Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kristianstad

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,294 a month against $1,898 in Kristianstad, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index
90

Cost of Living Index in Kristianstad
Learn more

Kristianstad Living Index

Jump to prices

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Kristianstad

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,898

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Kristianstad

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Phuket versus $1,898 in Kristianstad.

Phuket $1,294
Kristianstad $1,898

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,204 in Phuket versus $2,890 in Kristianstad.

Phuket $2,204
Kristianstad $2,890

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,115 in Phuket versus $3,881 in Kristianstad.

Phuket $3,115
Kristianstad $3,881

Living in Phuket costs roughly 32% less than in Kristianstad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 4% below, Kristianstad is 40% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ฿147

$14.37 SEK 141

-69.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.31 ฿1,080

$76.8 SEK 753

-57.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿291

$12.71 SEK 125

-31.55%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.1

$4.62 SEK 45.31

-41.13%

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

$0.93 ฿31.11

$2.70 SEK 26.51

-65.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.70

$2.26 SEK 22.21

-77.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.6

$7.16 SEK 70.2

-64.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿121

$7.23 SEK 70.9

-49.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.2

$2.11 SEK 20.73

-17.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.51

$2.95 SEK 28.98

-50.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.2

$3.17 SEK 31.14

-52.68%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.6

$4.22 SEK 41.41

-48.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.09 ฿638

$12.54 SEK 123

52.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿114

$12.13 SEK 119

-71.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿364

$17.26 SEK 169

-36.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿98.3

$3.07 SEK 30.11

-4.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.6

$2.57 SEK 25.20

-34.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.4

$3.25 SEK 31.92

-32.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ฿71.0

$4.45 SEK 43.65

-52.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.77

$1.61 SEK 15.81

-9.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿45.74

$1.71 SEK 16.79

-19.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ฿35.98

$2.53 SEK 24.86

-57.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$1.54 SEK 15.10

-64.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ฿148

$8.37 SEK 82.1

-47.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.25 ฿610

$10.17 SEK 99.8

79.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.3

$1.86 SEK 18.23

-4.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ฿96.3

$2.33 SEK 22.87

23.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.40

$3.35 SEK 32.88

-56.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,835

$76.5 SEK 751

-28.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$5.88 SEK 57.7

-74.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ฿25.94

$1.86 SEK 18.22

-58.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ฿128

$67.4 SEK 661

-94.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.74

$1.71 SEK 16.81

-12.87%

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

$26.9K ฿898.9K

$36.8K SEK 361.4K

-27.02%

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

$26.3K ฿881.0K

$37.5K SEK 367.8K

-29.73%

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

$97.8 ฿3,271

$151 SEK 1,481

-35.19%

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

$11.29 ฿378

$41.52 SEK 407

-72.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.19 ฿575

$48.64 SEK 477

-64.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ฿2,285

$37.15 SEK 364

83.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿365

$22.88 SEK 225

-52.27%

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 ฿248

$16.73 SEK 164

-55.59%

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

$530 ฿17.7K

$170 SEK 1,664

212.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K ฿628.1K

$4,603 SEK 45.2K

308.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ฿2,062

$112 SEK 1,102

-45.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.25 ฿945

$37.98 SEK 373

-25.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,210

$103 SEK 1,006

-6.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 ฿2,903

$143 SEK 1,401

-39.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.1K

$1,158 SEK 11.4K

-37.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.0K

$657 SEK 6,449

-22.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 ฿65.2K

$1,662 SEK 16.3K

17.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 ฿46.7K

$1,035 SEK 10.2K

35.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿140.2K

$4,479 SEK 43.9K

-6.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿110.3K

$2,950 SEK 28.9K

11.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.4K

$2,542 SEK 24.9K

-80.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.38

64.79%

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Kristianstad: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$509 39.3%

Kristianstad

$657 34.6% 29.2% $148

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$267 20.6%

Kristianstad

$367 19.4% 37.7% $101

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$126 9.8%

Kristianstad

$241 12.7% 90.9% $115

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$123 9.5%

Kristianstad

$178 9.4% 45.1% $55

Eating Out

Phuket

$120 9.2%

Kristianstad

$279 14.7% 133% $159

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$83 6.4%

Kristianstad

$71 3.7% 15.1% $13

Getting Around

Phuket

$66 5.1%

Kristianstad

$105 5.5% 59.1% $39

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $721 in Phuket and $1,158 in Kristianstad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kristianstad pays about 5.2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $77 in Kristianstad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $367 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇸🇪 Kristianstad

🕒 Local time

08:04 8:04 AM

02:04 2:04 AM

6 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

35,711

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 SEK = 10.19 USD

100 SEK = 9.08 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 6, 2026: 1 USD = 33.44 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.54 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 9.81 SEK (1 SEK = 0.102 USD). 1 EUR = 11.01 SEK (100 SEK = 9.08 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Kristianstad 8,920 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Kristianstad

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 Kristianstad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is about 32% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 81% 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: $721 in Phuket versus $1,158 in Kristianstad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,294 per month in Phuket versus $1,898 in Kristianstad – Phuket is about 32% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 28% less than in Kristianstad. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $1,294 in Phuket versus $1,898 in Kristianstad, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Kristianstad. 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 Kristianstad 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 32% less than in Kristianstad. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.