Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Stenungsund Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Stenungsund

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,789 in Stenungsund.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,276 in Phuket versus $2,786 in Stenungsund.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,291 in Phuket versus $3,784 in Stenungsund.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 30% less than in Stenungsund, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Stenungsund is 34% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.53 ฿153

$13.16 SEK 128

-65.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.36 ฿1,562

$67.9 SEK 659

-31.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.65 ฿291

$9.33 SEK 90.6

-7.29%

Cappuccino

$3.09 ฿104

$4.52 SEK 43.88

-31.64%

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

$0.68 ฿22.85

$1.60 SEK 15.58

-57.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.41

$2.47 SEK 23.98

-85.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 ฿81.4

$7.26 SEK 70.5

-66.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.81 ฿128

$7.17 SEK 69.6

-46.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿73.4

$1.50 SEK 14.59

45.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿61.2

$3.17 SEK 30.80

-42.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.3

$3.93 SEK 38.14

-44.53%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿75.3

$4.02 SEK 39.04

-44.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.93 ฿671

$14.03 SEK 136

42.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.64 ฿123

$11.92 SEK 116

-69.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿457

$15.56 SEK 151

-12.85%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 ฿111

$3.54 SEK 34.42

-7.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.8

$2.71 SEK 26.36

-37.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.6

$1.56 SEK 15.14

49.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.3

$5.88 SEK 57.1

-65.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.55 SEK 15.09

3.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 ฿50.4

$2.09 SEK 20.29

-28.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿34.11

$2.66 SEK 25.84

-62.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$1.75 SEK 17.04

-72.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿150

$7.53 SEK 73.1

-40.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.63 ฿628

$8.21 SEK 79.7

126.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ฿60.2

$1.73 SEK 16.83

3.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 ฿94.2

$1.91 SEK 18.53

46.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.81

$2.62 SEK 25.46

-45.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.33 ฿382

$73.8 SEK 716

-84.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 ฿104

$5.75 SEK 55.9

-46.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.13

$1.61 SEK 15.61

-35.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.63 ฿459

$21.44 SEK 208

-36.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.15

$1.98 SEK 19.24

-33.84%

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

$27.3K ฿919.1K

$32.9K SEK 319.9K

-17.18%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$33.9K SEK 329.2K

-2.00%

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

$123 ฿4,149

$91.1 SEK 885

35.15%

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

$13.81 ฿465

$27.93 SEK 271

-50.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿624

$36.03 SEK 350

-48.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 ฿2,034

$41.16 SEK 400

46.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 ฿566

$25.68 SEK 249

-34.58%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿299

$15.97 SEK 155

-44.33%

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

$687 ฿23.1K

$143 SEK 1,389

380.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿523.9K

$749 SEK 7,273

1976.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 ฿1,942

$106 SEK 1,026

-45.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.66 ฿1,168

$44.56 SEK 433

-22.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,872

$114 SEK 1,109

0.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.9 ฿2,860

$158 SEK 1,536

-46.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$618 ฿20.8K

$843 SEK 8,184

-26.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$443 ฿14.9K

$658 SEK 6,389

-32.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,047 ฿69.0K

$1,407 SEK 13.7K

45.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 ฿50.7K

$1,071 SEK 10.4K

40.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,568 ฿120.2K

$4,497 SEK 43.7K

-20.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,511 ฿84.6K

$3,089 SEK 30.0K

-18.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.9K

$1,977 SEK 19.2K

-74.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.53

17.66%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 20, 2026

Last update for Stenungsund: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $618 in Phuket and $843 in Stenungsund. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stenungsund pays 293% 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 Stenungsund for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $366 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 Stenungsund: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 42% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 293% lower in Stenungsund. 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: $618 in Phuket versus $843 in Stenungsund. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $687 in Phuket versus $143 in Stenungsund. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Stenungsund. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,789 in Stenungsund, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Stenungsund. 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 Stenungsund, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Stenungsund 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 42% less than in Stenungsund. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.