Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Taby Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Taby

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,247 in Phuket versus $1,863 in Taby.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,276 in Phuket versus $2,865 in Taby.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,306 in Phuket versus $3,868 in Taby.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 33% less than in Taby, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 7% below, Taby is 38% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.59 ฿147

$13.27 SEK 122

-65.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.83 ฿1,501

$67.3 SEK 618

-30.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿279

$10.39 SEK 95.5

-16.27%

Cappuccino

$2.92 ฿93.7

$4.68 SEK 42.99

-37.61%

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

$0.68 ฿21.92

$3.21 SEK 29.52

-78.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿12.70

$2.54 SEK 23.37

-84.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 ฿80.4

$7.54 SEK 69.3

-66.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 ฿122

$8.57 SEK 78.7

-55.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 ฿69.3

$1.79 SEK 16.42

20.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 ฿60.3

$3.16 SEK 29.04

-40.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 ฿69.2

$4.05 SEK 37.19

-46.67%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿71.2

$4.58 SEK 42.06

-51.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.57 ฿627

$12.72 SEK 117

53.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.80 ฿122

$11.92 SEK 110

-68.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.41 ฿430

$19.33 SEK 178

-30.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 ฿104

$3.44 SEK 31.62

-5.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿51.7

$2.66 SEK 24.48

-39.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 ฿74.0

$1.60 SEK 14.69

44.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 ฿66.0

$4.41 SEK 40.55

-53.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.61 ฿51.5

$2.01 SEK 18.44

-19.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.44 ฿46.26

$1.89 SEK 17.37

-23.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.01

$2.62 SEK 24.08

-60.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.39

$1.56 SEK 14.36

-69.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.50 ฿144

$7.35 SEK 67.6

-38.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.18 ฿615

$14.20 SEK 130

35.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿58.4

$1.74 SEK 15.97

4.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 ฿86.2

$2.28 SEK 21.00

17.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.38 ฿44.16

$4.19 SEK 38.50

-67.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.76 ฿377

$101 SEK 929

-88.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿99.6

$6.13 SEK 56.3

-49.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.18

$1.19 SEK 10.98

-15.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.74 ฿441

$20.72 SEK 190

-33.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿41.61

$1.90 SEK 17.47

-31.58%

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

$27.4K ฿877.0K

$32.5K SEK 298.7K

-15.85%

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

$33.0K ฿1.1M

$33.7K SEK 309.9K

-2.07%

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

$125 ฿4,004

$88.5 SEK 813

41.14%

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

$13.74 ฿440

$29.52 SEK 271

-53.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.61 ฿597

$37.76 SEK 347

-50.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.6 ฿1,941

$47.13 SEK 433

28.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.15 ฿550

$25.77 SEK 237

-33.45%

Cinema Ticket

$9.01 ฿289

$17.94 SEK 165

-49.78%

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

$698 ฿22.4K

$165 SEK 1,512

324.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿516.5K

$4,101 SEK 37.7K

292.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.2 ฿1,898

$107 SEK 983

-44.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.86 ฿1,118

$44.58 SEK 410

-21.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 ฿3,662

$117 SEK 1,073

-2.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,751

$156 SEK 1,430

-44.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿19.8K

$828 SEK 7,613

-25.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.0K

$658 SEK 6,051

-33.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,075 ฿66.5K

$1,375 SEK 12.6K

50.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿48.4K

$1,079 SEK 9,918

39.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,764 ฿120.7K

$4,263 SEK 39.2K

-11.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,694 ฿86.4K

$3,009 SEK 27.7K

-10.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$528 ฿16.9K

$3,678 SEK 33.8K

-85.63%

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: April 13, 2026

Last update for Taby: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $828 in Taby. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Taby pays 596% 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: $47 in Phuket vs $67 in Taby for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $382 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 Taby: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 49% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Taby earns 596% 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: $619 in Phuket versus $828 in Taby. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $165 in Taby. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Taby. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,247 in Phuket versus $1,863 in Taby, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Taby. 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 Taby, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Taby 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 49% less than in Taby. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.