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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,793 in Skovde.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $2,782 in Skovde.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $3,770 in Skovde.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 31% less than in Skovde, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 10% below, Skovde is 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$13.43 SEK 132

-67.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$81.1 SEK 799

-60.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$10.14 SEK 99.9

-11.93%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$4.39 SEK 43.23

-33.94%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$3.21 SEK 31.59

-72.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$2.47 SEK 24.29

-80.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$8.30 SEK 81.8

-71.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$10.12 SEK 99.7

-63.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.40 SEK 13.79

33.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$2.97 SEK 29.25

-50.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$4.16 SEK 40.98

-62.74%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$3.61 SEK 35.55

-41.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$10.41 SEK 103

88.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$13.47 SEK 133

-74.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$18.38 SEK 181

-38.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$4.33 SEK 42.69

-31.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$2.83 SEK 27.92

-40.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$3.63 SEK 35.74

-39.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$5.22 SEK 51.5

-58.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$1.51 SEK 14.93

0.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$1.81 SEK 17.79

-25.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$2.69 SEK 26.51

-57.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$1.30 SEK 12.76

-57.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$8.28 SEK 81.6

-48.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$8.14 SEK 80.2

134.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$2.53 SEK 24.89

-29.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$2.69 SEK 26.50

3.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$3.76 SEK 37.05

-40.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$86.1 SEK 848

-73.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$5.55 SEK 54.7

-45.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$1.34 SEK 13.24

-23.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$62.5 SEK 616

-93.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.80 SEK 17.77

-17.22%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$34.4K SEK 339.5K

-22.83%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$34.2K SEK 336.7K

-20.89%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$116 SEK 1,143

-11.64%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$11.26 SEK 111

0.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$44.81 SEK 442

-61.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$38.22 SEK 377

36.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$26.92 SEK 265

-58.88%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$19.45 SEK 192

-60.46%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$129 SEK 1,267

336.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$4,661 SEK 45.9K

146.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$94.6 SEK 933

-33.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$30.99 SEK 305

-4.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$62.5 SEK 616

56.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$204 SEK 2,008

-56.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$815 SEK 8,034

-9.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$595 SEK 5,861

-18.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$1,367 SEK 13.5K

54.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$1,042 SEK 10.3K

17.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$4,083 SEK 40.2K

-11.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$2,815 SEK 27.7K

-7.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$3,356 SEK 33.1K

-85.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

85.67%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Skovde: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $815 in Skovde. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Skovde pays 580% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $81.0 in Skovde for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $377 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, Getting Around. The 46% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 580% lower in Skovde. 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: $738 in Phuket versus $815 in Skovde. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $129 in Skovde. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Skovde. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,793 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 46% less than in Skovde. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.