Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Bålsta

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,563 in Bålsta, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Bålsta
Learn more

Bålsta Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Bålsta

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,563

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Bålsta

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Bålsta actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,563 in Bålsta.

Phuket $1,278
Bålsta $1,563

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $2,445 in Bålsta.

Phuket $2,216
Bålsta $2,445

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $3,328 in Bålsta.

Phuket $3,154
Bålsta $3,328

Living in Phuket costs roughly 18% less than in Bålsta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Bålsta is 15% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$13.67 SEK 135

-67.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,092

$66.8 SEK 661

-51.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$8.80 SEK 87.2

0.11%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.3

$3.95 SEK 39.14

-28.35%

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

$0.87 ฿29.37

$2.68 SEK 26.55

-67.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.64

$2.24 SEK 22.19

-78.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.2

$7.16 SEK 70.9

-64.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$6.96 SEK 68.9

-47.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.49 SEK 14.75

11.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.25

$2.00 SEK 19.84

-27.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.4

$3.51 SEK 34.73

-57.26%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.4

$3.71 SEK 36.78

-43.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿642

$11.01 SEK 109

73.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$12.21 SEK 121

-72.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$11.02 SEK 109

-1.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.7

$2.50 SEK 24.74

17.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.9

$2.60 SEK 25.77

-35.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

$2.07 SEK 20.50

8.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$2.90 SEK 28.67

-28.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.9

$1.50 SEK 14.88

0.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.47

$1.18 SEK 11.69

16.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.91

$1.55 SEK 15.33

-30.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.49

$0.99 SEK 9.81

-47.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$7.26 SEK 71.9

-42.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿633

$10.20 SEK 101

84.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

$1.54 SEK 15.20

18.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.7

$1.96 SEK 19.43

44.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$3.28 SEK 32.46

-55.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,909

$79.1 SEK 783

-28.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$6.03 SEK 59.7

-49.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.29

$1.54 SEK 15.29

-33.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿124

$77.4 SEK 767

-95.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.70

$1.76 SEK 17.43

-16.48%

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

$26.8K ฿902.4K

$33.2K SEK 328.5K

-19.29%

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

$26.7K ฿899.5K

$33.8K SEK 334.6K

-21.02%

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

$96.4 ฿3,247

$50.1 SEK 496

92.47%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$20.16 SEK 200

-44.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$39.59 SEK 392

-57.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,266

$37.16 SEK 368

80.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿361

$26.37 SEK 261

-59.31%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$12.93 SEK 128

-42.00%

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

$476 ฿16.0K

$121 SEK 1,200

292.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.6K

$5,046 SEK 50.0K

123.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,102

$69.2 SEK 686

-9.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿957

$9.93 SEK 98.3

186.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,178

$81.0 SEK 802

16.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,892

$113 SEK 1,117

-23.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.1K

$801 SEK 7,931

-10.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.5K

$610 SEK 6,036

-19.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿64.9K

$1,368 SEK 13.5K

40.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.2K

$1,030 SEK 10.2K

38.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.7K

$4,003 SEK 39.6K

4.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.6K

$2,823 SEK 27.9K

7.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$3,868 SEK 38.3K

-87.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

2.8

98.93%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Bålsta: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Bålsta

$610 39% 24.2% $119

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Bålsta

$299 19.1% 12.2% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Bålsta

$110 7% 11.8% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Bålsta

$123 7.9% 0.8% $1

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Bålsta

$253 16.2% 108% $131

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Bålsta

$63 4% 23.3% $19

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Bålsta

$106 6.8% 50.1% $35

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $801 in Bålsta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bålsta pays about 7.7 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $67 in Bålsta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $299 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇸🇪 Bålsta

🕒 Local time

08:01 8:01 AM

02:01 2:01 AM

6 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

13,138

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

100 SEK = 10.1 USD

100 SEK = 9.07 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SEK, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 9.9 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.02 SEK (100 SEK = 9.07 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Bålsta 8,740 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Bålsta

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Phuket vs Bålsta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 18% lower than in Bålsta. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 87% lower in Phuket. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $801 in Bålsta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,278 per month in Phuket versus $1,563 in Bålsta – Phuket is about 18% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 28% less than in Bålsta. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,563 in Bålsta, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Bålsta. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Bålsta are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Bålsta. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.