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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,885 in Lulea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $3,023 in Lulea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $4,161 in Lulea.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 33% less than in Lulea, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Lulea is 41% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$12.89 SEK 121

-63.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$93.8 SEK 881

-51.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$12.01 SEK 113

-29.81%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$4.65 SEK 43.68

-36.99%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$2.56 SEK 24.04

-73.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$2.06 SEK 19.38

-82.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$8.46 SEK 79.5

-71.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$9.98 SEK 93.8

-62.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$1.93 SEK 18.14

15.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$3.55 SEK 33.37

-48.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$5.02 SEK 47.17

-56.77%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$4.95 SEK 46.52

-55.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$12.91 SEK 121

52.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$13.97 SEK 131

-74.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$27.38 SEK 257

-50.58%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.69 SEK 25.30

21.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$2.80 SEK 26.32

-42.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$2.62 SEK 24.65

-8.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$4.52 SEK 42.45

-53.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$2.18 SEK 20.47

-29.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$1.64 SEK 15.36

-9.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$3.42 SEK 32.09

-71.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$1.45 SEK 13.62

-64.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$7.45 SEK 70.0

-40.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$12.66 SEK 119

53.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.83 SEK 17.22

-2.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$1.80 SEK 16.89

50.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$3.36 SEK 31.60

-59.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$60.1 SEK 565

-81.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$9.53 SEK 89.5

-68.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$1.71 SEK 16.10

-42.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$75.1 SEK 705

-81.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$1.89 SEK 17.72

-28.04%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$32.0K SEK 300.4K

-11.81%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$34.9K SEK 327.7K

-5.69%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$174 SEK 1,638

-30.23%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$33.07 SEK 311

-58.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$28.42 SEK 267

-35.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$49.17 SEK 462

22.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$36.67 SEK 344

-53.26%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$13.75 SEK 129

-36.80%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$159 SEK 1,491

336.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$5,764 SEK 54.1K

172.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$125 SEK 1,176

-52.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$33.73 SEK 317

3.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$126 SEK 1,182

-8.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$172 SEK 1,616

-51.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$791 SEK 7,425

-22.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$578 SEK 5,431

-24.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$1,413 SEK 13.3K

48.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$1,053 SEK 9,890

43.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

$3,337 SEK 31.3K

12.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

$2,379 SEK 22.3K

9.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$2,732 SEK 25.7K

-81.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.2

26.90%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Lulea: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $791 in Lulea. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lulea pays 438% 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: $45.00 in Phuket vs $94.0 in Lulea for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $428 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 49% 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, Lulea earns 438% less. 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: $613 in Phuket versus $791 in Lulea. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% 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 $45.00 versus $94.0 in Lulea. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,885 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 $1,265 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 49% less than in Lulea. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.