Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Skelleftea Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Skelleftea

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,094 in Skelleftea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $3,153 in Skelleftea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $4,211 in Skelleftea.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 40% less than in Skelleftea, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Skelleftea is 56% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$14.69 SEK 137

-68.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$68.5 SEK 640

-33.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$12.94 SEK 121

-34.85%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$4.60 SEK 42.94

-36.30%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$2.48 SEK 23.15

-72.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$2.02 SEK 18.83

-81.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$8.77 SEK 81.8

-72.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$8.38 SEK 78.2

-55.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.67 SEK 15.60

33.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$2.66 SEK 24.83

-31.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$5.15 SEK 48.03

-57.86%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$4.84 SEK 45.19

-54.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$11.61 SEK 108

70.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$11.53 SEK 108

-68.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$22.74 SEK 212

-40.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.56 SEK 23.92

28.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$2.56 SEK 23.86

-37.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$3.24 SEK 30.25

-25.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$3.65 SEK 34.02

-43.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$2.13 SEK 19.90

-28.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$1.60 SEK 14.97

-7.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$2.30 SEK 21.46

-56.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$1.49 SEK 13.94

-65.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$7.08 SEK 66.0

-37.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$16.32 SEK 152

18.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.86 SEK 17.37

-4.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$1.70 SEK 15.83

59.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$4.13 SEK 38.57

-66.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$57.5 SEK 537

-80.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$8.34 SEK 77.8

-63.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$2.01 SEK 18.80

-50.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$59.0 SEK 551

-76.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.89 SEK 17.63

-28.04%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$32.9K SEK 306.7K

-14.20%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$33.6K SEK 313.2K

-1.98%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$174 SEK 1,619

-29.88%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$31.92 SEK 298

-57.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$28.36 SEK 265

-35.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$40.29 SEK 376

49.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$25.55 SEK 238

-32.92%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$15.88 SEK 148

-45.28%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$148 SEK 1,380

368.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$4,153 SEK 38.8K

277.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$99.4 SEK 927

-40.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$41.17 SEK 384

-15.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$85.1 SEK 794

34.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$163 SEK 1,524

-49.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$1,295 SEK 12.1K

-52.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$880 SEK 8,208

-50.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$1,760 SEK 16.4K

19.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$1,408 SEK 13.1K

7.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$3,771 SEK 35.2K

-0.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$3,201 SEK 29.9K

-18.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$2,693 SEK 25.1K

-81.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.5

18.44%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Skelleftea: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $1,295 in Skelleftea. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Skelleftea pays 430% 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 $69.0 in Skelleftea for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $385 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 Skelleftea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 66% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Skelleftea earns 430% 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 $1,295 in Skelleftea. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $148 in Skelleftea. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Skelleftea. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,094 in Skelleftea, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Skelleftea. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Skelleftea, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Skelleftea 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 66% less than in Skelleftea. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.