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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,855 in Skovde.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $2,905 in Skovde.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $3,955 in Skovde.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 32% less than in Skovde, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 5% below, Skovde is 39% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$16.00 SEK 152

-72.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$68.2 SEK 648

-33.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$11.75 SEK 112

-25.45%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$4.81 SEK 45.73

-38.25%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$2.75 SEK 26.12

-74.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$2.14 SEK 20.29

-81.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$8.26 SEK 78.5

-69.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$8.80 SEK 83.6

-57.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.65 SEK 15.70

30.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$2.87 SEK 27.24

-36.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$4.46 SEK 42.35

-51.12%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$4.94 SEK 46.89

-54.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$11.91 SEK 113

67.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$14.08 SEK 134

-74.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$16.99 SEK 161

-20.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$3.84 SEK 36.49

-15.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$2.87 SEK 27.23

-42.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$3.62 SEK 34.42

-35.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$5.12 SEK 48.67

-59.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.59 SEK 15.07

-2.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$1.77 SEK 16.77

-17.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$2.73 SEK 25.91

-64.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$1.26 SEK 11.93

-61.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$7.97 SEK 75.7

-45.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$8.23 SEK 78.2

125.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$2.48 SEK 23.60

-25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$2.59 SEK 24.56

2.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$3.85 SEK 36.59

-63.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$74.7 SEK 710

-84.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$5.73 SEK 54.4

-44.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$1.67 SEK 15.84

-38.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$65.4 SEK 621

-78.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.98 SEK 18.82

-32.32%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$33.1K SEK 314.2K

-15.98%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$33.7K SEK 319.9K

-0.87%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$112 SEK 1,061

10.17%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$28.87 SEK 274

-52.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$42.79 SEK 407

-57.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$41.05 SEK 390

47.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$25.00 SEK 237

-31.36%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$20.18 SEK 192

-56.05%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$150 SEK 1,421

359.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$5,481 SEK 52.1K

187.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$86.3 SEK 820

-31.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$42.09 SEK 400

-17.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$101 SEK 963

13.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$159 SEK 1,507

-47.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$854 SEK 8,116

-27.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$659 SEK 6,262

-32.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$1,372 SEK 13.0K

48.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$1,092 SEK 10.4K

37.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$4,135 SEK 39.3K

-16.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$2,805 SEK 26.6K

-9.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$3,415 SEK 32.4K

-85.54%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Skovde: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $854 in Skovde. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Skovde pays 592% 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 Skovde for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 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 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 47% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 592% 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: $621 in Phuket versus $854 in Skovde. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $150 in Skovde. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,855 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 47% less than in Skovde. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.