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: $1,885 in Lulea versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,023 in Lulea versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,161 in Lulea versus $3,329 in Phuket.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Lulea is 41% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.89 SEK 120

$4.70 ฿153

174.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.8 SEK 875

$45.37 ฿1,482

106.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.01 SEK 112

$8.43 ฿275

42.47%

Cappuccino

$4.65 SEK 43.39

$2.93 ฿95.6

58.70%

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

$2.56 SEK 23.88

$0.69 ฿22.40

271.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 SEK 19.25

$0.37 ฿11.99

456.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.46 SEK 78.9

$2.41 ฿78.6

251.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.98 SEK 93.2

$3.72 ฿122

168.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 SEK 18.02

$2.23 ฿72.9

-13.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 SEK 33.15

$1.83 ฿59.8

93.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.02 SEK 46.86

$2.17 ฿70.8

131.34%

Eggs

$4.95 SEK 46.21

$2.21 ฿72.3

123.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.91 SEK 120

$19.74 ฿645

-34.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.97 SEK 130

$3.63 ฿119

284.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.38 SEK 255

$13.53 ฿442

102.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.69 SEK 25.13

$3.28 ฿107

-17.99%

Banana (1kg)

$2.80 SEK 26.15

$1.61 ฿52.6

73.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 SEK 24.49

$2.41 ฿78.6

8.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 SEK 42.17

$2.08 ฿68.1

117.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.18 SEK 20.33

$1.53 ฿49.93

42.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 SEK 15.26

$1.48 ฿48.36

10.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.42 SEK 31.88

$0.99 ฿32.29

245.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 SEK 13.53

$0.51 ฿16.67

184.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.45 SEK 69.5

$4.41 ฿144

68.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.66 SEK 118

$19.38 ฿633

-34.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 SEK 17.10

$1.78 ฿58.1

2.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 SEK 16.77

$2.71 ฿88.6

-33.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.36 SEK 31.39

$1.37 ฿44.79

145.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.1 SEK 561

$11.39 ฿372

427.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.53 SEK 88.9

$3.02 ฿98.6

215.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 SEK 16.00

$0.99 ฿32.48

72.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$75.1 SEK 700

$14.10 ฿461

432.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 SEK 17.60

$1.36 ฿44.51

38.97%

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

$32.0K SEK 298.4K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

13.40%

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

$34.9K SEK 325.5K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

6.03%

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

$174 SEK 1,627

$122 ฿3,975

43.32%

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

$33.07 SEK 309

$13.57 ฿443

143.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.42 SEK 265

$18.31 ฿598

55.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.17 SEK 459

$60.2 ฿1,967

-18.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.67 SEK 342

$17.14 ฿560

113.94%

Cinema Ticket

$13.75 SEK 128

$8.69 ฿284

58.23%

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

$159 SEK 1,481

$693 ฿22.6K

-77.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,764 SEK 53.8K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-63.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$125 SEK 1,168

$59.5 ฿1,944

110.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.73 SEK 315

$34.77 ฿1,136

-2.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 SEK 1,175

$115 ฿3,743

9.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$172 SEK 1,605

$83.3 ฿2,720

106.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$791 SEK 7,376

$613 ฿20.0K

28.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$578 SEK 5,395

$437 ฿14.3K

32.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,413 SEK 13.2K

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-32.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,053 SEK 9,824

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-30.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,337 SEK 31.1K

$3,749 ฿122.5K

-11.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,379 SEK 22.2K

$2,616 ฿85.4K

-9.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,732 SEK 25.5K

$508 ฿16.6K

437.71%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $791 in Lulea and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lulea pays 438% 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: $94.0 in Lulea vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $428 vs $293 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.

Lulea pays 438% more on average, 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: $791 in Lulea versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% 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 $45.00 versus $94.0 in Lulea. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,885 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 $1,265 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.