Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ostersund

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,294 a month against $1,761 in Ostersund, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
84

Cost of Living Index in Ostersund
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Ostersund Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Ostersund

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,761

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Ostersund

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Phuket versus $1,761 in Ostersund.

Phuket $1,294
Ostersund $1,761

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,204 in Phuket versus $2,732 in Ostersund.

Phuket $2,204
Ostersund $2,732

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,115 in Phuket versus $3,703 in Ostersund.

Phuket $3,115
Ostersund $3,703

Living in Phuket costs roughly 27% less than in Ostersund, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 4% below, Ostersund is 30% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ฿147

$14.51 SEK 142

-69.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.31 ฿1,078

$68.6 SEK 670

-52.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿290

$9.03 SEK 88.2

-3.65%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿90.9

$4.35 SEK 42.54

-37.47%

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

$0.93 ฿31.06

$2.57 SEK 25.11

-63.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.67

$2.03 SEK 19.81

-75.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.5

$7.80 SEK 76.3

-67.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿121

$7.36 SEK 72.0

-50.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.1

$1.44 SEK 14.08

20.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.42

$3.03 SEK 29.62

-52.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.1

$4.78 SEK 46.71

-68.62%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.5

$3.34 SEK 32.59

-35.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.09 ฿637

$13.80 SEK 135

38.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿113

$11.78 SEK 115

-71.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿364

$15.72 SEK 154

-30.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿98.2

$4.30 SEK 42.05

-31.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.5

$2.92 SEK 28.55

-42.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.2

$3.53 SEK 34.50

-37.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ฿70.9

$4.21 SEK 41.11

-49.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.68

$1.61 SEK 15.72

-9.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿45.66

$1.61 SEK 15.78

-14.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ฿35.91

$2.33 SEK 22.77

-53.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.21

$1.56 SEK 15.25

-64.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ฿148

$7.70 SEK 75.3

-42.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.25 ฿609

$10.05 SEK 98.2

81.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.2

$2.15 SEK 20.99

-17.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ฿96.2

$2.27 SEK 22.23

26.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$3.26 SEK 31.88

-55.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,832

$76.3 SEK 746

-28.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ฿50.5

$6.12 SEK 59.8

-75.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ฿25.90

$1.69 SEK 16.51

-53.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ฿128

$60.8 SEK 594

-93.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.65

$1.78 SEK 17.40

-16.29%

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

$26.9K ฿897.3K

$30.7K SEK 299.8K

-12.37%

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

$26.3K ฿879.4K

$36.5K SEK 356.6K

-27.80%

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

$97.8 ฿3,265

$118 SEK 1,150

-16.85%

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

$11.29 ฿377

$23.84 SEK 233

-52.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.19 ฿574

$39.29 SEK 384

-56.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ฿2,281

$37.62 SEK 368

81.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿365

$26.52 SEK 259

-58.82%

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 ฿248

$15.13 SEK 148

-50.89%

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

$530 ฿17.7K

$127 SEK 1,238

318.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K ฿626.9K

$5,587 SEK 54.6K

236.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ฿2,059

$93.2 SEK 911

-33.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.25 ฿943

$42.48 SEK 415

-33.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,204

$79.4 SEK 776

20.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 ฿2,898

$142 SEK 1,389

-38.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.1K

$812 SEK 7,939

-11.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.0K

$610 SEK 5,963

-16.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 ฿65.1K

$1,394 SEK 13.6K

39.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 ฿46.6K

$1,038 SEK 10.1K

34.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿139.9K

$3,784 SEK 37.0K

10.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿110.1K

$2,495 SEK 24.4K

32.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.4K

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 Ostersund: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$509 39.3%

Ostersund

$610 34.6% 19.9% $101

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$267 20.6%

Ostersund

$370 21% 38.8% $103

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$126 9.8%

Ostersund

$181 10.3% 43.1% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$123 9.5%

Ostersund

$161 9.1% 31% $38

Eating Out

Phuket

$120 9.2%

Ostersund

$268 15.2% 124% $148

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$83 6.4%

Ostersund

$68 3.9% 18.4% $15

Getting Around

Phuket

$66 5.1%

Ostersund

$104 5.9% 57.3% $38

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $721 in Phuket and $812 in Ostersund. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $69 in Ostersund for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $370 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇸🇪 Ostersund

🕒 Local time

06:16 6:16 AM

00:16 12:16 AM

6 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

44,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 3 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

100 SEK = 10.23 USD

100 SEK = 9.12 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 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.38 THB (100 THB = 3 USD). 1 EUR = 37.47 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 9.77 SEK (1 SEK = 0.102 USD). 1 EUR = 10.97 SEK (100 SEK = 9.12 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Ostersund 8,910 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Ostersund

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 Ostersund: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is about 27% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,940 in Phuket and $2,642 in Ostersund 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $721 in Phuket versus $812 in Ostersund. 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 $1,761 in Ostersund – Phuket is about 27% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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

At $1,294 in Phuket versus $1,761 in Ostersund, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Ostersund. 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 Ostersund 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 27% less than in Ostersund. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.