Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Stockholm Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Stockholm

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,505 in Stockholm.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $3,800 in Stockholm.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $5,096 in Stockholm.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 49% less than in Stockholm, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Stockholm is 87% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$16.12 SEK 150

-70.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$112 SEK 1,045

-59.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$11.58 SEK 108

-27.20%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$5.08 SEK 47.40

-42.32%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$3.30 SEK 30.79

-79.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$2.50 SEK 23.35

-85.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$8.67 SEK 80.9

-72.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$8.30 SEK 77.5

-55.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.72 SEK 16.03

29.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$3.46 SEK 32.29

-47.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$3.99 SEK 37.28

-45.61%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$4.72 SEK 44.00

-53.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$13.03 SEK 122

51.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$12.91 SEK 120

-71.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$19.56 SEK 183

-30.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$3.62 SEK 33.73

-9.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$2.83 SEK 26.37

-43.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$3.39 SEK 31.62

-28.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$4.60 SEK 42.88

-54.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$1.90 SEK 17.70

-19.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$1.88 SEK 17.54

-21.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$2.60 SEK 24.27

-61.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$1.61 SEK 14.98

-68.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$7.82 SEK 73.0

-43.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$12.85 SEK 120

50.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.16 SEK 20.15

-17.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$2.24 SEK 20.95

20.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$4.57 SEK 42.60

-70.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$110 SEK 1,028

-89.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$6.27 SEK 58.5

-51.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$1.57 SEK 14.67

-36.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$62.5 SEK 583

-77.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.82 SEK 16.98

-25.27%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$33.0K SEK 307.6K

-14.45%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$35.4K SEK 330.5K

-7.10%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$229 SEK 2,133

-46.77%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$28.82 SEK 269

-52.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$41.69 SEK 389

-56.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$46.58 SEK 435

29.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$38.46 SEK 359

-55.43%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$17.65 SEK 165

-50.76%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$165 SEK 1,541

319.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$6,662 SEK 62.2K

135.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$97.4 SEK 909

-38.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$49.44 SEK 461

-29.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$117 SEK 1,090

-1.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$204 SEK 1,907

-59.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$1,589 SEK 14.8K

-61.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$1,107 SEK 10.3K

-60.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$2,769 SEK 25.8K

-24.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$1,805 SEK 16.8K

-16.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$12.2K SEK 114.3K

-69.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$6,689 SEK 62.4K

-60.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$3,779 SEK 35.3K

-86.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.16

28.13%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Stockholm: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $1,589 in Stockholm. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stockholm pays 644% 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: $45.00 in Phuket vs $112 in Stockholm for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $401 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 Stockholm: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 98% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Stockholm earns 644% 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: $613 in Phuket versus $1,589 in Stockholm. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $165 in Stockholm. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Stockholm. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,505 in Stockholm, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Stockholm. 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 Stockholm, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Stockholm 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 98% less than in Stockholm. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.