Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Skovde Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Skovde

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,874 in Skovde.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $2,858 in Skovde.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $3,841 in Skovde.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Skovde is 39% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$15.62 SEK 147

-70.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$69.3 SEK 650

-32.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$11.64 SEK 109

-27.23%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$4.82 SEK 45.23

-37.14%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$2.67 SEK 25.01

-74.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$2.24 SEK 21.00

-83.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$8.63 SEK 81.0

-71.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$8.48 SEK 79.6

-56.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.59 SEK 14.92

37.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$2.74 SEK 25.69

-30.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$4.49 SEK 42.11

-51.00%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$5.13 SEK 48.14

-56.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$12.23 SEK 115

63.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$13.80 SEK 129

-73.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$17.33 SEK 163

-23.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$3.76 SEK 35.25

-14.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$2.76 SEK 25.85

-38.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$3.56 SEK 33.41

-32.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$5.14 SEK 48.24

-59.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$1.66 SEK 15.54

-4.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$1.77 SEK 16.60

-16.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$2.73 SEK 25.65

-62.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$1.32 SEK 12.41

-60.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$7.98 SEK 74.8

-46.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$8.23 SEK 77.2

128.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$2.51 SEK 23.52

-29.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$2.58 SEK 24.19

6.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$3.78 SEK 35.51

-64.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$73.9 SEK 693

-84.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$5.73 SEK 53.7

-45.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$1.66 SEK 15.57

-37.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$65.4 SEK 614

-78.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.92 SEK 18.03

-30.21%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$32.6K SEK 305.8K

-15.09%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$33.6K SEK 315.5K

0.69%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$111 SEK 1,043

11.13%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$29.32 SEK 275

-53.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$43.82 SEK 411

-57.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$40.41 SEK 379

52.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$25.05 SEK 235

-31.14%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$20.23 SEK 190

-54.82%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$147 SEK 1,375

379.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$5,637 SEK 52.9K

181.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$88.4 SEK 829

-32.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$41.38 SEK 388

-15.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$99.0 SEK 929

16.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$158 SEK 1,482

-46.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$853 SEK 8,004

-27.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$663 SEK 6,216

-34.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$1,400 SEK 13.1K

47.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$1,085 SEK 10.2K

39.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$4,237 SEK 39.7K

-13.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$2,910 SEK 27.3K

-9.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$3,432 SEK 32.2K

-85.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.8

11.04%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Skovde: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $853 in Skovde. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Skovde pays 577% 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $69.0 in Skovde for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 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 Skovde: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 49% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Skovde earns 577% 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: $619 in Phuket versus $853 in Skovde. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $147 in Skovde. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Skovde. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,874 in Skovde, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Skovde. 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 Skovde, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Skovde 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 Skovde. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.