Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Gothenburg

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,008 in Gothenburg, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
97

Cost of Living Index in Gothenburg
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Gothenburg Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Gothenburg

🇸🇪 Sweden

$2,008

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Gothenburg

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $2,008 in Gothenburg.

Phuket $1,278
Gothenburg $2,008

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $3,067 in Gothenburg.

Phuket $2,216
Gothenburg $3,067

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $4,127 in Gothenburg.

Phuket $3,154
Gothenburg $4,127

Living in Phuket costs roughly 36% less than in Gothenburg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Gothenburg is 48% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$13.67 SEK 133

-67.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$86.7 SEK 846

-62.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$12.40 SEK 121

-28.95%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$5.04 SEK 49.19

-43.85%

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

$0.87 ฿29.40

$2.99 SEK 29.14

-70.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$2.33 SEK 22.76

-78.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$6.88 SEK 67.1

-62.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$7.57 SEK 73.9

-51.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.73 SEK 16.87

-4.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.29

$2.79 SEK 27.20

-47.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$3.26 SEK 31.78

-53.99%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$3.90 SEK 38.03

-46.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$11.25 SEK 110

69.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$11.57 SEK 113

-71.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$16.43 SEK 160

-33.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.8

$3.01 SEK 29.37

-2.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$2.45 SEK 23.92

-31.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

$2.90 SEK 28.31

-22.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$4.49 SEK 43.83

-53.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.83 SEK 17.85

-17.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.51

$1.67 SEK 16.27

-17.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.95

$2.05 SEK 19.99

-47.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.50

$1.60 SEK 15.63

-67.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$8.35 SEK 81.5

-49.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$15.18 SEK 148

23.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

$2.04 SEK 19.92

-10.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$2.25 SEK 21.99

26.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.97

$3.83 SEK 37.34

-62.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,911

$86.4 SEK 843

-34.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$6.21 SEK 60.5

-51.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.32

$1.67 SEK 16.28

-38.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿124

$59.2 SEK 577

-93.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.75

$1.75 SEK 17.10

-16.00%

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

$26.8K ฿903.2K

$33.4K SEK 326.0K

-19.86%

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

$26.7K ฿900.3K

$33.8K SEK 329.7K

-21.03%

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

$96.4 ฿3,250

$104 SEK 1,011

-7.02%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$19.70 SEK 192

-42.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$34.35 SEK 335

-50.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$34.01 SEK 332

97.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$24.39 SEK 238

-56.01%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$16.98 SEK 166

-55.83%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$222 SEK 2,168

114.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.9K

$4,336 SEK 42.3K

159.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,103

$88.7 SEK 865

-29.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$32.91 SEK 321

-13.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,180

$87.8 SEK 856

7.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,894

$134 SEK 1,308

-35.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.1K

$1,107 SEK 10.8K

-35.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$874 SEK 8,524

-43.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$1,861 SEK 18.2K

3.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$1,400 SEK 13.7K

2.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.8K

$6,415 SEK 62.6K

-34.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

$4,026 SEK 39.3K

-24.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$3,521 SEK 34.4K

-85.74%

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: October 26, 2026

Last update for Gothenburg: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Gothenburg

$874 43.5% 78% $383

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Gothenburg

$360 17.9% 35.2% $94

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Gothenburg

$158 7.9% 26.7% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Gothenburg

$155 7.7% 26.8% $33

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Gothenburg

$278 13.8% 128% $156

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Gothenburg

$68 3.4% 17.4% $14

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Gothenburg

$116 5.8% 64.7% $46

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $1,107 in Gothenburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays about 7 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $87 in Gothenburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $360 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇸🇪 Gothenburg

🕒 Local time

22:56 10:56 PM

16:56 4:56 PM

6 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

607,882

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 SEK = 10.25 USD

100 SEK = 9.19 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.64 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 9.76 SEK (1 SEK = 0.103 USD). 1 EUR = 10.89 SEK (100 SEK = 9.19 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Gothenburg 9,050 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Gothenburg

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 Gothenburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 36% 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 86% 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 $1,107 in Gothenburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $222 in Gothenburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Gothenburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,278 in Phuket versus $2,008 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 at $1,278 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 both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.