Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Lulea Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Lulea

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,872 in Lulea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $3,058 in Lulea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $4,244 in Lulea.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 34% less than in Lulea, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 10% below, Lulea is 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿146

$12.34 SEK 120

-64.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,071

$96.3 SEK 940

-66.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$11.55 SEK 113

-22.68%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.1

$4.50 SEK 43.88

-35.56%

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

$0.88 ฿29.22

$2.61 SEK 25.46

-66.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.97

$1.96 SEK 19.10

-75.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.1

$8.72 SEK 85.1

-73.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$9.71 SEK 94.7

-61.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿61.9

$1.80 SEK 17.58

3.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.68

$3.32 SEK 32.39

-55.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.5

$5.01 SEK 48.86

-69.06%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿69.8

$4.66 SEK 45.49

-54.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿650

$12.68 SEK 124

54.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$13.51 SEK 132

-74.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿378

$26.47 SEK 258

-57.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.1

$2.51 SEK 24.48

18.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿55.9

$2.65 SEK 25.88

-36.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.3

$2.54 SEK 24.74

-12.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿71.8

$4.34 SEK 42.32

-50.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.6

$2.16 SEK 21.07

-29.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.43

$1.61 SEK 15.67

-16.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.47

$3.35 SEK 32.69

-66.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.14

$1.32 SEK 12.92

-58.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$6.94 SEK 67.7

-38.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿634

$12.23 SEK 119

56.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.1

$1.79 SEK 17.47

-0.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.4

$1.82 SEK 17.76

52.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.0

$3.35 SEK 32.71

-33.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿755

$57.5 SEK 561

-60.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$9.38 SEK 91.6

-67.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿33.96

$2.11 SEK 20.55

-51.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿129

$70.7 SEK 690

-94.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.50

$1.72 SEK 16.76

-13.37%

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

$26.6K ฿882.5K

$33.1K SEK 323.2K

-19.74%

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

$27.0K ฿897.4K

$35.0K SEK 341.2K

-22.70%

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

$102 ฿3,402

$171 SEK 1,668

-40.03%

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

$11.33 ฿376

$31.66 SEK 309

-64.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿578

$26.80 SEK 262

-35.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,729

$47.93 SEK 468

8.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿368

$35.74 SEK 349

-69.03%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿255

$13.39 SEK 131

-42.57%

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

$561 ฿18.6K

$156 SEK 1,525

258.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿382.0K

$5,572 SEK 54.4K

106.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,093

$123 SEK 1,205

-48.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿980

$33.51 SEK 327

-11.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,254

$127 SEK 1,234

-22.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,938

$164 SEK 1,599

-45.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.5K

$804 SEK 7,842

-8.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.0K

$601 SEK 5,869

-19.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿69.9K

$1,458 SEK 14.2K

44.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.7K

$1,100 SEK 10.7K

11.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.1K

$3,121 SEK 30.5K

15.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.4K

$2,309 SEK 22.5K

12.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

$2,579 SEK 25.2K

-80.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.85

44.68%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Lulea: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $804 in Lulea. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lulea pays 422% 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 $96.0 in Lulea for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $411 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 Lulea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 52% lower than in Lulea. 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 422% lower in Lulea. 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 $804 in Lulea. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Lulea. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $96.0 in Lulea. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,872 in Lulea, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Lulea. 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 Lulea 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 52% less than in Lulea. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.