

28.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$589 SEK 5,675

$445 ฿14.9K

32.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,441 SEK 13.9K

$2,040 ฿68.5K

-29.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 SEK 10.4K

$1,492 ฿50.1K

-27.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,107 SEK 29.9K

$3,483 ฿116.9K

-10.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,323 SEK 22.4K

$2,577 ฿86.5K

-9.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,654 SEK 25.6K

$500 ฿16.8K

430.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.2

5.33

-21.20%

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

Last update for Lulea: July 11, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $806 in Lulea and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lulea pays 431% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $95.0 in Lulea vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $426 vs $289 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

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

Lulea vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 49% lower than in Lulea. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 431% higher in Lulea, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $806 in Lulea versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 47% higher in Lulea. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $95.0 in Lulea. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,865 in Lulea, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Lulea. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,250 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lulea and Phuket are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Lulea. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.