Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Gavle Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Gavle

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,996 in Gavle.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $2,963 in Gavle.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $3,931 in Gavle.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 37% less than in Gavle, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Gavle is 49% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$12.89 SEK 120

-63.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$96.5 SEK 900

-52.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$10.55 SEK 98.4

-20.09%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$5.20 SEK 48.51

-43.65%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$2.06 SEK 19.24

-66.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$2.38 SEK 22.22

-84.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$8.59 SEK 80.2

-71.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$8.38 SEK 78.2

-55.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.72 SEK 16.07

29.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$2.57 SEK 23.98

-28.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$3.90 SEK 36.38

-44.36%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$4.18 SEK 39.03

-47.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$9.25 SEK 86.3

113.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$10.31 SEK 96.2

-64.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$15.00 SEK 140

-9.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$3.33 SEK 31.08

-1.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$2.86 SEK 26.72

-43.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$3.48 SEK 32.43

-30.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$4.46 SEK 41.58

-53.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$1.88 SEK 17.56

-18.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$1.82 SEK 16.98

-18.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$2.60 SEK 24.29

-61.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$1.56 SEK 14.60

-67.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$7.80 SEK 72.8

-43.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$11.95 SEK 111

62.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.64 SEK 15.30

8.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$1.85 SEK 17.22

46.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$4.01 SEK 37.44

-65.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$58.6 SEK 547

-80.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$4.69 SEK 43.74

-35.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$1.34 SEK 12.48

-26.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$48.80 SEK 455

-71.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.82 SEK 16.98

-25.27%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$29.5K SEK 274.9K

-4.29%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$33.6K SEK 313.9K

-2.21%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$85.3 SEK 796

42.74%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$28.10 SEK 262

-51.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$41.37 SEK 386

-55.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$50.1 SEK 467

20.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$15.80 SEK 147

8.48%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$13.89 SEK 130

-37.44%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$160 SEK 1,497

332.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$6,622 SEK 61.8K

136.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$95.4 SEK 890

-37.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$48.67 SEK 454

-28.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$83.0 SEK 774

38.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$157 SEK 1,463

-46.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$835 SEK 7,792

-26.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$897 SEK 8,372

-51.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$1,737 SEK 16.2K

20.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$1,272 SEK 11.9K

18.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$2,020 SEK 18.8K

85.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$1,431 SEK 13.4K

82.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$3,285 SEK 30.7K

-84.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.1

30.00%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Gavle: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $835 in Gavle. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gavle pays 547% 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: $45.00 in Phuket vs $96.0 in Gavle for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $344 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

Phuket vs Gavle: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Gavle differ by about 58% in total monthly costs ($1,265 vs $1,996 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Gavle earns 547% less. 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: $613 in Phuket versus $835 in Gavle. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 414% less than in Gavle. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $160 in Gavle. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,996 in Gavle, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Gavle. 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 Gavle 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 58% less than in Gavle. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.