Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Karlskrona

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,636 in Karlskrona, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 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
79

Cost of Living Index in Karlskrona
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Karlskrona Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Karlskrona

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,636

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Karlskrona

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

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $1,636 in Karlskrona, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
Karlskrona $1,636

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $2,545 in Karlskrona, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
Karlskrona $2,545

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $3,453 in Karlskrona, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
Karlskrona $3,453

Phuket is about 22% cheaper than Karlskrona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Phuket sits 6% below the global median, while Karlskrona is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$12.82 SEK 126

-65.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$66.2 SEK 649

-51.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$8.81 SEK 86.5

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$4.09 SEK 40.16

-30.81%

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

$0.87 ฿29.41

$1.33 SEK 13.07

-34.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$2.25 SEK 22.07

-78.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$6.93 SEK 68.0

-63.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$5.00 SEK 49.11

-26.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.46 SEK 14.30

13.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.31

$2.67 SEK 26.21

-45.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$3.66 SEK 35.96

-59.02%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$4.41 SEK 43.23

-52.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$11.01 SEK 108

73.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$13.05 SEK 128

-74.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$17.37 SEK 171

-37.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$3.07 SEK 30.10

-4.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$2.32 SEK 22.73

-27.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$3.03 SEK 29.78

-25.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$4.40 SEK 43.20

-52.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.49 SEK 14.67

1.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.52

$1.49 SEK 14.67

-7.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.96

$2.18 SEK 21.37

-50.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$1.42 SEK 13.98

-63.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$6.99 SEK 68.6

-39.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$12.80 SEK 126

46.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$2.04 SEK 20.01

-10.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$1.63 SEK 16.00

74.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.98

$2.94 SEK 28.84

-50.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$70.8 SEK 694

-19.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$13.17 SEK 129

-77.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.33

$2.06 SEK 20.26

-50.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$80.5 SEK 789

-95.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.76

$1.77 SEK 17.36

-16.95%

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

$26.8K ฿903.4K

$32.7K SEK 321.0K

-18.15%

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

$26.7K ฿900.5K

$33.2K SEK 326.1K

-19.69%

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

$96.4 ฿3,251

$51.1 SEK 501

88.55%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$28.03 SEK 275

-59.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$36.39 SEK 357

-53.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$41.03 SEK 403

63.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$16.13 SEK 158

-53.50%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$160 SEK 1,573

196.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,104

$97.6 SEK 958

-36.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$20.06 SEK 197

41.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,181

$79.6 SEK 781

18.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,895

$179 SEK 1,757

-52.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$681 SEK 6,679

5.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$576 SEK 5,649

-14.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$1,097 SEK 10.8K

75.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$937 SEK 9,196

52.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$2,929 SEK 28.7K

42.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

$2,526 SEK 24.8K

20.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$2,463 SEK 24.2K

-79.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.22

31.99%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Karlskrona: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Karlskrona

$576 35.2% 17.3% $85

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Karlskrona

$360 22% 35.1% $93

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Karlskrona

$116 7.1% 7.2% $9

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Karlskrona

$169 10.4% 38.9% $47

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Karlskrona

$237 14.5% 94.8% $115

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Karlskrona

$73 4.5% 10.9% $9

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Karlskrona

$106 6.5% 50.2% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $681 in Karlskrona. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Karlskrona are about 4.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $66 in Karlskrona. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $360 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇸🇪 Karlskrona

🕒 Local time

04:15 4:15 AM

22:15 10:15 PM

6 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

35,212

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100 SEK = 10.19 USD

100 SEK = 9.13 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 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).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Karlskrona 8,830 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Karlskrona

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 Karlskrona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Karlskrona is pricier by about 28%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $2,455 in Karlskrona. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $716 in Phuket and $681 in Karlskrona. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket and $66 in Karlskrona. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $1,636 in Karlskrona. That makes Phuket about 22% cheaper.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,278, than in Karlskrona at $1,636. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Karlskrona it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,278 in Phuket to $1,636 in Karlskrona. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Karlskrona makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.