Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ludvika

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,207 a month against $1,544 in Ludvika, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. The total is higher in Ludvika despite lower rent and utilities.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Ludvika
Learn more

Ludvika Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Ludvika

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,544

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Ludvika

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

A single person spends $1,207 per month in Phuket vs $1,544 in Ludvika, rent included.

Phuket $1,207
Ludvika $1,544

A couple spends around $2,037 per month in Phuket vs $2,587 in Ludvika, rent included.

Phuket $2,037
Ludvika $2,587

A family of three spends $2,867 per month in Phuket vs $3,629 in Ludvika, rent included.

Phuket $2,867
Ludvika $3,629

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

Phuket sits 11% below the global median, while Ludvika is 14% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ฿153

$13.65 SEK 135

-66.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.48 ฿1,086

$65.3 SEK 647

-50.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 ฿286

$9.70 SEK 96.2

-11.86%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.0

$4.29 SEK 42.50

-36.60%

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

$0.94 ฿31.25

$2.54 SEK 25.17

-62.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.39

$2.22 SEK 21.97

-77.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

$6.88 SEK 68.2

-62.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$7.00 SEK 69.3

-45.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.1

$1.68 SEK 16.63

3.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ฿47.82

$2.69 SEK 26.61

-46.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.0

$3.80 SEK 37.67

-59.74%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$5.05 SEK 50.0

-57.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.15 ฿640

$13.20 SEK 131

45.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿110

$12.86 SEK 127

-74.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿372

$27.00 SEK 268

-58.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿98.5

$3.12 SEK 30.87

-5.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$3.41 SEK 33.83

-50.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ฿76.8

$3.52 SEK 34.84

-34.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.3

$4.19 SEK 41.49

-49.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.1

$1.40 SEK 13.92

9.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.55

$1.72 SEK 17.00

-20.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.44

$2.18 SEK 21.63

-48.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$1.45 SEK 14.41

-62.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$7.15 SEK 70.8

-40.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 ฿608

$10.05 SEK 99.6

81.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.2

$1.92 SEK 18.99

-9.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.3

$2.25 SEK 22.31

24.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿74.1

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 ฿97.3

$13.11 SEK 130

-77.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ฿33.79

$1.96 SEK 19.43

-48.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 ฿128

$79.6 SEK 789

-95.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.85

$1.76 SEK 17.39

-15.34%

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

$26.7K ฿891.6K

$33.5K SEK 331.8K

-20.33%

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

$26.7K ฿892.7K

$32.1K SEK 318.0K

-16.77%

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

$99.4 ฿3,321

$97.8 SEK 969

1.56%

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

$11.28 ฿377

$19.65 SEK 195

-42.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 ฿580

$46.53 SEK 461

-62.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ฿1,747

$29.93 SEK 297

74.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

$49.60 SEK 492

-78.13%

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ฿253

$16.10 SEK 160

-52.98%

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

$558 ฿18.7K

$216 SEK 2,138

158.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ฿2,102

$99.6 SEK 987

-36.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.58 ฿955

$52.5 SEK 520

-45.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ฿3,213

$93.8 SEK 929

2.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 ฿2,943

$213 SEK 2,113

-58.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.4K

$448 SEK 4,439

62.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ฿15.4K

$428 SEK 4,241

7.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 ฿70.0K

$945 SEK 9,362

121.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 ฿40.8K

$980 SEK 9,712

24.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿115.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.5K

$3,711 SEK 36.8K

-86.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

2.8

98.93%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Last update for Ludvika: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$460 38.1%

Ludvika

$428 27.7% 6.9% $32

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.2%

Ludvika

$403 26.1% 50.6% $135

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$128 10.6%

Ludvika

$164 10.6% 28.1% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Ludvika

$207 13.4% 66.5% $83

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10.1%

Ludvika

$257 16.7% 112% $136

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$67 5.6%

Ludvika

$62 4% 7.8% $5.3

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.2%

Ludvika

$23 * 1.5% 41.1% $16

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $729 in Phuket versus $448 in Ludvika. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 653% higher in Ludvika, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket versus $65.0 in Ludvika. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $268 vs $403 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇸🇪 Ludvika

🕒 Local time

19:35 7:35 PM

14:35 2:35 PM

5 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

26,343

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 SEK = 10.09 USD

100 SEK = 8.98 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 October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 9.91 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.14 SEK (100 SEK = 8.98 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Ludvika 8,890 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Ludvika

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 Ludvika: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ludvika costs about 28% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,811 per month in Phuket and $2,316 in Ludvika. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,207 in Phuket and $1,544 in Ludvika. That's a gap of about 28%.

Kindergarten costs $558 per month in Phuket and $216 in Ludvika. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,207, than in Ludvika at $1,544. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ludvika it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Phuket costs $1,207 versus $1,544 in Ludvika. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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