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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $2,107 in Skelleftea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $3,130 in Skelleftea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $4,154 in Skelleftea.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 41% less than in Skelleftea, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Skelleftea is 58% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$14.85 SEK 143

-69.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,550

$68.2 SEK 657

-32.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$13.24 SEK 128

-33.23%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$4.80 SEK 46.22

-36.25%

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

$0.73 ฿24.36

$2.54 SEK 24.43

-71.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.37

$1.99 SEK 19.18

-79.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.6

$9.21 SEK 88.7

-73.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$8.56 SEK 82.5

-55.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿75.8

$1.67 SEK 16.13

35.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.8

$2.63 SEK 25.30

-31.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

$5.14 SEK 49.55

-56.23%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.4

$4.77 SEK 45.99

-52.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿655

$11.52 SEK 111

69.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿122

$11.31 SEK 109

-67.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿438

$22.58 SEK 218

-42.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.66 SEK 25.68

21.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.3

$2.63 SEK 25.34

-38.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.0

$3.24 SEK 31.19

-26.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.0

$3.79 SEK 36.55

-46.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.5

$2.14 SEK 20.62

-28.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.4

$1.59 SEK 15.36

-5.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.85

$2.39 SEK 23.03

-59.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.36

$1.52 SEK 14.62

-65.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$7.21 SEK 69.5

-38.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿615

$15.72 SEK 151

16.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.6

$1.86 SEK 17.93

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.0

$1.67 SEK 16.08

60.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.37

$4.19 SEK 40.42

-66.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$57.2 SEK 551

-79.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿104

$8.23 SEK 79.3

-62.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.00

$1.99 SEK 19.16

-47.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$60.2 SEK 580

-76.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.02

$1.92 SEK 18.49

-31.77%

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

$27.8K ฿933.8K

$32.9K SEK 316.9K

-15.42%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$34.5K SEK 332.8K

-3.83%

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

$122 ฿4,110

$171 SEK 1,646

-28.33%

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

$13.59 ฿456

$31.44 SEK 303

-56.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿628

$28.25 SEK 272

-33.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,031

$40.08 SEK 386

50.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿570

$25.39 SEK 245

-33.12%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$16.00 SEK 154

-43.31%

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

$706 ฿23.7K

$151 SEK 1,456

367.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿530.5K

$4,070 SEK 39.2K

288.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,965

$98.5 SEK 950

-40.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,187

$42.03 SEK 405

-15.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,876

$83.8 SEK 807

37.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,811

$165 SEK 1,588

-49.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$1,278 SEK 12.3K

-51.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿14.9K

$876 SEK 8,446

-49.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.5K

$1,750 SEK 16.9K

16.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.1K

$1,382 SEK 13.3K

7.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿116.9K

$3,880 SEK 37.4K

-10.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.5K

$2,733 SEK 26.3K

-5.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$2,600 SEK 25.1K

-80.77%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Skelleftea: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $1,278 in Skelleftea. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Skelleftea pays 420% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $68.0 in Skelleftea for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $384 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 69% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 420% lower in Skelleftea. 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: $626 in Phuket versus $1,278 in Skelleftea. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $151 in Skelleftea. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Skelleftea. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $2,107 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 69% less than in Skelleftea. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.