Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Gothenburg Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Gothenburg

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,066 in Gothenburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $3,137 in Gothenburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $4,208 in Gothenburg.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 40% less than in Gothenburg, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 10% below, Gothenburg is 51% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$13.45 SEK 132

-67.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,073

$91.4 SEK 898

-64.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$13.14 SEK 129

-32.04%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.3

$4.97 SEK 48.78

-41.65%

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

$0.88 ฿29.27

$3.02 SEK 29.68

-70.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.00

$2.23 SEK 21.86

-78.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.2

$6.88 SEK 67.6

-65.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$7.55 SEK 74.2

-50.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.0

$1.73 SEK 17.02

8.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.75

$2.72 SEK 26.70

-45.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$3.18 SEK 31.22

-51.26%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿69.9

$3.94 SEK 38.70

-46.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿651

$11.92 SEK 117

64.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$11.66 SEK 115

-70.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿378

$16.83 SEK 165

-32.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.2

$3.20 SEK 31.41

-6.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.0

$2.57 SEK 25.26

-34.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$3.08 SEK 30.31

-28.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿71.9

$4.24 SEK 41.70

-49.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$1.85 SEK 18.19

-17.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.49

$1.65 SEK 16.24

-18.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.53

$1.98 SEK 19.45

-42.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.17

$1.73 SEK 16.95

-68.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$8.36 SEK 82.2

-49.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$14.27 SEK 140

33.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$2.07 SEK 20.32

-14.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.5

$2.23 SEK 21.89

24.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.1

$3.74 SEK 36.78

-40.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿756

$88.0 SEK 864

-74.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$6.22 SEK 61.1

-51.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.02

$1.71 SEK 16.77

-40.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿129

$60.3 SEK 593

-93.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.57

$1.83 SEK 17.93

-18.58%

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

$26.6K ฿883.8K

$33.4K SEK 328.0K

-20.37%

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

$27.0K ฿898.7K

$34.8K SEK 341.7K

-22.29%

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

$102 ฿3,407

$107 SEK 1,054

-4.47%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$19.22 SEK 189

-41.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿578

$35.96 SEK 353

-51.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,732

$37.06 SEK 364

40.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿368

$25.22 SEK 248

-56.11%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$19.54 SEK 192

-60.64%

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

$561 ฿18.6K

$229 SEK 2,246

145.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿382.6K

$4,474 SEK 44.0K

157.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,096

$89.2 SEK 876

-29.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿982

$33.16 SEK 326

-10.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,259

$93.3 SEK 916

5.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,943

$133 SEK 1,304

-33.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.5K

$1,045 SEK 10.3K

-29.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.0K

$952 SEK 9,351

-49.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.0K

$1,862 SEK 18.3K

13.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$1,409 SEK 13.8K

-13.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.3K

$6,398 SEK 62.9K

-43.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.5K

$3,571 SEK 35.1K

-27.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

$3,625 SEK 35.6K

-86.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.06

82.03%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Gothenburg: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $1,045 in Gothenburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 634% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $91.0 in Gothenburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $363 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 Gothenburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 68% lower than in Gothenburg. 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 634% lower in Gothenburg. 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: $738 in Phuket versus $1,045 in Gothenburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $229 in Gothenburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Gothenburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,066 in Gothenburg, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Gothenburg. 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 $1,232 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Gothenburg 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 68% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.