Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Eslov

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,681 in Eslov, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Eslov, Sweden
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Eslov
🇸🇪 Sweden
$1,681
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Eslov

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 Eslov actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,681 in Eslov.

  • Phuket $1,278
  • Eslov $1,681

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $2,669 in Eslov.

  • Phuket $2,216
  • Eslov $2,669

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $3,657 in Eslov.

  • Phuket $3,154
  • Eslov $3,657

Living in Phuket costs roughly 24% less than in Eslov, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Eslov is 24% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Eslov
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ฿151
$13.16 SEK 129
-66.03%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.41 ฿1,093
$85.8 SEK 842
-62.24%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 ฿297
$12.06 SEK 118
-26.95%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.4
$4.63 SEK 45.45
-38.88%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 ฿29.41
$2.84 SEK 27.84
-69.37%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.65
$2.04 SEK 20.01
-75.98%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 ฿86.3
$6.97 SEK 68.4
-63.27%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 ฿124
$6.91 SEK 67.8
-46.74%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Eslov
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ฿55.9
$1.64 SEK 16.05
1.22%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿49.31
$2.57 SEK 25.27
-43.19%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.5
$3.52 SEK 34.52
-57.39%
Eggs
$2.09 ฿70.5
$3.77 SEK 37.04
-44.56%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.07 ฿643
$12.20 SEK 120
56.31%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$11.51 SEK 113
-71.33%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.91 ฿368
$16.53 SEK 162
-34.00%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 ฿98.9
$3.11 SEK 30.51
-5.79%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿57.0
$2.47 SEK 24.20
-31.58%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 ฿75.8
$2.75 SEK 26.99
-18.18%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿70.0
$4.62 SEK 45.32
-54.98%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 ฿51.0
$1.71 SEK 16.83
-11.70%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.52
$1.44 SEK 14.11
-4.17%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.96
$1.98 SEK 19.39
-45.96%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.51
$1.55 SEK 15.20
-66.45%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 ฿142
$7.79 SEK 76.4
-46.08%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿634
$10.92 SEK 107
72.07%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ฿61.5
$1.90 SEK 18.63
-4.21%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.8
$2.19 SEK 21.49
29.68%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Eslov
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿48.98
$3.32 SEK 32.61
-56.33%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.7 ฿1,912
$77.4 SEK 760
-26.82%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿102
$5.15 SEK 50.6
-41.36%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ฿34.33
$1.08 SEK 10.55
-5.56%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ฿125
$42.14 SEK 414
-91.24%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.76
$1.76 SEK 17.24
-16.48%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K ฿903.4K
$33.7K SEK 330.5K
-20.50%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿900.5K
$33.8K SEK 331.8K
-21.07%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Eslov
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,251
$79.3 SEK 778
21.58%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.26 ฿380
$19.36 SEK 190
-41.84%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.85 ฿568
$34.31 SEK 337
-50.89%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Eslov
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 ฿2,268
$38.61 SEK 379
74.13%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.73 ฿362
$26.19 SEK 257
-59.03%
Cinema Ticket
$7.50 ฿253
$15.17 SEK 149
-50.56%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Eslov
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 ฿16.1K
$162 SEK 1,590
193.77%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K ฿380.0K
$4,971 SEK 48.8K
126.56%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Eslov
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 ฿2,104
$90.2 SEK 886
-30.90%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.41 ฿958
$51.3 SEK 503
-44.59%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.3 ฿3,181
$102 SEK 999
-7.40%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8 ฿2,895
$126 SEK 1,235
-31.83%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Eslov
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$716 ฿24.2K
$811 SEK 7,959
-11.73%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$491 ฿16.6K
$597 SEK 5,862
-17.82%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,927 ฿65.0K
$1,333 SEK 13.1K
44.60%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 ฿48.3K
$1,004 SEK 9,850
42.53%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,175 ฿140.9K
$4,063 SEK 39.9K
2.78%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,045 ฿102.7K
$2,750 SEK 27.0K
10.70%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Eslov
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$502 ฿16.9K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
3.03
83.83%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Eslov: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$491
Eslov
$597 21.7% $106
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$266
Eslov
$350 31.3% $83
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$124
Eslov
$133 6.8% $8.4
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$122
Eslov
$166 36.3% $44
Eating Out
Phuket
$122
Eslov
$265 118% $144
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$82
Eslov
$69 16.2% $13
Getting Around
Phuket
$71
Eslov
$101 43.5% $31

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $811 in Eslov. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $86 in Eslov for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $350 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇸🇪 Eslov
🕒 Local time
06:08 6:08 AM
00:08 12:08 AM
6 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
17,748
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

SEK, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 9.81 SEK (1 SEK = 0.102 USD). 1 EUR = 10.96 SEK (100 SEK = 9.13 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Eslov 8,980 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Eslov

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 Eslov: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Phuket cheaper than Eslov?
Phuket is about 24% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $1,917 in Phuket and $2,522 in Eslov to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the rent difference between Phuket and Eslov?
Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $811 in Eslov. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Is eating out cheaper in Phuket or in Eslov?
Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32 versus $86 in Eslov. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
What are total monthly expenses in Phuket and in Eslov?
All in, you’ll spend $1,278 per month in Phuket versus $1,681 in Eslov – Phuket is about 24% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Phuket or in Eslov?
At $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,681 in Eslov, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Eslov. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Phuket or in Eslov?
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.
Which city is safer, Phuket or Eslov?
Safety-wise, Phuket and Eslov are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Eslov. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Phuket vs other spots: cost of living compared

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