Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Mรถlndal Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Mรถlndal

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,706 in Mรถlndal.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $2,617 in Mรถlndal.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $3,527 in Mรถlndal.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 26% less than in Mรถlndal, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Mรถlndal is 27% above.

Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
Phuket
Mรถlndal
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.56 เธฟ149
$12.87 SEKย 121
-64.57%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.63 เธฟ1,519
$74.6 SEKย 700
-37.53%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.47 เธฟ276
$10.68 SEKย 100
-20.69%
Cappuccino
$3.03 เธฟ98.6
$4.83 SEKย 45.31
-37.27%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.69 เธฟ22.45
$3.09 SEKย 28.99
-77.67%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.37 เธฟ11.92
$1.03 SEKย 9.68
-64.08%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.49 เธฟ81.0
$7.52 SEKย 70.5
-66.89%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.66 เธฟ119
$6.27 SEKย 58.8
-41.63%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Mรถlndal
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.18 เธฟ71.0
$1.20 SEKย 11.23
81.67%
White Bread (500g)
$1.90 เธฟ62.0
$1.57 SEKย 14.70
21.02%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.20 เธฟ71.6
$3.34 SEKย 31.29
-34.13%
Eggs
$2.22 เธฟ72.4
$3.76 SEKย 35.27
-40.96%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.99 เธฟ651
$7.13 SEKย 66.9
180.36%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.66 เธฟ119
$9.28 SEKย 87.1
-60.56%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.25 เธฟ432
$15.70 SEKย 147
-15.61%
Apples (1kg)
$3.23 เธฟ105
$3.09 SEKย 28.99
4.53%
Banana (1kg)
$1.70 เธฟ55.3
$2.64 SEKย 24.74
-35.61%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.39 เธฟ78.0
$2.89 SEKย 27.12
-17.30%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 เธฟ67.7
$4.20 SEKย 39.38
-50.48%
Potato (1kg)
$1.59 เธฟ51.8
$1.71 SEKย 16.03
-7.02%
Onion (1kg)
$1.48 เธฟ48.31
$1.93 SEKย 18.06
-23.32%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.03 เธฟ33.54
$2.00 SEKย 18.74
-48.50%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 เธฟ16.83
$1.27 SEKย 11.93
-59.06%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.25 เธฟ138
$7.39 SEKย 69.3
-42.49%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 เธฟ612
$10.60 SEKย 99.4
77.26%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.76 เธฟ57.2
$2.14 SEKย 20.04
-17.76%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.76 เธฟ89.8
$2.60 SEKย 24.34
6.15%
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
Phuket
Mรถlndal
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.36 เธฟ44.32
$3.86 SEKย 36.20
-64.77%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$11.36 เธฟ370
$88.9 SEKย 834
-87.22%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.14 เธฟ102
$6.41 SEKย 60.1
-51.01%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.04 เธฟ33.74
$1.59 SEKย 14.95
-34.59%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$13.77 เธฟ448
$61.8 SEKย 579
-77.70%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.34 เธฟ43.79
$1.97 SEKย 18.44
-31.98%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.7K เธฟ901.4K
$32.0K SEKย 299.8K
-13.41%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.9K เธฟ1.1M
$35.1K SEKย 328.9K
-3.41%
๐Ÿงพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Mรถlndal
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$124 เธฟ4,025
$76.0 SEKย 713
62.70%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.52 เธฟ440
$10.58 SEKย 99.2
27.79%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.69 เธฟ609
$21.01 SEKย 197
-11.04%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Mรถlndal
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$61.8 เธฟ2,013
$36.97 SEKย 347
67.22%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.25 เธฟ562
$30.32 SEKย 284
-43.11%
Cinema Ticket
$9.14 เธฟ298
$18.13 SEKย 170
-49.59%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
Phuket
Mรถlndal
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$703 เธฟ22.9K
$172 SEKย 1,616
307.90%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$15.9K เธฟ517.0K
$4,086 SEKย 38.3K
288.45%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Mรถlndal
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$59.5 เธฟ1,937
$89.3 SEKย 838
-33.44%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.07 เธฟ1,142
$39.76 SEKย 373
-11.80%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$115 เธฟ3,754
$74.9 SEKย 703
53.86%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$84.1 เธฟ2,737
$153 SEKย 1,437
-45.13%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Mรถlndal
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$619 เธฟ20.1K
$850 SEKย 7,976
-27.25%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$433 เธฟ14.1K
$650 SEKย 6,096
-33.43%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,062 เธฟ67.2K
$1,393 SEKย 13.1K
48.03%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,511 เธฟ49.2K
$1,093 SEKย 10.3K
38.28%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,646 เธฟ118.7K
$4,290 SEKย 40.2K
-15.01%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,626 เธฟ85.5K
$3,005 SEKย 28.2K
-12.63%
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Mรถlndal
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$507 เธฟ16.5K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.33
4.33
23.09%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input โ€“ minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Mรถlndal: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $850 in Mรถlndal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $75.0 in Mรถlndal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $304 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 Mรถlndal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Phuket or Mรถlndal?
Phuket wins on cost โ€“ living expenses run 35% lower than in Mรถlndal. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Phuket vs Mรถlndal?
You'd need roughly $1,892 in Phuket and $2,560 in Mรถlndal to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Phuket vs Mรถlndal?
Rent for a central apartment: $619 in Phuket versus $850 in Mรถlndal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Phuket compared to Mรถlndal?
All in, you'll spend $1,261 per month in Phuket versus $1,706 in Mรถlndal โ€“ a 35% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How expensive is transport in Phuket vs Mรถlndal?
A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 683% less than in Mรถlndal. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Phuket or Mรถlndal?
At $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,706 in Mรถlndal, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Mรถlndal. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Phuket or Mรถlndal?
Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value โ€“ similar infrastructure at $1,261 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.
How safe is Phuket compared to Mรถlndal?
Safety-wise, Phuket and Mรถlndal are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet โ€“ expenses run 35% less than in Mรถlndal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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