Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Staffanstorp

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,709 in Staffanstorp, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index
82

Cost of Living Index in Staffanstorp
Learn more

Staffanstorp Living Index

Jump to prices

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Staffanstorp

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,709

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Staffanstorp

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Staffanstorp actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,709 in Staffanstorp.

Phuket $1,278
Staffanstorp $1,709

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $2,672 in Staffanstorp.

Phuket $2,216
Staffanstorp $2,672

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $3,635 in Staffanstorp.

Phuket $3,154
Staffanstorp $3,635

Living in Phuket costs roughly 25% less than in Staffanstorp, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Staffanstorp is 26% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$13.13 SEK 130

-65.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$75.8 SEK 753

-57.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$11.92 SEK 118

-26.09%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.5

$4.76 SEK 47.28

-40.55%

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

$0.87 ฿29.43

$2.94 SEK 29.15

-70.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.67

$2.27 SEK 22.59

-78.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.4

$6.82 SEK 67.7

-62.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$7.60 SEK 75.4

-51.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.67 SEK 16.61

-0.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.35

$2.73 SEK 27.09

-46.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$3.26 SEK 32.34

-53.99%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$3.93 SEK 39.06

-46.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿644

$11.57 SEK 115

64.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$11.36 SEK 113

-70.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$16.76 SEK 166

-34.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿99.0

$3.09 SEK 30.67

-5.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$2.42 SEK 24.08

-30.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$3.03 SEK 30.12

-25.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$4.29 SEK 42.61

-51.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.70 SEK 16.93

-11.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.56

$1.51 SEK 14.98

-8.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.99

$2.04 SEK 20.21

-47.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.52

$1.18 SEK 11.69

-55.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$8.07 SEK 80.1

-47.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$11.64 SEK 116

61.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$2.00 SEK 19.88

-9.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$2.19 SEK 21.72

29.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.03

$3.28 SEK 32.62

-55.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,913

$79.5 SEK 789

-28.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$6.11 SEK 60.7

-50.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.36

$1.69 SEK 16.74

-39.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$51.3 SEK 510

-92.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.81

$1.76 SEK 17.47

-16.48%

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

$26.8K ฿904.3K

$33.2K SEK 329.3K

-19.25%

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

$26.7K ฿901.3K

$33.8K SEK 336.1K

-21.14%

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

$96.4 ฿3,254

$105 SEK 1,046

-8.54%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$19.99 SEK 199

-43.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$33.76 SEK 335

-50.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,270

$37.59 SEK 373

78.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$25.85 SEK 257

-58.49%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$17.40 SEK 173

-56.90%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$173 SEK 1,722

174.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.4K

$3,353 SEK 33.3K

235.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,106

$87.3 SEK 867

-28.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$33.12 SEK 329

-14.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,184

$89.4 SEK 887

5.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,898

$131 SEK 1,299

-34.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$810 SEK 8,043

-11.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$603 SEK 5,985

-18.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.1K

$1,359 SEK 13.5K

41.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$1,016 SEK 10.1K

40.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿141.0K

$4,056 SEK 40.3K

2.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$2,850 SEK 28.3K

6.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$2,933 SEK 29.1K

-82.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.05

82.62%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Staffanstorp: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Staffanstorp

$603 35.3% 22.8% $112

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Staffanstorp

$346 20.3% 30% $80

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Staffanstorp

$159 9.3% 27.8% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Staffanstorp

$153 9% 25.7% $31

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Staffanstorp

$268 15.7% 120% $146

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Staffanstorp

$72 4.2% 12% $9.8

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Staffanstorp

$107 6.3% 51.8% $37

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $810 in Staffanstorp. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Staffanstorp pays about 5.8 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $76 in Staffanstorp for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $346 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇸🇪 Staffanstorp

🕒 Local time

23:51 11:51 PM

17:51 5:51 PM

6 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

26,652

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 SEK = 10.07 USD

100 SEK = 9.05 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SEK, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 9.93 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.05 SEK (100 SEK = 9.05 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Staffanstorp 8,980 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Staffanstorp

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Staffanstorp: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and transport. The 34% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 83% lower in Phuket. 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: $716 in Phuket versus $810 in Staffanstorp. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $173 in Staffanstorp. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Staffanstorp. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,709 in Staffanstorp, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Staffanstorp. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Staffanstorp 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 25% less than in Staffanstorp. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.